Saturday, May 27, 2006

Saigon Part I, 2006

Notre Dame Cathedral-HCM

I left Hanoi on a rainy day for Saigon to visit my friends, my sister and also to attend my best friend's wedding. It seems too much for me to do in a week but I always enjoy going on a trip down here. Saigon's summer is really hot and I think its even hotter than Hanoi especially as it was raining before I left.

Sweet in HCM City

Each time I come here it brings me a different feeling. It seems always new and things are changing very quickly which is good. I love wandering around the old part of Saigon and walking down to the zoo where I can see lots of beautiful old French style buildings and old trees along the street.

Hanoi winter

The difference between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City is the artchitecture. There are more old houses, old buildings and so many lakes that make Hanoi such a nice city including heaps of old traditional workshops. The lifestyle and the people are so different. In Ho Chi Minh City, there still remain lots of nice old buildings. There's quite a few tree lined streets and parks and the people are hospitable and make you feel like you are at home.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

And now I miss my HCMC even more.

Anonymous said...

beach, the glassy building in the background is Diamond Plaza, a department store and office building. They left the old walls of the French colonial Foremost Dairy building (occupied by RMK-BRJ, the American construction firm in the '60s) and tore down the interior to make room for the glassy tower rising up from the old walls.
Mr. Tu, thanks for your wonderful pictures and commentary as usual.
-- Mel

FRIDAY'S CHILD said...

Those are nice pictures you're sharing. Hanoi's temperature may be the same as ours here. Today our temp was 37 deg. C.
Thanks for dropping by.

FooDcrazEE said...

i use to stay in Dang Thi Nhu Street of Tran Hung Dao.

Somehow for a nuoc ngoai - i prefer Saigon Bustling life to the more serene Hanoi...

Good memory there for me dude.

junebee said...

I learn so much about Vietnam from your blog. Also, your English is very good so it's quite readable.

Cergie said...

Hello, is it the Cathedral of Saïgon ?
I was baptised at he Cathedral. And when I got married it was impossible to obtain the proof of that. Happily, I was wellknown in my Church.
I would like to see the Cathedral !
My father built a wonderful house in wood without any nail, as a Buddist temple is built. I was born in this house and on my blog today I posted a photo of me when I was a baby in Saïgon.
I don't know if this house still exists.

Winn said...

i love those pix:) very nice!

BionicBuddha said...

The pictures are very good. I like the picture of the church. You have a very good eye for composing pictures...Thanks for sharing.



www.bionicbuddha.com

Anonymous said...

been there done that .. pity the catheral wasn't open to public, will love to see its interior as well.

and oh diamond plaza is a place when i head to when I need to seek refuge from the blistering heat. :D

yes, the post office on the right ... did have some fun trying to chat up with 2 photographer (they don't speak much english) when we were caught in the rain.

thanks for brining back fond memories ... :)

Writer and Nomad said...

you know i've wanted to visit vietnam for as long as i can remember and your blog is the next best thing to being there. hopefully i will see all these places in person very soon.

shaz said...

Im going to saigon in 2 weeks time and Im really excited!

Jean said...

Je ne connais pas Saîgon . Mais je suis allé plusieurs fois à Hanoï que j'aime beaucoup .
Merci pour ces images !

Monika said...

dammit, now I wanna go!

Jean said...

Quel plaisir de voir toutes ces images de Hanoï !
J'ai fait presque la même photo du petit lac.
Nous sommes allés à Hanoï trois fois et nous revenons en octobre 2006 .
Nous aimons surtout le quartier chinois , la vieille rue de la soie qui conduit au grand marché et au pont sur le fleuve rouge à coté de la gare .

Jean said...

What a pleasure of seeing all these images of Hanoï!
I almost made the same photograph of the small lake.
We went in Hanoï three times and we return in October 2006. We like especially the Chinese district, the old street of the silk which leads to the large market and the bridge on the red river to with dimensions of the station. 6:49 PM

Unknown said...

great shots - haven't been to HCM yet, heard it's more city bustle than Hanoi (which I really loved)!

Tim Rice said...

I love the architecture in the first picture. Thanks for sharing all this with us.

Thuy said...

Saigon and Hanoi are totally different cities. There are different things that I like about both citites. Saigon is modern and there are many good restaurants and busy night life. All the hustling and bustling and everyone is busy getting somewhere. I also love Hanoi quiet streets with all the old buildings and French architecture and the lakes. I can't wait to visit again.

black feline said...

Beautiful pictures...could u also do a post on a certain religious group in Vietnam...one of the deities they worship is Victor Hugo..the author of les Miserables..thanks

Van Cong Tu said...

Hi all, thanks for all comments.

Anonymous said...

Lots of memory.

I used to walk to Lasan Taberd from my house on Pasteur Street and pass by Vuong Cung Thanh Duong. When I was 2nd or 3rd grade (72 or 73), while walking to school, I saw a new cement pavement among the red bricks on the Church sidewalk (the side of Hoa Binh School) and it was still wet. I turned around and stepped on the wet pavement to imprint my sandal in it. In 1998, I went back and saw it was still there. I knew the imprint was mine because it's the only one in opposite direction from all other footprints. The front of my feet pointed to my house and the heel pointed to my school.

I really hope that it still be there the next time I return so I can show it to my sons. If anyone sees it, please send me an email vu_don@hotmail.com.

Thank You All

Vietnam tours said...

I like Sagon, SaiGon beautiful...