Another great day today. Flew out of Da Nang about 8:30 this morning and landed at Tan San Nhut Airport in Saigon, just after 10:00 AM. We then went on a bus tour of Saigon, which is now a metropolis of well over 8,000,000 people. We stopped at the old Post Office, that goes back to French Colonial times and also at Notre Dame Cathedral, that was built by the French after they had colonized all of Indochina. The Cathedral is currently under a major renovation, in an attempt to bring it back to its previous splendor. They are even importing the tiles that cover the roof, directly from France. I suspect the French are paying for most, if not all of this renovation. We then drove past the huge, walled American Consulate. It is in fact an Embassy, but the current regime insisted that our Embassy be in Hanoi, which they not surprisingly decided would be the capital of the reunified Country. So, they accommodate the  rulers from the north and call it a Consulate. Not the way I would have done it, but everyone knows I'm no diplomat! We then stopped for Lunch in a great restaurant in the downtown area. It was Rice Noodle place extraordinaire! We got a giant bowl of genuine Vietnamese Rice Noodles in a savory broth. We had a choice of either beef or chicken with the noodles and they were served, steaming hot in large bowls. Also served was fresh bean sprouts and a variety of other vegetables and condiment sauces to choose at will. The usual two drinks of beer, soda, or bottled water were also served. The vast majority of our party of ten, including our Vietnamese Guide Phai, were unable to finish their bowl. As you might guess, I was not one of them! Next, we were back on our Tour Bus for a stop at the old Presidential Palace, last inhabited by the last President of South Vietnam, Mr. Thieu. The ruling northerners have renamed the Palace Reunification Hall. Attempts have been made to restore and refurbish it back to how it was when President Thieu lived there as the last President of South Vietnam. As we have come to expect, Reunification Hall is another major opportunity for propaganda that we have been exposed to since we arrived. I also found out that the NVA Tank that I identified in an earlier post as the one that broke through the gates of the Presidential Palace in 1975, was in fact not the one that actually did it. It seems that for several years after the war, there were multiple claims of who and what tank actually broke through the front gate. The Government finally ended the controversy by reviewing all the original newsreel and battle field photographer film to make a final identification. That tank is now displayed on the grounds. We were not allowed to see the site of the former US Embassy that was partially overrun by the NVA during the Tet Offensive of early 1968. The government wanted the US to use that complex for the site of the new US Consulate in Saigon, when Diplomatic relations were reinstated. Our State Department declined, knowing that the government, the Russians, and Chinese had had several years to bug it and set up all types of surveillance. A smart move, I would say! Following our visit, we reboarded our bus for the trip to our hotel. We are staying in the four star Rex Hotel, in the heart of the downtown. We have Executive Premium Rooms, that come with a host of freebies and special privileges. We had Dinner this evening in a private dining room reserved only for Executive Guests. During Dinner, we were first entertained by three lovely Vietnamese Folk Dancers. They were all very attractive and were dressed in authentic Vietnamese costume. After they performed, a five piece band came in. They all had native Vietnamese instruments. After playing several native Vietnamese Folk tunes, they did a whole set of American style rock music, in our honor. An unbelievably great sound on those instruments! Another long day of travel and sightseeing tomorrow, all around what we knew in the war as III Corps. I spent the second half of my one year tour in Vietnam in this III Corps region. Our rear area was in a place called Quan Loi, that I spent significant time at, and operating off of what we called LZ Rita. It was very close to the border with Cambodia and to the Northwest  of Saigon. It was there that I received my second Purple Heart, on November 20, 1968. We will not be going to Quan Loi, but should be close enough for me to see the area from a distance. I'm sure it would be nothing like what I remember!

View of Freedom Hill area from the airport terminal in Da Nang. Still a little morning haze. Our plane to Saigon in the foreground.

View of the Old Post Office in Downtown Saigon. Classic French Colonial architecture.

Interior of the Old Post Office. As you can see from the picture in the background, the current government has added their "touch".

The Notre Dame Cathedral in downtown Saigon, currently under major renovations.

View of what is now called Reunification Hall, formerly the South Vietnam Presidential Palace, from just inside the front gate.

This is now believed to be the Tank 843 that actually broke through the front gate of the Presidential Palace in 1975. This event symbolized the formal end of the war.

View from the steps of what they now call Reunification Hall, looking back towards the main gate.

Vietnamese Women who danced for us at Dinner in the Executive Premium Dining Room.

The native instrument band that entertained us during Dinner. A fifth musician was added when they played a set of American Rock music.