Southeast Asia Trip - Day 11

This morning, I was awake by 0530 (before my alarm) and spent time reading and doing puzzles.  Excited for a final excursion in Vietnam, I got ready and then went to breakfast (eggs, bacon, egg/ham sandwich, cereal) at the World Cafe (0630).  At 0645, I departed Viking Venus and boarded a bus for the "Scenic Ho Chi Minh City Tour".  The bus was nearly empty (I learned later that a lot of people were tired of the drive from/to the Port) - there were only 20 people in the seats around me.  We got on the road at 0700 with our tour guide, Mr. Long, and driver, Mr. Gihu.  Unfortunately, traffic on the way to the city was horrible - things were so bad, in fact, that I became convinced that scooters are likely always faster than buses or cars during the commute.  During this time, we got to watch traffic police in action.  Not surprisingly (after all we've seen with people in the country complying to government rules), the cops were quite effective - they were definitely a kind of order within the underlying chaos.  It was funny, though, to hear that the locals call the police in yellow uniforms "Pikachu"...  Meanwhile, our driver followed same way of driving through the city streets (in order to make turns) as we saw last night.  As a result, we were stuck at one intersection for over 10 minutes.  To pass the time, Mr. Long tried to keep us entertained.  We learned that trees in City have numbers (so they can be identified if maintenance is needed).  The guide pointed out the turquoise scooters, which he said were manufactured by the Vung Company (owned by the richest man in Vietnam).  It was a bit annoying that most of the other passengers (Boomer ladies) were completely (and loudly) ignoring things the guide was saying.  Perhaps I have chosen the wrong kind of Viking Cruise...  In the end, it took more than 90 minutes to reach the downtown areas of Ho Chi Minh City.  Soon after arriving, I noticed that we passed the Water Puppet Show venue from our first night in Port.  Meanwhile, the rudeness and pushy behavior of the Boomers rode to new heights.  By the time we reached the Reunification Palace, the questions were all about women's rights and other social justice concerns.  We were (thankfully) given a chance to get off the bus for photos - we didn't have tickets to go inside the grounds but it was possible to see tanks, A-5 aircraft and other memorials of the Vietnam (or "American", to the locals) War.  Through our QV listening devices, we heard stories of famous spies and learned about the building itself.  Next, we drove a short distance to the area where the Post Office and Notre Dame Cathedral were located.  I was able to get better pictures of these buildings and even got to go inside the Post Office.  There was also time to photograph the 1975 "Helo Evac Rooftop" building better.  Even though it wasn't too far away, we actually rode the bus to visit the Opera House and then got an impromptu bathroom break (Boomers very concerned about these) inside the halls of the city subway system. Back on the bus again, we ended up having to listen to the bus driver and guide having an argument about how we were running late.  As a result, we just drove by the City Hall (no stop at all) and immediately proceeded to the Ben Thanh Market.  Before reaching the latter stop, a heated debate began between the shoppers and non-shoppers over the "20 minutes only" limit there.  The result of this kerfuffle was that the guide relented and gave everyone 30 minutes.  Still the Boomer shopping ladies weren't satisfied (they wanted an hour).  When the driver would no longer compromise, the Boomer ladies raced off the bus.  Since I was in no hurry (and, frankly, would have skipped the whole stop, I waited in my seat until there was no one else left.  (Note - this was commented on (with a mild disapproval) by some of the more relaxed passengers but I told them "I'm on vacation").  To pass the time, I went walking in/near the Market, which was a gauntlet of shopping stalls.  When I was polite to older ladies, got a pat on the belly (not sure what that was about).  After about 10 minutes, I'd had my fill of this environment and did some walking nearby.  Wanting to be left alone, I could not avoid the many persistent tour guides (offering to take me around the city).  I passed a LOT of busy coffee shops and eventually found a small park with an area with LOTS of scooters.  As I wandered, I watched the locals (away from the tourists) and soaked up a bit more of the culture before we had to leave the country. Soon, it was time to return to the Ben Thanh Market.  Since I'd already had to cross a few busy streets where my entire life flashed before my eyes, I decided to walk back to the Market through the subway tunnel.  One benefit of this decision was that the environment was much cooler.  Outside, near the bus rendezvous point, the air temps were sweltering and I was unable to prevent the sweat from flowing, even though I'd spent the whole morning drinking lots of water.  