One Day in Ho Chi Minh

spend a harrowing day at the war remnents museum! seriously.

Would you care to elaborate the "harrowing" experience?

The photos of napalm and agent orange victims are pretty sad and harrowing.

Do you not agree?

or are you one of the tourists that takes photos of the photos of the afflicted?

wasn't it the photos and harrowing films taken at the time of the vietnam war that incited the anti war fervor of the 60's. or should we shut our eyes to attrocoties as if they dont exist, like 4 yr old children who when they dont want to see, put their hands in front of their eyes and say "You arent there anymore."
Maybe preferable to see how America learned from that lesson so on subsequent gulf wars where hundreds of thousands of Iraquis were massacred and we would just be given pictures of nice little missiles going in through a window and destroying a building. and then gulf war 2 war photographers were then "entrenched with troops" so that nothing undesirable came out for public inspection. as harrowing as it is it is a reminder of mans inhumanity to his fellow human

Ecclesiastes 8:9) 9 All this I have seen, and there was an applying of my heart to every work that has been done under the sun, (during) the time that man has dominated man to his injury.

Haven't been there yet. But shall be making a trip to HCM soon. Since it will be my first trip (and I have only a day) there, I asked for opinions whether it would be better to visit the museums of HCM or spend half a day at the Cu Chi tunnels. The inputs here have been very helpful.

Yes, I abhor the atrocities of war. To me, a good tourist site should help remind visitors in a creative/innovate way, subtle or otherwise, the message it wants to convey. That's why I appreciate the input @#3 where Cu Chi has become - to some - a sort of Disneyland. It sounded to me that the place is more "touristy"...more commercialized...? And, Rikdangerous, you have classified a group of visitors in an interesting way - those who "take photos of the photos of the afflicted". Definitely an interesting play of words.

didn't see any americans in vietnam during my trip. saw plenty of other nationalities, but not US

i saw americans in vietnam only on TV, but generally american tourists avoid vietnam at all costs probably because of inhuman atrocities they committed there

Edited by: davyd

I met many Americans in Vietnam whilst there, many were also Vietnam war Veterans who now live there, maybe trying to make sense of what they went through at the time.
I remember seeing an interview of the film maker who filmed that small girl running through the street past him with her body being burned up through Napalm. He said he had to make a difficult decision to throw the camera down grab her and help her or film on to show the world what Nepalm did.These graphic descriptions of the war in vietnam led to the anti vietnam war demonstrations in the World and "Hanoi Jane's" (Fonda) visit to Hanoi.
The scientists even redesigned their Nepalm to make it stickier and more damaging to the body than that experienced by that small child who later became famous for her sufferings.
The Cuuchi tunnles and the war museum were for me a real eye opener also Mama Tina
see Bridge across my sorrows by Christina Noble as one young cigaerette girl said to me as I was rereading it in HCMC "We love Mama Tina" I defy you to read that book without a tear
Revelation 21:3,4
cuuchi coo

#14 I totally agree

Why dont you get away from them all. Go straight to Mekong Delta instead, very peacful, lush and authentic Vietnam

With one full day?