Escape from the City

Three days in Saigon was enough for us.

We liked their French colonial buildings.

We tolerated their war museums.

We were traumatised by their traffic.

We drank their beer.

Pest Watch

 Cockroaches 8

Rats 5

A frankly pathetic showing by the rats so far........

Consider this bold cockroach action from earlier:

War Remnants Museum

 

Tough one this. 

The car park was filled with 'previously owned' US hardware.

However, in no way did this prepare us for the museum's exhibits.

For once, I have no smart comments or jokes to make.

I'll leave you with Edwin Starr (c.1970)

(Look it up......)

Pest watch

Cockroaches 5

Rats 3

Museum day

 A sightseeing day.

And where better to start than The Museum of Ho Chi Minh City?

Well, probably anywhere as it turned out.

The ground floor housed an odd assortment of items (including, thrillingly, a lamp from a tugboat that won the People's Award for being a great tugboat..)

Honest.

There were also a few obligatory stuffed animals.

As far as I can tell, they were never aboard the award-winning tugboat.

The upper floor was devoted to the heroic struggle of the Vietcong. It mainly featured items previously owned by ex-military types who now needed space in the loft........

Crucial combat kit, I'm sure you'll agree.

I'd been prepared for some tough viewing regarding the Vietnam war.

However, nothing could have prepared me for the following exhibits, both of which were used in the Vietcong tunnels.

Cruel and unusual punishments indeed.

S-s-s-saigon

 So. Here we are in Saigon. Techically, Ho Chi Minh City, but whatever.......

Anyway. No sooner had we ditched our bags, and had a restorative beer (or two), than we were out, looking for Saigon's famed and rumoured extensive and exotic nightlife.

Now, I'm the first to admit that my knowledge and expectations for the evening were largely based on the frankly magnificent 'Full Metal Jacket'.

And so it was, with Christmas looming and no gift yet purchased for JB, I put aside 5 dollah (and my concerns) and set forth.

The first signs were promising. The fabled bright lights were exactly that.

However, it seems that 5 dollah buys slightly less now than in 1968.......

Maybe I'll get him socks.......

Pest Watch

Cockroaches: 2

Rats:  2

Game on!