Before meeting up with my group, I saw Mr. K from the Ho Chi Minh City by Evening tour - he enthusiastically shook my hand.  When I met up with tour guide at 1010, it was not shocking to learn that some of the Boomers were late.  I was ready to leave them (and said so) but the guide was unwilling to give up on them.  Meanwhile, he had us walk through the entire Market to reach our motor coach.  We ended up waiting for late passengers for over 10 extra minutes (grrr).  Because of this, Mr. Long said we’d have to choose between visiting the Jade Pagoda and going to the lacquer painting exhibit.  This annoyed me, since I really wanted to see the pagoda - fortunately, general consensus pressured the guide to take us there.  On the way, we passed the US Consulate and some other diplomatic offices/residences.  As if it wasn't enough that they were late, the (late) Boomer shopping ladies talked loudly all the way...  We got off the bus near the Jade Pagoda at 1030 and had to walk for a little while to reach it.  Then, we only got about 15 minutes to explore.  There were worries (on the part of other passengers) about lost shoes outside temple but I took my chances.  Inside, we found artistic conceptions of Hell and Heaven - the imagination and presentation were stunning. For some reason, the Boomer ladies continued wearing their hats and taking photos inside - both actions were prohibited (signs were everywhere) but they didn't seem to care.  Mr. Long herded everyone quickly back toward the bus before I had a chance to really digest what I'd seen at the pagoda (too bad) and we were on the road again (we thought we were going directly to Viking Venus) before 1100.  The guide started giving us descriptions of local superstitions (e.g., unlucky number 4, methods of praying in the temple, benefits of fortune tellers, celebration of funerals and burial anniversaries).  Suddenly (1105), we stopped at the Lacquer Workshop - not surprisingly, this turned out to be the "sales racket" of the day. I must admit, through, that the artwork was quite beautiful.  Unfortunately, so many tour buses emptied out there (including some from Viking Orion, which had just arrived in Port).  I spent time looking around but then got back on the bus (other people were there too).  The Boomer ladies spent extra time haggling with vendors on the sidewalk but we managed to depart by 1125.  The bus ride back to the ship was a bit faster than it had been in the morning but it rained all the way there.  For some reason, I noticed far more trash in the trees/bushes - and homeless people - during this particular drive.  During this window, it was clear that we'd be getting back later than planned (or allowed?).  Meanwhile, I opened my fourth water bottle of the day.  We arrived at ship by 1230 and, as I was boarding Viking Venus, I returned the Vietnam "landing card" to Guest Services.  Recapping: the itinerary of the excursion today was nearly identical to my previous two visits to the downtown area but I do feel that I learned many new and interesting things.  Next, I went to lunch (cheeseburger, fries, pasta, fruit, beer) at Pool Grill.  I sat by myself but, within the next 30 minutes, three different couples (people I've eaten with before) asked me to join them at their table.  That felt good.  Afterwards, I went walking on the Sun Deck and then on Deck 2.  From several different positions, I was able to watch the gangway and bus loading area - several excursions got back VERY late...  Along the way, I got my 10K steps.  At about 1415 (later than we'd been told), Viking Venus started to throw off all mooring lines.  I spent about 20 minutes watching the ship depart the port - some of the dock workers even waved to me.  For the next few hours, I rested in my room, watching movies, filling out excursion questionnaires and doing laundry.  For the last activity, I got some help (for adding soap, which I hadn't figured out the last time) from older English gentleman.  I made one more trip to Guest Services (to turn in my Cambodian Customs Form) when I was on my way to Teatime - I showed up very late (1655) but the staff still gave me the full treatment.  Along the way, I did some socializing with new friends I’ve made since arriving onboard. Back in my room again, I finished my laundry, read some more and watched movies.  At 1930, I went back to the Pool Grill to check out the Viking Barbecue event and ended up eating dinner (brisket, Mac & Cheese, corn on the cob, mini burger, different salads).  There was also time to try a few new beers while listening to a life musical performance.  Afterwards, I did some reading in a secluded area of Deck 7.  After returning to my room for the last time, I watched movies until I was ready for bed (2200).  Everything I saw, did and learned in Vietnam this week was inspiring and uplifting.  It’s hard to believe that our country was once at war with the people here - the evidence is almost invisible.  The Vietnamese people may be some of the most forgiving and pragmatic souls on the planet.  We’ve got another “At Sea” day coming up and I fully plan to enjoy it!.