Having a Tiger and enjoying the Vietnamese Spring Roll from 5th Floor Rooftop Bar
Last October, during my 3rd ever trip to Ho Chi Minh, I went again to have a cool beer on the 5th floor of the Rex Hotel, not very far from my own near the Ban Thanh Market. Rex Hotel in Ho Chi Minh (formerly Saigon) is as iconic as our Singapore Raffles Hotel.
The evening 5 o'clock sky was fading blue and there were only a few guests at that time. It has been rated as 'one of the 1000 places to visit and do before you die' from some international travel magazine.
During the Vietnam war, the South was managed by President Diem and General Duong van Minh and the U.S. Generals used the Rex Hotel as their base during the military activities. The hotel is indeed 6 star quality and the facade indeed reflects it.
Sipping an ice cold Tiger, having the nice Vietnamese Spring Rolls and observing the hustle and bustle of the city below, I am truly appreciative of life.
The Hall of the People's Committee where the surrender papers were signed between the North and the South is all lit up at night.
North Vietnam overthrew South Vietnam in the summer of 1975 and General Vo Ngien Giap (after the death of Ho Chi Minh in 1969) oversaw the surrender ceremony in the building in the picture above.
Today's Vietnam is a picture of peace and prosperity and there is tremendous uplift of people's standard of living as can be seen by each subsequent visits to the country. As of writing today, Vietnam also has a very low COVID 19 infection rate, as they put into place very strict immigration and visitor regulations at a very early stage. Kudos to their fast actions and strict contact tracing.
Handing over the keys to the city
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