7NNT25: Day 17 – Ho Chi Minh City

Soundtrack: The Vietnamese National Anthem / “50 Years”, Uncanny X-Men

[Disclaimer: I’m writing this entry a day after the events, and am a bit tired and headachy, so if I fail to capture sufficiently in the words below the sheer wonder I felt all day, well that’s on me.]

If we want to go with the idea that there are two types of people defined by some arbitrary criteria, then I’m definitely the type that doesn’t like waking up at 530am. There have been times in my life where I’ve had to wake up at that time consistently, but given any choice or wiggle room, I’m sleeping more. So, regardless of the day’s significance, that I’d built a chunk of the trip just to be in HCMC for 30 April 2025, I didn’t leap of of bed full of vim and vigour. Though as I stumbed through a semblance of a routine I heard a jet fly over, and was reminded why I was here.

The streets were already full of folks in red shirts. My plan to head up to the parade street was thwarted by a number of road blocks that had been put in place overnight, possibly to stop over crowding. Plan B was heading down to the open area in front of the Continental Hotel and Opera House, Here a couple of large screens had been set up for people to watch the festivities, the speeches, some incredible drumming and choreography, the performances were pretty slick. At times the camera switched to an overhead view, as marchers reformed in the shape of a tank, or formed the number 50, or 30.4 for the date. very clever work. Then came the singers, and it was amazing to be in a crowd of thousands singing what I’m guessing was the national anthem (everyone stood up to sing it).

I think Australian crowds could learn a thing or two from Vietnamese audiences. At one point I had a girl come up and ask if I could help her, by not standing and blocking her view, so I moved over a bit. As the crowd built, the folks sitting behind started a chorus of “sit down” or similar, aimed at the folk standing and watching, and surprisingly people complied (note they were actually calling out “sit down” in Vietnamese, not singing a version of the song by James). As a standing person, and feeling my legs weren’t up to sitting, I moved along to an area down from a large statue of Uncle Ho, where there were still a number of people standing, and there was a view of a small part of the parade route.. And because Vietnam, once the sun started shining through the buildings, an enterprising chap was ready selling hats to the crowd. Soon the chorus started there, but by this stage I’d at least got to a part of wall, so I could sit on that not the ground.

Just as the sitters were winning came the flyover, and it was no holds barred. Flying straight over us, first came the helicopters, each with a large flag slung underneath: half were the yellow star on red, the other half a yellow hammer and sickle. Then a series of jet fighters flying in formation came roaring through the city. I tried to get some video of these but it wasn’t great. Suffice to say no one was going back to sitting after that, especially when the aircraft came through again, helicopters followed by the fighters, some of which dropped pyrotechnic chaff that had everyone excited. After the helicopters came through again, the jets follows, some dropping the pyrotechnics, others doing aerobatic manouevres, it was amazing to see.

Crowd suitably worked up, a number of the marchers soon came into view, but I was really only able to see the very tops of their heads of if they were carrying flags. I figured quite early that I wasn’t likely to see much of the parade, so was instead watching the actions and reactions of the crowd. It’s amazing how as a group they’d decide to sit, and encourage/cajole others to do the same, and how so many complied, recognising that it wasn’t about individuals but trying to make it so everyone could see something. There was a real mix of ages, from the very young to quite seniors, some in uniforms and wearing medals and some without. But part of it was that there were just so many people there. More people than I’ve ever seen in one place and time, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were more than a million folks out marking this event. Whichever way I looked there were crowds, truly amazing.

And just as amazing was the moment, and I missed the queue, where whatever formalities were now over, and people started to disperse like waves. Some to find shade and rest, some to do whatever leisure or work activities they’d planned, but now instead of a tide all going in the same direction, people scattered, red shirts in all directions.

I did a bit of a wander, not sure if I was elated or let down by the experience: I had been there, but it hadn’t been a case of watching all the paraders go past that I’d expected. I basically concluded that really, I was one of the least significant people there, the outside come to watch rather than the watcher acutely aware that all of the events that this day was marking weren’t about me, I lost no friends nor family, my country wasn’t the one getting bombed, I’d endured no real hardship from the war and following peace. Sure I had the feelings of an outsider, shocked, saddened, and sometimes angry at the atrocities of this war, but I don’t have to live with any daily reminder of them. That I could be among the crowd who came out for this occasion, who happily shared this occasion with me, was as good as it gets.

I found a little coffee place in my wanderings and had an okay ca phe sua dau (iced coffee with evaporated milk) which was good, not the best (too much ice), but it was great just to sit and chat with the family who ran the place, they wanted to know where I’d been to in Viet Nam, why I was here, and if I liked Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City better (I diplomatically and honestly said both, because I do like them both for different reasons, Hanoi isn’t as big, loud, and busy, but HCMC has a different vibe, and both have so much great food).

