23rd May 2015

We had a very late breakfast and, surprisingly, found ourselves the only ones there in the restaurant. Mary, one of the waitresses, took pity on us and struck up a conversation in halting English. While it was kind of her to try, the chatter became slightly irritating after a while. Thankfully, she eventually returned to her tasks, allowing us to finish our meal in peace. Afterwards, we went back to our room to complete our packing.

Determined to make the most of the day, despite the oppressive humidity, we set off for Saigon Zoo, a short 15-minute walk away. After checking out the giraffes and rhinos, we soon needed a break and cooled off with ice cream. As we continued exploring and ogling the other animals, we stopped again for ice-filled drinks to escape the heat before completing our circuit of the menagerie on show.

The zoo itself was a relic of an older era, with cramped enclosures and a noticeable lack of modern animal welfare standards. It felt outdated and out of step with what we’re used to in the UK. Like zoos back home, it was bustling with school groups, but that’s where the similarity ended. Here, there seemed to be no supervision, no teachers in sight, and no structure to the children’s activities. Instead, they were amusing themselves by squirting water at the animals to see how they’d react, not exactly an educational experience.

We returned to the hotel to check out by 2 pm. After settling the bill, we arranged for our luggage to be stored until our flight later that evening. While there, we bumped into Ron and Jenny, who informed us that the airline required us to be at the airport at 10 pm. As this coincided with our scheduled pick-up, we asked Reception to contact the transfer company and change our collection time to 9 pm.

With that sorted, we set off on a slightly longer walk to the Reunification Palace. Thankfully, the humidity seemed less oppressive, making the journey a bit more pleasant.

The palace is historically significant as the site where the South Vietnamese President surrendered to the Viet Cong after the Americans withdrew their support for his regime. We recalled newsreels of the time, vividly remembering the helicopters fleeing the roof under enemy fire. Today, in commemoration, a Huey helicopter is displayed in the same spot on the roof.

We toured the staterooms, which have been carefully restored to their 1970s appearance. One fascinating story was that of a North Vietnamese pilot who infiltrated the South Vietnamese Air Force, commandeered an American F-4E fighter jet, and bombed the palace, hence the need for its restoration. Appropriately, the very plane he used is now on display in the palace gardens.

Descending into the depths of the building, we explored the bunker, where the Americans directed their war efforts and where the South Vietnamese President took refuge during the war’s final stages. The bunker remains filled with what was considered high-tech equipment in the 1970s, though it all looks remarkably dated now.

While the palace is no longer used for state business, it occasionally hosts “Party” functions. Interestingly, I think I read that you can even get married there.

On our way back to the hotel, we decided to visit the Cathedral, but as it was after 4 pm, it was closed to tourists. Perhaps if the Pope had been holidaying there, they might have made an exception!

Across the road, however, the post office was still open to visitors, so we went inside. The building was stunning, with its freshly painted facade and beautifully preserved interior, still functioning as a central post office. We watched as people posted parcels, bought stamps, and busily filled out various government forms. It was almost exciting.

We found a Thai restaurant called Tuctuc for dinner. As expected, the food was excellent. While waiting for our meal, we decided to Skype Sarah. She was out walking Mia at the time, so we called back five minutes later once she’d returned home and had a lovely chat. It’s her birthday tomorrow, and she’s planning a family BBQ. Fortunately, Sue and I are currently well-practiced in eating out al fresco!

After returning to the hotel, we made a quick stop at the toilets before heading out to visit the harbour just down the street. By now, it was dark, and crossing the bustling roads proved to be quite the challenge. Navigating the traffic required 360-degree awareness, and even standing on the pavement wasn’t entirely safe from the ever-present mopeds.

Eventually, with some difficulty, we reached the riverbank and joined the many romantic couples sitting on the promenade benches. We watched the boats’ lights drift by and occasionally spotted a fish leaping from the water as if to greet us. We switched benches a couple of times to enjoy different angles of view before finally heading back to the hotel.

Feeling rather weary, we collected our luggage from storage and headed to the room we’d been allocated for a shower and to freshen up before our journey home. Sue, who had been complaining earlier about her itchy legs, took a closer look and found they were blotchy with what appeared to be a small bite mark on her thigh.

While waiting for our airport transfer, we sat in the bar with some drinks. The driver arrived promptly at 8:45 pm, and we set off. Despite the airport concourse being packed, the check-in process, immigration, and security were surprisingly quick, and we soon found ourselves in the departure lounge. ‘Iron Man 3′ was playing on the screen near the gate, so we watched it in its entirety.

I checked Sue’s ankles again, and the blotchiness had become alarmingly red. They looked worse than before. Our flight departed ten minutes late, and although it was a long 12-hour 40-minute journey, we managed to get some sleep. Having a spare seat between us helped, though I still struggled to get comfortable.

On arrival, passport control and baggage collection went smoothly. However, we just missed the Hotel Hoppa Bus by seconds and had to wait another 30 minutes for the next one. Before long, we had our luggage stowed in the boot of the Fiesta and were making our way around the M25 towards home.

When we arrived at Willow Bank, Jamie was in the garage working on his car and seemed pleased to see us back. After catching up briefly on family news, I checked Sue’s legs again, and unfortunately, there was no improvement. Following a quick coffee, I took her to the Cottage Hospital to have them checked.

Being a Bank Holiday weekend, only nurses were on duty, and the one we saw wanted a doctor’s opinion. Deciding it would be faster elsewhere, we opted for Leicester Royal Infirmary, as Sarah was hosting a family BBQ for her birthday just twenty minutes away from there. As is tradition, before leaving, Sue quickly hung the washing out, having already thrown it in the machine within minutes of getting home!

I dropped Sue off at Accident and Emergency and then carried on to Sarah’s. On arrival, I had to wait in the car for around half an hour, as they were returning from spending the morning in Bradgate Park. When the Rothwells and Jamie arrived, the BBQ preparations got underway, and I kept checking in with Sue on the phone.

In all, Sue was at the hospital for three hours before I received a text for me to collect her. The doctors weren’t sure what was causing the issue, but confirmed that her blood and urine tests were clear and that it wasn’t infectious. They even tested for malaria. Sue was advised to follow up with her GP on Tuesday and to contact the hospital immediately if she developed a fever.

We’re both inclined to think it’s a heat rash, as yesterday was extremely hot and humid, and we had done a lot of walking. Fingers crossed we’re right!