Every November at the time of the full moon Cambodia celebrates the changing of the flow of the Tonle Sap River and elaborately thanks the Mekong River for providing the country with fertile land and abundant fish. It is at this time when the river flow reverts to its normal down-stream direction. In a remarkable phenomenon, the Tonle Sap River reverses its course as the rainy season progresses, with the river flowing "upstream" to the Tonle Sap Lake, some 100 kilometres inland from Phnom Penh. Then as the rainy season tapers off, the river changes direction once again as the swollen Tonle Sap Lake begins to empty back into the Mekong River, leaving behind vast quantities of fish. The festival, called Bon Om Taek (Water Festival) has religious elements, but centres around three days of fireworks displays and traditional boat races on the river. The boat racing dates back to ancient times, marking the strength of the powerful Khmer marine forces during the Khmer empire. Up to a million people from all walks of life and from all over the country flock to the banks of the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers in Phnom Penh to watch traditional boats racing on a huge scale.
Since I was already witness to the previous year’s boat bash I decided to spend the entire five day holiday last November in Saigon a.k.a Ho Chi Minh City in neighbouring Vietnam with family and friends. In the 60's and 70's, Saigon was bustling with commerce and business. It was the cultural centre and the capital city of South Vietnam. Already heavily influenced by the French in terms of culture and style, the city had an air of a French provincial town with a Vietnamese twist. Saigon was dubbed the "Pearl of the Orient" by the foreign press. The city was alive with activities and cultural diversity that rivalled any Asian city at the time. After the fall of South Vietnam to communism in 1975, the city and many of its inhabitants were in a state of chaos and turmoil. In 1976, the new government renamed the city Ho Chi Minh City after socialist Vietnam's founding father, Ho Chi Minh and shut its door to the rest of the world. Although acknowledged world wide as Ho Chi Minh City, to the people of Vietnam, the city is still lovingly referred to as Saigon. However, officially, the term Saigon refers only to District One of Ho Chi Minh City.
A late evening 45-minute flight from Phnom Penh saw me in Saigon. Our guide, 26-year-old Nguyen Van Chin met us at the Tan Son Nhat airport with our itinerary for the next 3 days. As we made an hour-long journey in the late evening bustle of the city to the hotel in District Five the contrast between Saigon and Cambodia could not have been more striking. With a bulging population of over 7 million people, free spirited Saigon is one of the densest urban areas in the world. The streets were teeming with cyclos, Hondas, tuk-tuks, Mitsubishi land cruisers, bicycles, Toyotas and several indigenous motors creating an extraordinary blend of rustic oriental charm and fast-paced western progression.
In Cambodia nobody ever seems to be in any particular hurry while Saigon was swarming with people trying to scurry past today to get to tomorrow. Vietnamese are generally considered to be shrewd and hard working. How else can one explain the incredulous results of the Vietnam War, which incidentally is referred to as the American War in Vietnam. While Hanoi is the centre of government, Ho Chi Minh City is the nation’s economic heart, and money is on the minds of everyone here. Taxi drivers can recite the latest joint venture regulations, and even shirt makers stay in touch with their foreign customers by e-mail. Time is precious, and people are in a hurry, although conversation often takes a small town tone as bakers and bankers compare their ‘‘inside’’ information at sidewalk cafés.
Our first tourist attraction in Saigon was the unforgettable War Remnants Museum (formerly known as the Museum of French and American War Crimes) – not a very happy place. Captured American planes, tanks and artillery, graphic exhibits about the effects of Agent Orange and the My Lai Massacre, recreations of the Tiger Cages (brutal prisons used by the South Vietnamese), and lots of other poignant stuff. The supreme take was a photo exhibit about photojournalists (from all sides) who were killed during the war. Included were many photographs that had been taken just prior to the photographer’s death. Powerful photographs and compelling stories.
Still in the mood for documented life we headed off towards the Bao Tang Lich Su - Historical Museum. This unassuming, musty place, with its grimy glass cases, houses a formidable collection of artefacts from Vietnam’s two thousand years of recorded history. On display are many historical artefacts including granite tablets with intricate carvings, and uniforms of mandarins and kings of yesteryears. A statue of the Buddha with 1,000 eyes and 1,000 arms is also part of the museum's collections. According to the curator, many of the artefacts dated back to the 6th and 7th century. Even a very brief visit will help put many of the other things you will see as you tour Saigon in some kind of historical perspective. The museum also has a water puppet theatre and one of the best stocked and most reasonably priced gift shops in the city.