From there I headed back hotel-ward, when I remembered one of the classic photos of the final evacuation in 1975, where a string of people were trying to clamber aboard one of the last helicopters leaving Saigon. Sometimes the captions suggest it’s the roof of the US embassy, but in reality it was a building being used by the US government (folks like the CIA) near the embassy. So I went looking for it, realising that it wasn’t far, and I’d already walked past at least twice without realising. It’s not possible to photograph the building from the same angle, but it’s possible to capture all the recognisable details, the grating and the door. I found it pretty neat that I was looking at the very building that old photo captured. I wandered up to the building, basically a non-descript 9 storey apartment block, where a guy saw me looking and waved me over. For 100k VND, he’d left me up to the top floor. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse. Fortunately there’s a lift, and stepping out I met a USian who remembered seeing the photo and footage at the time, and he’d heard they might be knocking the building down in the future for a shopping mall or similar. At the top of the Pittman Building was the remnants of a bar, not sure how long ago that ceased but there were still some bar price information. There’s a set of steps that lead up to the next level, like a sub-roof, and then there’s an additional little building on top. The old ladder has gone, but a newer aluminium ladder has been left, propped against the roof and feet against some railings. Totally not fixed to any structure, and also a bit of a bend and a wobble. So of course I climbed it. Welcome to that weird post post post modern world where people do foolhardy stuff like this just to get to where history was made. If people fleeing for their lives could climb this, then this Gen-xer wanting to stand where history happened could too. I don’t like heights, and I don’t like ladders. Ladders seem great from the bottom, but it’s that bit at the top, where you have to let go to climb onto the roof that I really don’t like. Especially when the ladder is bending a little under my weight, and the top isn’t secured so it can wobble a little. But I did it, and hopefully that means if my life ever depended on it, I’d be able to do it again. Up top, there’s a great view, but the only historical connection was really in my mind. 50 years is a long time for a concrete slab that has seen the seasons change, from the hot and dry to the hot and wet, and uncounted numbers of tourists climbing up to stand where I stood (and for all I know, the occasional drunk for kicks when the bar was operating). The view isn’t the same view as 1975, many new shiny buildings dot the landscape near and far. Nonetheless I felt a sense of awe, just to stand where that photo was taken, an iconic image burned into my brain from at least my early teens.

Noodle 8.0: Pho Bo (Can Tin 37)

If there’s one thing that i hate more than climbing off the top of a ladder onto a roof, it’s climbing onto a ladder off a roof. Making sure my feet are in the right place, feeling my centre of gravity, getting a secure hold, feeling safe with the unsecured frame, and working out the right place to turn around so I’m facing the wall. I did briefly ponder if there was anything I could jump down onto, but in the end had to bite the bullet and take face the ladder. got down fine, just the blood was racing. It was time for food. I stopped into the first little kitchen restaurant I found, and in this case it was so small that when I tried to sit at some low tables, it turned out they were for the next door restaurant. They got me a table and i gently lowered myself, hoping i could get back up. There wasn’t an actual menu, just a sign with some dishes printed on it, no prices but a bowl of noodle soup in HCMC shouldn’t cost much. I was hoping for pho ga (chicken) but they only had beef, so pho bo it was. It didn’t take long, and the wonderful steaming bowl was in front of me. No garnish, just some chopped up spring onions on top. The broth was good, strong, full flavoured favouring aniseed, sweeter than Hanoi versions, and the beef was decent. The noodles were wonderful, while strips with a bit of a chewy texture, it was as a good pho should be.

On my way back to the hotel I spied the Heart of Darkness brew-pub had a Wednesday special on oysters, so after a bit of a rest that’s where I headed. Heart of Darkness are a craft brewery based in Viet Nam, and they make some very nice beer. I went with a flight of 4 small glasses, a pale ale, a malt-forward bia/lager, a chocolate porter and a coffee stout, to go with my oysters. Viet Nam doesn’t grow a lot of barley, seo they have to import that and hops (though there’s potential in some of the Vietnamese hill country to grow hops). They do a number of excellent beers, and I tried small glasses of a couple more when I found myself part of a cliche, chatting with a couple of other foreigners (D, a USian, and S, the Englishman, so with me the Australian we have three foreigners walking into a bar). Given the nature of the day, we were all about solving the problems of the world. I’d like to think that one of my best thoughts of the night is that if normal people have to be means tested to get various benefits, surely potential country leaders should also be means tested: set a benchmark and if the person has more than that,. they can’t be leader. We did all agree that the world needs more empathy and compassion.

Noodle 8.1: Pho Bo (little corner place)

With an early flight and a head full of beer, I left the bar and walked into the biggest wall of scooters I’ve ever encountered. Thousands, all revving, waiting for traffic lights, the noise was deafening. Wanting to put some fluid and food into my body before sleeping, I stopped at a little place on the corner where a woman was about to start eating a bowl of soup that looked like it had bloodcake or liver, and some other wonderful things. I took a seat and pointed like I wanted one of those, but instead got something that looked and smelt like pho bo. I tried to gesture again that I wanted the food the local person was eating, but the server looked adamant I’d have the pho. So I did. Also very good, a little more balanced, less aniseed, firm noodles, some wonderful chunks of beef, vietnamese mint to garnish, it was just what I needed.

Then it was time for bed, as I’ve a morning flight.