Wow !!!! I was a bit concerned when I realized that the tour I had booked to Saigon lasted nine hours, thinking it might get boring, but just the opposite was true. This was definitely because we had the best tour guide we’ve had yet on the cruise. He was a young man probably in his early 30’s. Our tour was called “The Best of Ho Chi Ming City”. The drive to Saigon from Phu My where the ship was docked lasted over an hour and a half. All the way there the guide gave us all types of interesting information about the history of the country and what we could expect to see that day.
As we drove along, the first buildings we saw along the road were very poor ram shackled huts occupied by small businesses.
The closer we got to the city, the more prosperous everything looked.
Of course when we arrived at the city, it looked just like other modern, large cities, but very clean. What really stood out though was the many, many bicycles and motor bikes there were -- more of them than cars actually. There are few traffic light, so crossing a street was taking your life in your hands. Someone at our dinner table said that the only way to cross was to start across, walk at a leisurely pace, and not to rush – that the bicycles would then weave their way around you. Sounds good to me ! ! ! !
The first stop on the tour was at a lacquer factory, where workers make lacquered goods by hand. One of the ladies was using a tiny saw to cut delicate patterns from a shell, which would be used to decorate some of the articles they make – she presented me with a tiny white bird which she had just cut – so delicate ! ! !
Some men were hand painting designs, some were applying the lacquer to finish the various objects, and
others were sitting at a large tub filled with water polishing the freshly lacquered articles
Of course after passing through the work area, we were led to the gift shop where many beautiful things were for sale. I was very tempted to purchase something, but then I reminded myself that I’m in the process of getting rid of things, not collecting them.
Our next stop was the palace, where the president and vice president have their offices. Beautifully decorated.
Then we were off to a museum where one of the main attractions was a water puppet show -- really cute.
Our tour included a delicious Vietnamese buffet lunch at one of the elegant hotels – delicious.
To complete the tour we were driven to the Notre Dame Cathedral. It was built during the French occupation of the country in the same style as Notre Dame in Paris. Unfortunately the church was locked, so we only were able to photograph it from the outside.
During the beginning of the trip back to the ship, our guide just let us rest, but after the half way point rest stop, he began to tell us about his personal life and family as well as the political situation in the country. He even passed around a small picture album of his family, including his wife, his twin sons, his wedding pictures and his home. He was a very personable young man.
Back aboard ship, we could look forward to a beautiful after dinner concert. Eve Sherrat, an excellent female singer from Wales entertained us with her gorgeous voice. She sang everything from Broadway songs to operatic numbers. The amazing thing is that her voice is untrained and what a spectacular voice it was ! ! ! !
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