Saigon, I’m still only in Saigon

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Phnom Penh to Siem Reap (for Angkor Wat)

6 hours drive and some stops. The paved main road is better than expected, looks new and built during the Covid period.

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Villages and sights on the way retained a pleasant rural atmosphere for a tourist like me, and attended a good Aspara theatre dinner on arrival in Siem Reap.

Some local delicacies

Typical houses

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The hotel is relaxing and the town is exciting. Perfect.

1000 years old bridge


Downtown at 7pm. I am told the party starts at 9, either evacuate the place on time or enjoy it. I shall see another day.

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Angkor Day 1

Visited the Angkor Wat palace, Bayon Palace, the Tomle Om gate and the Baksei pyramid temple.

I must have taken a thousand pictures. You really get that Indiana Jones feeling here, including the 35 to 40c feels like temperature around the temples, some aggressive monkeys in Bayon but no snakes.

It’s quiet, almost had the place to ourselves most of the time.

Here is a few pictures, just a teaser really but it gives an idea of what is there to see.

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The gate and the pyramid temple

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Day 2 of Angkor tour. Visited Ta Prohm, Banteay Srey and Pre Rup temples.

Visited Angkor with a small group of 5 people with guide. I usually leave the guide after 5
minutes to explore on my own. It is very clear to me that Ta Prohm temple ruins with the tree roots were the highlight of the 2day visit, to be explored at opening before any large group. We had the place to ourselves at 8am.

I am so glad to have explored these. But after 2 days and 7 temples, I have my fill of temples. Back to South Vietnam tomorrow.

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Short Video from Ta Prohm, Cambodia. Add the audio.

phpBB [video]

[Herr Dr. Professor]

Those are astounding photos and an amazing video, Louis. Eight AM is fine, but at, say, 11:00 PM that would spook me out of my skin! I am impressed, and no little heartened, to see apparently no damage from tourists. Please tell me that the the grounds are not protected by armed guards, but by r-e-s-p-e-c-t.

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Those are astounding photos and an amazing video, Louis. Eight AM is fine, but at, say, 11:00 PM that would spook me out of my skin! I am impressed, and no little heartened, to see apparently no damage from tourists. Please tell me that the the grounds are not protected by armed guards, but by r-e-s-p-e-c-t.

Thanks Doc, there are a few unarmed guards, friendly actually. The guide told me the Angkor area used to be a Khmer Rouge stronghold and heavily mined. At least they were inspired by and protected their ancient heritage instead of destroying it like the Talibans.


Transit day


The Angkor area just got a new international airport, opened a few months ago. It’s big and was fully financed and built by the Chinese, with modern gates and long runway. The Cambodian government plan is to attract direct flights and have 30% of its GDP coming from tourism.

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The view when landing in Saigon (Ho chi Minh city) must be very different than 50 years ago, but the river surely did not change.

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Landing at Tan Son Nhat international airport, it’s the former French and US Tan Son Nhut air base. The Vietnamese are building a new international airport to replace it. I hope they will also be revamping their immigration and Visa checking process. It’s all paper based and it took one hour to go through it.

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I am noticing old fighter jet parking areas along the Taxiway, probably the last remains of the US Tan Son Nhut air base period.

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The population of Cambodia and Vietnam tripled in past 60 years, reaching 17 and 100 million respectfully.

Although I was careful, I picked up a stomach bug in Cambodia that’s currently preventing me from going too far. So, I have been roaming around old Saigon in past 2 days. What else is there to do.

I walked, looking for something, something that would trigger a reaction but not sure exactly what. I am always on the lookout for something beautiful to watch and take a picture of. I am struggling. I looked for it and did not find it.

Saigon’s air is terribly polluted, smells like poison and dirty, the worst I have ever seen. it’s overcrowded. Most local wear face masks outside full time. The streets and sidewalks are dirty and congested with motor bikes and noise. Sidewalks are blocked with parked motor bikes everywhere. Crossing each street in this area is a struggle and sometimes I just can’t trust the locals with my life, especially at night, and I go somewhere else. Maybe Saigon is not worse that other similar cities, but I was expecting something else.

I hold my iPhone for Google map directions and a woman, looking smarter than most, comes to me and tells me to not hold my iPhone like that, someone will snatch it.i can only imagine the feeling of losing something as valuable in this place.

In front of the French Opera, a group of old women are holding a fashion parade of what seems to be beautiful traditional costumes. This group of older woman probably epitomize my struggle more than everything else. I am looking for a past era that is now long gone. For the tour guide, use of motor bikes show development. I am not so sure but he does not want to talk about it. When i told him that Saigon should have some pedestrian streets like elsewhere in the world so that local people and visitors could better appreciate living in the old town, he looked confused and said that visitors come to Vietnam to see how people live here today, not how it was 100 years ago... He is clearly not mentally equipped for a constructive discussion.

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The Saigon Opera, built by the French in 1898. It is now home of the A O show, a choreography show designed for tourists. Pretty good.

There is a communist concert in front of the opera tonight. The authorities have closed the street to traffic, a rare occasion for us to walk without having to be on the lookout for motor bikes every second.

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The Opera and the Continental hotel. This is the classiest area of town. Good place to hang out when looking for an escape from the rest of Saigon.

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There is a communist party celebration here tonight. The street is closed to traffic, which provides a welcomed break from dealing with mopeds on the Nguyen Hue Main Street.

This is the Rex hotel

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Lobby of the Rex.

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The Havana cigar club under new management

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The 5th floor terrasse where the US daily military briefings took place

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Rooftop bar area

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The rooftop pool

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City views from the Rex Hotel rooftop bar, the best and also the most expensive drinks in town

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