Seeing Saigon

I checked out of Yellow House Hotel first thing and into Kim Hotel just down an alley. Clean, a huge bed and balcony, now we're talking! A family run spot, they are all so welcoming. Oh, and there's a mini-bath tub, too!

I am a tourist today. First to Independence Palace, I toured what was set to be the fortress of Diem, who our guide referred to as the US puppet leader of South Viet Nam. Ok. The palace was build in 1868 originally by the French, refurbished by Diem, but finished only after his death. Built as the hub for receiving international and domestic guests, as well as housing the leader and his family, the palace has been left decorated as it was in the 60s. Conference rooms, a convention hall, a full bomb shell war room basement, a casino room, even an entertainment room with a view of the house chopper, the palace is a 1960s fortress. The dining room in the living quarters reminds me of my grandmother's house, now my uncle's place, totally renewed and refreshed. Leaning against the glass of the dining room I am transported back to Christmas dinners and pot roast. Fancy glasses and heavy silverware, soft light and gauzy curtains glowing in the light of dusk.

Next to the War Remnants Museum. First things first, you are greeted by US tanks and jets just inside the entry past the ticket counter. And once inside the exhibit, the first words you see are from the Declaration of Independence, also translated into Vietnamese. The stage is set, the ironies and atrocities soon to be revealed. Scary to say, I am thankful I haven't eaten yet today. My lunch would've come up. Walking through this museum, I alternate between shock and chills. It's a physical reaction to the visual displays. Disgust, horror cannot even come close. I am proud of my country and proud to be from my country. Looking at these images, war-torn bodies, you see what war means. Whether in the name of democracy, liberty, religion, gasoline, however complex, staring at the faces of the aftermath of war, it seems so unnecessary. I cannot imagine what it must be like to be a soldier fighting on foreign soil or to be a civilian living through a war waged in your own country. It occurred to me. What would happen if they were no armies? What would this world be like without any defense forces? Utter chaos? Or more harmonious?

The exhibit chronicling the devastation the war exacted on future generations was also gutting. Agent Orange and napalm not only affected those involved in the war at the time, but also generations to come. Birth defects in the children of civilians and soldiers alike, malformations, disease, reproductive malfunctions, limbs missing, it's hard to look.

Upstairs, there is also an exhibit about the journalists who covered the war, many of whom are still missing. Several countries sent troops into Viet Nam and several others sent journalists. Civilian, military and professional casualties, this exhibit is comprehensive and stark. I have never worn camouflage in my life and, from this day forward, hope I never have to.