Raining in Saigon

Yesterday we visited the War Remnants museum and the Reunification Palace. Today, over drinks at a nearby outdoor bar, my dad said he thought the War museum was a joke.
"They don't tell both sides of the story," he complained. "If you're going to have a museum, tell both sides of the story. It's only fair."
The War museum told the story of the atocities committed by the Americans against the Vietnamese people.
"I thought this trip would change your perspective, but somehow, I think it's getting worse," I told him.
"Hey, the Viet Cong committed worse crimes against their own people," my dad said. "They started it."
"Oh, listen to you! They started it! Jesus!" I said.

Today, we visited the Cu Chi tunnels. The bus ride took forever - a suicide mission through crowds of motorcycles and cars. We bounced up and down in our seats on the way there.
The tour guide was a Vietnam veteran as well, fighting on the American side next to John Kerry of all people. He was a search and rescue officer. His grandmother was killed in the war, and he choked up as he told this story.

My dad wouldn't step foot inside the Cu Chi tunnel structure. He waited at the concession stand for us.

The thing is, he does have a point. All that we've seen and heard so far about the war is heavy propoganda. The short film we watched at the beginning of the tunnel tour talked about the "crazy devil" Americans, and how the clever, industrious Vietnamese triumphed against the American enemy.

We walk up and down the congested streets, the thousands and thousands of people, the smells of street food and stalls of every good imaginable - gold, clothes, jewelry, shoes ... we walk in large circles around District 1, never panicking when it appears we might be lost. We eventually find the outdoor bar and settle in for a few beers.

Tomorrow is our last night in this hotel and we're spending two nights on the Mekong River. Not at a hotel by the river, but actually a floating hotel on the river itself.

My dad looks outside to the showers pouring from the sky.

"This is Charlie weather," he says.