Ho-Chi-Minh-City aka Saigon Part 1

The early bird catches the worm: today we were woken up at 5:30 AM and by 7 AM we were at the airport in Da Nang, 1.5 hours before the departure of our domestic flight to Ho-Chi-Minh-City. One would think that's enough time. However, the first shock of the day came as soon as we entered the airport hall. Total chaos at the check-in counters and utter dismay on our part. 'There's no way we're making it on time,' was my first thought, and the girls also considered the endeavor of being at the gate on time to be utopic. My dear brother-in-law Thomas always says: 'If it can't be done, it won't be done, but if it's difficult, it can be done!'. We needed a creative solution. So we tried to get through the security check via the priority check-in... Acting a bit clueless while remaining persistent actually led to success. Ultimately, the plane departed on time with us on board.

Since we wanted to avoid the usual scams and annoying pitches while searching for a taxi at the airport, we set off on foot with our bags. While I was looking for a route that wouldn't take us directly onto a highway, Mara and Nadi thought it was a great idea to pose for the local security officer as models for our private photo album. I found it funny...really!

After checking in at the hotel, we had an agenda. We visited the War Remnants Museum, the Reunification Palace, Notre Dame de Saigon, and the Central Post Office...my girls complained they felt like a Japanese tour group on a European trip. That's not true at all! Rebellion suppressed!

All the sights we visited were definitely worth checking out. Unfortunately, Notre Dame is currently scaffolded and undergoing renovation, which was just bad luck. However, concerning the Vietnam War, one is very impressively informed about the events of the 20-year-long conflict and its consequences up until the 2000s.

As it is still the rainy season in southern Vietnam, a good downpour was also included in the travel price, and it didn’t take long to arrive. The mother of all downpours poured down upon us; initially, it was a welcome cooling off, but after a few moments, we were soaked to the bone, which was unnecessary.

Soaked to the skin, we returned to the hotel, which was enough for our first day in Saigon. Tomorrow we’re heading to the Mekong Delta for 3 days before we spend another 3 days in this 14 million metropolis to conclude our trip.

In this sense: The End is near!