Next on our list was the Unification Palace, the former Presidential Palace. Tourists stop at the front gate to snap photos by the thousands, but few venture inside. Maps still hanging in the underground military operations rooms remind visitors how close the ‘‘enemy’’ was. On the top floor is a party room with a stage and below; lavish reception halls and office, a gambling room, and a private movie theatre are all muted reminders of why the Americans side lost.
An indo-viet acquaintance in Saigon was reason enough for a pre-meditated delve in to the possibilities of minority Indians in Vietnam. Investigations lead us to an early 20th century Mariamman temple in Saigon! Evidences indicate that in Saigon the Indian population, mainly from South India was of a significant number in the past. Almost all of South Vietnam's Indian population left in 1975 after reunification. The remaining community in Ho Chi Minh City worships at the Mariamman Hindu Temple and the Central Mosque. The Hindu temples in Saigon are over 100 years. In the late 19th century, the Tamils constructed the Mariammam Temple with a raja gopuram. Similarly, in mid 20th century Nagartars built two Hindu temples, namely Sri Thendayutthapani Temple and Subramaniar Temple, using Indian craftsmen, builders and sculptors. Similar to the ancient temples in India, these temples followed the principles of temple building.
During the Vietnam War, the unfavourable economic and political situations in South Vietnam caused the exodus of Nagartars forcing the ones who stayed behind to marry the locals. Their offspring have pure tamil names but the similitude ends with that. In April 1975, after the reunification, the socialist government of Vietnam shut the places of worship, including the Hindu temples. Some temples premises were used as factories. Around 1993, the temples re-opened for worship as the result of the negotiations between India and Vietnam at the diplomatic level. In one temple, the flags of India and Vietnam flutter at the entrance to reinforce the friendship between these two countries.
After our pleasantly shocking rendezvous with remnants of past Indian influences we decided to go Funan. A visit to Cho Lon, Ho Chi Minh City’s Chinatown, can take an afternoon, if not an entire day. Like the Chinese district in Cambodia, Cho Lon is one of the oldest and most mysterious parts of Saigon. Cho Lon means ‘‘big market,’’ and the best place to begin your visit is at the overwhelming Binh Tay Market. Although it is likely to be hot and crowded, take your time here. The variety of goods here is positively astounding and will give you uncanny glimpses into modern Vietnamese life.As corny as it sounds, Saigon is a paradise for shoppers. Beautiful handicrafts and deliciously tacky tourist junk are in endless supply. If you love to shop and have at least elementary bargaining skills and a good eye, your money will go a long way and you can enjoy virtually endless retail entertainment. Anything not marked with a price sticker can be had for about two-thirds the price first quoted. Lacquer ware made here is practically the best in the world and is still a real bargain. If your friends at home love tacky tourist crap, you are in luck! You will find an astounding array of toy helicopters made from Coca Cola cans, fake Zippos and cigarette lighters made from hollow M-16 ammunition, and Good Morning Vietnam T-shirts. Vietnamese coffees are among the best in the world, and very inexpensive. Because Saigonites drink so much of it, the beans on display in scores of shops are always quite fresh. Whole beans sealed in a plastic bag will last quite well providing a lingering souvenir of your visit to sizzling Saigon.
Saigon is not a place where you will easily go hungry, regardless of your budget. A glut of foreign business people with expense accounts has created plenty of elegant, albeit overpriced restaurants. But for those who want to enjoy real Vietnamese food and contemporary Saigon living, forget about all the tourist restaurants with their white linens and bloated prices, and instead dine where the Vietnamese do. Thanks to cheap food and local whisky everyone makes merry in Saigon every night. At most of these restaurants, seating is at folding tables on the sidewalk. If anyone spots the police, however, you will be unceremoniously packed up plate and all and moved indoors. All the restaurants are quite good and very cheap though you will probably find unusual fare on the menus, like sparrows, wild deer and steamed silk worms.
With just another three days of our holiday left it was time to pack up from Saigon and move on. One the places we had wanted to see was Da Lat, the old Hill Station in the central highlands. Da Lat was built as a cool retreat for the Europeans who couldn’t strand the tropical heat. Later, it was spared most of the war, as commanders from all sides used the area for R&R. It’s now the number one honeymoon destination for newlywed Vietnamese. We’d be back only for a flight back home to Cambodia but memories from saucy Saigon will remain etched deep in our stories.
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