We decided to abandon the bus rides (it would have been 17 hours to get to Saigon) and bought cheap air tickets on Pacific Airways. Just over an hour after leaving Danang airport, we arrived in Ho Chi Minh City. Everyone in the south still calls it Saigon, so we'll just call it that as well. We hadn't heard great things from fellow travelers about Saigon, so we thought we would probably just stay for two days and quickly leave for the Mekong Delta.

Saigon surprised us. While it didn't have the charm of Hanoi, it was an energetic city with lots to see and do. We took in most of the key sites, including the unbelievably moving War Remnants Museum. This museum used to be called the Museum of Chinese and American War Crimes, but in the interest of tourism, they renamed it.

The museum begins with a look at the weapons used by the Americans in the war, along with pictures of Vietnamese victims of those weapons—mostly civilians. Then, there was a section on Agent Orange and its effect on the environment (destroyed 60% of Vietnam's mangrove forests) and the population (horrific birth defects). Then, we moved on to descriptions of two of the massacres in villages in the North, including pictures and testimony by former US Senator Bob Kerrey, who was a member of the company that was involved in one of the attacks. The story was gut-wrenching.

Other exhibits included love during the time of war, which showed gifts and letters from Vietnamese soldiers to their sweethearts. There were plenty of pictures on display showing American GIs, political leaders, and protesters from around the world.

Tourists wrote comments in signature books at the end of their tour through the museum. Needless to say, in light of the horrific images from the war and the current occupation of Iraq by the US, our country took a bit of a beating in these signature books. For sure, the museum was a one-sided affair, but it did a good job of depicting the brutality of war.

We also visited the Reunification Palace where in 1975, after the North pushed into Saigon and defeated the South, a North Vietnamese soldier stormed the palace, ran up the steps, and seized power from the South Vietnamese President. This act ended the war, unified the North and the South, and wiped the Republic of Vietnam off the map forever. The Palace itself was originally French in design, but after the French left, it was razed by the Vietnamese in favor of something more distinctly Vietnamese. The new building was designed by a Vietnamese man who ironically learned architecture in Paris, and while it was much uglier than the original palace, I was struck by how much the new building looked like a cross between the FBI Building and the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. It had big open halls, sparsely but tastefully decorated walls, and cantilevered structures. Most interestingly, we toured the underground tunnels and bunkers where we saw the President's war rooms, emergency communications wing, and bedroom.

Saigon was churning and oozing with energy. It is where the nation's youth go to make a better future, and we met people who hailed from all over Vietnam. From dried squid vendors to international banking executives to young couples snuggling atop their parked motorbikes in the park, the city was really diverse and vibrant. In its energy and its promise, it reminded us a bit of New York City.

Many of the cyclo (a bicycle with a wagon attached to the back for one or two passengers) drivers here are former soldiers, doctors, teachers, etc. who sided with the Americans during the war.

When the North won, leaders sent these men to communist "re-education" camps, where they spent up to ten or so years. When they got out, they were not granted citizenship in the new Vietnam. Thus, they could not buy a home. As a result, most did not marry or have families, as home ownership is crucial for those cultural milestones. They make a living during the days and evenings driving tourists around in cyclos, and at night, they sleep in or next to their cyclos.

We had been declining cyclo rides through Vietnam, mostly just to see more on foot and get exercise, but we decided to hire a cyclo driver a few times while in Saigon to give these hard working guys some business. Plus it is good fun and a great way to see the city and learn more about Vietnam from the cyclo driver. They worked hard, as the cyclos only have one gear, so starting and stopping with a few hundred pounds of Sean was not an easy task.

Amazingly, these guys don't sweat. It was well over 80 degrees and humid, but we couldn't see a single drop of perspiration on these guys - pretty impressive. We think Aric should quit the College Board and move to Vietnam to become a cyclo driver.

We could have spent a few more days in Saigon, but with only seven days or so left on our Vietnam visa, we wanted to take off for the Mekong Delta, so we could really do it some justice.