Noon Report:
- SR/DD (Same Report, Different Day)
Another early call so it was a quick breakfast and onto the bus.
(Note: This excursion was billed as a boat ride on the Saigon River but water levels being what they are…)
An hour or so later we arrived at the Ky Long “Artist Village”
This amazing, welcoming, tranquil place out in the country, on the banks of the Saigon River, was a peaceful respite from the bustle of the city and life on a bus.
It is only by the work of providence that we escaped without completely obliterating our souvenir budget (Randy forgot to bring cash and they don’t take credit cards). Were we to return we would certainly not be so fortunate.
WARNING: There are lots of ‘must share’ photos. So I’ve divided them into 2 groups: the compound, and (a sampling of) the artwork.
Furnishings collected from various souces 
Roof is two layers of bricks (offset). Wooden walls have openings to allow air flow (even the wooden louvers are beautifully carved). 
Natural woods are seen throughout. 
Note the frogs. 
Someone is napping in this treehouse. 
Jasmine tea and fruit were offered as a nice refreshment. 
As part of their program they introduced the artist of most of these works. He answered a few questions and then gave a demonstration of his style and brush work.
After a snack of tea and fruit while gazing out at the trash floating down the river…
…it was back on the bus and on to our next stop.
Along the way we observed how money is beginning to infill the river valley.
Note how the new construction includes architectural details creating a McMansion feel.
Even the roadside commerce in this area is evolving into a home-over-shop format.
Our second stop was a museum dedicated to Ao Dai – the traditional Vietnamese dress.
We were guided thru a series of examples highlighting the development of this style over time.
The earliest versions of this garment were created so farmers could tie them around their waist when working in wet fields. They were also colored in dark earth tones to make the mud and dirt less obvious.
As time went on the style began to be used in less agricultural settings and the fabrics, colors, and styles evolved.
It was interesting how the “Ao Dai” (ow jai) has evolved over time. During the French occupation they added scoop necks (which were not allowed in religious centers) and lace. They also developed a shorter style overskirt if needed for riding a scooter, tried a higher neckline (Nehru style-but it was too hot in this humid country), and tried painting the fabric with artwork. A modern Ao Dai is accessed by a zipper up the back but originally to get one on, one of the front panels unbuttoned (or used snaps) from the neck down toward the arm hole and slipped over the head.
After a few minutes to enjoy the beautiful setting…
It was back on the bus and off to lunch – which was served in the same restaurant we enjoyed on Wednesday evening. It was another fine meal enjoyed with new and not so new friends.
On the way back to the bus Cheryl snapped a photo of the trash that seems ubiquitous.
It would be out of place for us to pass judgement. But it is notable.
Back on board the ship we threw in 2 loads of laundry and hunkered down to work on these posts.
We paused briefly for dinner and took a break to view the on-board performance by an excellent Vietnamese musical group (that we missed because we were at the water puppet show that evening).
Tomorrow we have the morning to finish catching up before we say good bye to this fascinating, energetic, gray, culturally rich, economically growing country.
Early afternoon we leave for our next port.
It looks like we’ll spend the afternoon in the Theatre as we begin our crash-course on Thailand.
Can’t wait.
More later. R
Again, marvelous post of your visit to Ho Chi Minh…….. Amazing photos. Thanks for your efforts. A pleasure to look at whilst we are stuck in blizzard conditions here in the high sierras.
I am bummed to hear you will not be bringing that napping treehouse back to me. It seems like just the right thing!