The Journey(s) of Ian

A busy and vibrant city, the sound of motorbikes, the constant 'Sir! Would you like ...', 'Sir, bike you', and streets crowded with active people, make this a place to visit and remember. For those older folk, such as myself, Ho Chi Minh/Saigon evokes images of the 'Vietnam War', which saw Indochina invaded by the west. In this war three million people were killed, and the region devastated. It has taken the Vietnamese people a generation to rebuild their country, but they are on the way and doing an excellent job.  motorbike taxi guys. Your humble narrator and a local tour lady (V ladies do not normally dress like this) This war had its origins in the anti-colonial independence movements that began in the early 20th century. These were suppressed for several decades, but emerged again, stronger, after WW2. First the French were confronted, and, in 1954, following their ignominious defeat at Dien Bien Phu, they withdrew. Then the USA milit...