Vietnam, Koh Samui (Thailand), and Singapore

We had three days of touring in Ho Chi Minh City, aka Saigon. Our ship was docked south of town a bit so we had an hour or more on the bus to get into the city. Here’s our first impression of Saigon.

Vietnam population is about 100 million. Motorbike count is about 70 million due to cars being too expensive and no significant public transportation. And here’s a parking lot.

Here’s a river we crossed on way into town with some minimal dwellings on the shore that the government is trying to squeeze out to make room for big new buildings such as the ones in the background.

Here’s a statue of Ho himself in front of one of their special buildings.

We got lots of interesting info about life in Vietnam and the nature of the communist control from our tour guides on the bus tours. One fellow told of his Dad who was an ARVN officer and then spent 5 years in a reeducation camp. Dad is still alive and about 85 years old and rides his motorbike around town. Our guide and his family have been discriminated against over many years due to the family history that supported the south.