Phy My is the coastal city outside of Ho Chi Minh City ... formerly Saigon. As it is a city of of over 7 million people the streets are very crowded with cars, motorcycles and liter. The city is a mix of the old and the new.
Saigon was under French influence in 1859 and was dubbed the Paris of the East. There are some buildings designed by Gustav Eiffel. Vietnam fought for its independence in 1954. Vietnam was sub-divided into two zones ... north and south. Hanoi was the capital of North Vietnam and Saigon in the south. The US got involved in 1965 as the communist movement expanded in the north. Since Vietnam is both a Communist and Capitalist country there are red flags representing both throughout the city.
Our travel guide was very interesting. He told us of how welcome Americans (and everyone else) is to Vietnam and to spend money! He also told us about his parents who were guerrillas during the war. Didn't really feel any anti-American sentiment ... but did find some interesting propaganda and books. I must admit to feeling a little uncomfortable.
We went to see a Vietnamese water puppet show which was delightful.
I was also uncomfortable about the sanitation and pollution. The streets were not as clean as in other parts of Asia and with crowded environments. I was less concerned about the malaria mosquitoes in Papua New Guinea than I was about catching a disease in Vietnam. All in all a good experience.
On to Singapore! Still having a good time.
Regards,
Bruce
BRK55305@yahoo.com
Awesome images! Even the clearly crowded buildings have a air of beauty!
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