Ok, so I don’t remember why it was called that or what exactly the historical significance of the Reunification Palace is (something to do with the war…), but I’m sure Matt will cover that in his post.  My post will focus on design.  This place is amazing!  It’s got a classy Asian retro feel to it, somewhat minimalist while still managing to carry an ornate flair.  The lines in the furniture and building are simple, but the windows and upholstery are done up in opulent fabrics, and a rich color palette is used throughout many of the rooms.  It was fun to picture important political meetings happening in such funky spaces.

The basement was a stark contrast with cold gray walls and gloomy corridors.  This space was very industrial looking and seemed simply functional for one purpose—war time communications and planning.  The only items in the rooms were phones, typewriters, desks, and a file cabinet here and there.   It was quite a contrast to the carefully curtained and upholstered upstairs.  The only visual connection to the upstairs was the presence of these colorful phones that could be found in both locations.  I can imagine that each one had a specific purpose, a la Bat Phone.

Other than the Reunification Palace, what really got my attention today was the traffic.  Ho Chi Min City, like Phnom Penh, is heavy on the motorbike traffic, perhaps even more so.  As the traffic through an intersection starts to slow down in one direction, a multitude of motorbikes going the other way becomes a critical mass, creeping through the intersection before picking up speed.  Eventually the process repeats itself and bikes start crossing traffic from the other direction.