I will try to end my Vietnam 1972 nostalgia phase with this short series of "then and now" pictures.
In downtown Saigon, here was the Grand Hotel in 1972 at the foot of what was then Tu Do Street and what is now Dong Khoi Street. It was virtually empty at that time and badly in need of restoration.
Here is the Grand Hotel today in Ho Chi Minh City -- restored to glory.
Here is the Hotel de Ville in downtown Saigon in 1972.
Today, the Hotel de Ville in Ho Chi Minh City has become the People's Committee Building.
In 1972, the primary cathedral in downtown Saigon was known to Americans as John F. Kennedy Cathedral.
.
Today, it is Notre Dame Cathedral, which was probably its real name.
This was Vo Thanh Street in 1972,
which is now Nguyen Trai Street.
Finally, I wanted badly to export one of these old Citroens to the U.S. back in 1972, but of course I didn't. There were lots of them around in those days.
This is the only one I have seen, and it seems to be on exhibition outside hotel where it is parked.
