We said good-bye to the AmaLotus and the wonderful crew on day 14 of this amazing trip with AmaWaterways. But our adventure wasn’t over.
We disembarked our Mekong River Cruise in My Tho, Vietnam.
It was now time to explore Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s largest city for two days. Formerly Saigon, it’s still referred as so by most. The city’s European inspired buildings remind us that it was once a French colony and adds to the eclectic energy. Today, Saigon is an industrial, cultural and educational hub.
Saigon Central Post Office: Gustave Eiffel (as in the Eiffel Tower) designed this still working post office, built between 1886 and 1891.
Presidential Palace: Built in the 1960s, this was the home of the first President of South Vietnam until 1975 when the city fell to communists. Here on April 30, 1975, tanks crashed through the main gates, a dramatic symbol to the end of the Vietnam War.
Notre Dame Basilica was built between 1863 and 1880 by French colonists.
Certainly a history lesson this trip was; not only of recent history, but sailing along the Mekong, this is how people have lived for centuries. Albeit, with the presence of cell phones and TV’s, it was a journey that took us back in time as best as possible. Seeing the past merge with the present and seeing the possibility of the future here — this is what travel should do to us. AmaWaterways and the local guides could not have provided a better experience.
If you’re interested in exploring Vietnam and Cambodia, please call us at 1-800-565-2784.
