Saigon - Paris de l'Orient

**Happyman** · 22-05-2008, 03:26 PM

Originally Posted by buad hai

Originally Posted by Happyman

old Concorde ( the one with a big church outside!)

Once in the late 80's a friend and I heard there was a "dance" up in the Concorde. They had a big ballroom up on the top floor. We were amazed to find all the "kids" formally dressed, the girls in big chiffon outfits from the 50's with everyone doing the foxtrot.

We found alternative entertainment for the evening.

Same place - same memory loss !

we both knew it was an aeroplane !!!
And yes the ballroom was quite something !

**buad hai** · 22-05-2008, 03:27 PM

What was this thread about?

**Up2U** · 22-05-2008, 03:54 PM

Marmite - great report.

Pity you didn't have time to catch the 5.55 in the morning flight eown to Ca Mau.

Could have shown you the new storm drains - half-built before the rainy season stopped them (literally - they're full of silt) and all the other exciting entertainment down here. Was in the Mogambo on my last tour in VN in 2002 - good grub, good beer, very friendly. Also liked the Underground for a meal, but never got into the place as a regular hang-out.

I'll have a weekend in HCMC soon - the hydrofoil ride seems to be the daytime entertainment for me - and the local Hash on Sunday - if it still meets outside the Caravelle.

**barbaro** · 22-05-2008, 06:17 PM

Originally Posted by Up2U

Also liked the Underground for a meal, but never got into the place as a regular hang-out.

Yeah, we stopped into the Underground for a beer. The food is good and filling. I don't go there much, though.

I'll have a weekend in HCMC soon....and the local Hash on Sunday - if it still meets outside the Caravelle.[/quote]

The Hash still meets in front of the Caravelle on Sundays (as far as I know).

**Happyman** · 22-05-2008, 07:12 PM

Originally Posted by buad hai

What was this thread about?

Saigon - but Im afraid I drifted off a bit - sorry

**buad hai** · 22-05-2008, 07:22 PM

Never mind....

**Wayne Kerr** · 22-05-2008, 08:07 PM

Some lovely sea cucumbers there mate ... bring one back for the girlfriend?

**Marmite the Dog** · 22-05-2008, 09:19 PM

Originally Posted by Wayne Kerr

Some lovely sea cucumbers there mate ... bring one back for the girlfriend?

What for?

**Matthew** · 22-05-2008, 09:32 PM

Great stuff, Marmers.

Enjoyed both the pics and the text.

**Marmite the Dog** · 22-05-2008, 10:13 PM

Cheers Matt.

**EmperorTud** · 24-05-2008, 12:08 AM

I'm just back from Saigon this evening... was at a friend's wedding.

**Butterfly** · 24-05-2008, 08:19 AM

will need to go back to Vietnam, loved the place

Saigon is better than cold Hanoi, great thread

**kingwilly** · 24-05-2008, 08:54 AM

Originally Posted by Butterfly

Saigon is better than cold Hanoi, great thread

dunno about that, I quite like Hanoi

**Butterfly** · 24-05-2008, 08:58 AM

Hanoi is a bit dumpy, even with the lovely French colonial district, it's pretty much rundown

Saigon is better structured, and more enjoyable in a comfortable kind of way (if you were to live there)

**nikster** · 28-05-2008, 09:20 AM

I love travel reports. Thanks!!

**mistakurtz** · 28-05-2008, 03:41 PM

Great pictures. Makes me want to get to Saigon. Thanks.

**farmerfloyd** · 29-05-2008, 08:24 PM

Wife and I went to Siagon last winter and I found a little guest house in the center of a block, that had a narrow 4 ft wide lane no noise there loved it. New building family cooked breakfast, had 100 ch TV, about 4 floors, with two schoolteachers to get latest news from, family invited us to wedding of their daughter on second nite there, Big at hotel 300 people, really enjoyd it. Be carful of getting drunk and getting picked pocketed by two lovelys at
night who will try and talked you into a encounter. haha sweet people cheaper then Thialand also. Very good guys.

**EmperorTud** · 31-05-2008, 01:44 AM

I stayed in one of the A & EM hotels. They have four branches located in District 1, two are on Ly Tu Trong.

These rooms are good value for money at $30 per night. You can pay more for bigger VIP suites. All rooms have LCD TVs.

The bathrooms are well appointed, clean and modern.

**EmperorTud** · 31-05-2008, 01:48 AM

The rooms have IDD telephone and well stocked minibar.

Rosy Cafe further down the road is a nice place to have a beer and watch the World go by. They have an impressive dress code for the female staff...

Another branch of A & EM, this time looking in at the reception.

A late night bar where we watched the CL final. It's open late every night. Can't remember where it was.

Not very great photos but most of them were from the wedding and I can't post them here. When I'm back over in a few weeks I'll update this thread.

**Marmite the Dog** · 31-05-2008, 01:59 AM

Good pics & info. Thanks.

**Mathos** · 31-05-2008, 04:54 PM

Nice thread MtD.

It must be twenty years or more since I was in Nam.

Saigon was a lot different then as well, from photographs I have seen since and snippets on TV or films and such like.

The place looks to be booming from what you have shown alone.

There were two million bicycles, three Vespa scooters, a Honda moped and a couple of Citroen cars in town then.

Oh and some buses with forty five gallon drums of H20 on the roof. The radiators either leaked or were blocked up and a continual run of cold water into the system stopped them seizing up.

We had to stay on some old boat on the river, there were three Filipino girls and a couple of musicians entertaining every body {I do mean everybody} day and night.

Flobo kept me on a short leash and locked me up at night.

I happened to get slashed at the time with a big machete, almost took my finger off.

There was only one Doc in town and he had nothing to stitch with. I cleaned it up with some whiskey and poured a bottle of iodine on it, wrapped a piece of clean cloth torn from a handkerchief around it, and then taped it up.

I can still make out the scar, but it works OK.

I might have some old photographs of Saigon and surrounding areas, I'll have a look sometime and post them if they turn up.

**Marmite the Dog** · 31-05-2008, 06:48 PM

Originally Posted by Mathos

I might have some old photographs of Saigon and surrounding areas, I'll have a look sometime and post them if they turn up.

Yes please.

**barbaro** · 01-06-2008, 06:44 PM

Originally Posted by Mathos

We had to stay on some old boat on the river, there were three Filipino girls and a couple of musicians entertaining every body {I do mean everybody} day and night.

I heard back then this was the only place that could have foreigners stay.

True?

I might have some old photographs of Saigon and surrounding areas, I'll have a look sometime and post them if they turn up.

I'd love to see them, as I live in Saigon.

Please post them if you can!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**Mathos** · 02-06-2008, 04:24 AM

Originally Posted by Milkman

Originally Posted by Mathos

We had to stay on some old boat on the river, there were three Filipino girls and a couple of musicians entertaining every body {I do mean everybody} day and night.

I heard back then this was the only place that could have foreigners stay.

True?

I might have some old photographs of Saigon and surrounding areas, I'll have a look sometime and post them if they turn up.

I'd love to see them, as I live in Saigon.

Please post them if you can!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't know if having to stay there was a forced issue Milkman, I think it was the only place available that one could stay.

The food at the time was bloody awful too. I understand it has improved quite dramatically though.

There will be some old photographs somewhere, I am going to make a bit of time during the coming week to have a rummage and see what turns up.

Leave it with me.

**Mikenyc** · 11-06-2008, 03:12 AM

gREAT Post. Pictures great also

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