Caravelle Hotel, Saigon

We have just enjoyed cocktails at a table outside our hotel and from there we have a great view of this iconic building.  It was opened on Christmas Eve 1959.  The Vietnam war has been called the first truly televised war and the Caravelle Hotel was one of its most vital hubs.  It was a haven for journalists who would survey the war from its rooftop bar.  Today it is surrounded by luxury goods shops and honking, top of the range cars.  However this is the centre, and my friend says they passed large areas of poverty and waste on the outskirts.