Strangely appropriate that our last two days in Vietnam fall on April 30th (Reunification Day) and May 1st (Workers’ Day). April 30, 1975 was the fall of Saigon and, known as Labor Day in the US, “May Day” is an international Socialist holiday. Some pix flying in and featuring the Saigon Skydeck, the tallest building in town (and a different kind of place to land a helicopter)…!

These pix of pix were found along Nguyen Hue, the large pedestrian street in HCMC. They commemorate Reunification Day and show how Saigon has transformed…

Here are some pix around our hotel, Huong Sen, and on the little motorbike tour I took with a guy on the street. These guys offer other services, but I just had him take me to the former/current American Embassy (next to the French one), the Reunification Palace (and museum), the Jade Emperor Pagoda, and some view spots of the city (note the shop displays of cigarette lighters and medals)…

Here are some pix of the Jade Emperor Pagoda which features a pool of turtles, a beautiful old tree, and several carvings, statues, and alters…

A clip (I may add more with more battery & wifi power)…

Study Questions:

1. Tell us about the Saigon Skydeck and/or the Jade Emperor Pagoda.
2. Research some of the links above. What is interesting or compelling to you?
3. What do these days mean? And, what’s your favorite holiday and why?