The outside lawn of the museum has helicopters, tanks, planes, and long range missile launchers parked outside to show the sheer quality and quantity of brilliantly destructive equipment the US government had at their disposal. The ground floor showed an exhibition of the people that "supported a free Vietnam", a euphemism for the people that spoke out against the US aiding in the South's war effort (the distinction, of course, being that disagreeing with an outside country's involvement with a civil war does not necessarily mean they support the side that ended up winning it). I was impressed that they spent so much time documenting the protests in the US, including Kent State. It surprised me only because it seemed to really attempt to paint some Americans in a positive light--not all Americans were the "colonial aggressors" (a term wrongfully adopted by the North) the VC fought against; many were against the war and extremely vocal about it. In another floor, I was sad to see that they kept a really good explanation of the typical American soldier's psyche during the war in English without translating it for the Vietnamese. I think it would have been very moving for the Vietnamese. After all, the college-age boys that too often were the ones on the from line weren't the politicians escalating the war. They were victims too, even if they are painted as killers. Seeing this side is essential and something most Americans have access to, especially through amazing writers like Tim O'brien. The other exhibits were dedicated the the massacres, like My Lai, amid quotes of European intellectuals condemning the actions, along with pictures of victims on Agent Orange, which was terribly sad. As we know too well, civilians and soldiers from both sides were affected because chemicals don't care whether you have a gun in your hand or what color your uniform is.
After that, I went to the museum of Ho Chi Minh City, which was extremely interesting because it covered everything from previous invasions and uprisings to the crafts that were native to the city and where they came from, art, traditional ceremonies, and an economic history detailing changes in imports/explores and GDP. At the time, There were also two Vietnamese brides that came to the beautiful museum building to get their wedding photos taken. It was fun to watch them, one in white and one in red, pose with their new husbands.
After the museum I headed over to the Reunification Palace, which used to be the President's palace before the end of the war.
For dinner, I went to a coffee shop that reminds me very much of Starbucks to escape the chaos. However, I won't just be drinking a mocha and eating banana bread. When in Saigon, do as the Saigonese do--and Saigonese love their noodle soup, or pho. So I had a cup of strong Vietnamese coffee, sweetened with condensed milk the way they like it, and some delicious beef pho. The one thing I don't think I'll try here is the weasel coffee. It is normal coffee beans fed to a weasel and collected after it's made the trip through their digestive system--noooo thanks!
Tonight I will meet up with a French Canadian I met in Hanoi who finished her bus trip from there to Saigon a few days ago--it's great that you can keep running into the same people here. After that I'll be off to bed and then wake up early for a tour of the Mekong Delta south of here, which is supposed to be stunning. Hope you are all well and, if you can believe it, I'll already be heading home in three weeks! How the time flies.
