Tourism in HCMC Take 1: Reunification Palace.

I look across the street at what is considered to be the catalyst for the architectural revolution throughout Saigon. 

 The peak in Saigonese modernism. 

 The Reunification Palace {known until 1975 as the Presidential Palace}.

Separating me from this building is the same thing that separates me from every other place in my new city of residence: a sea of motorbikes and taxicabs.

Aside from the busy streets which are not typically adorned with {respected} traffic lights, the intense heat and high humidity levels make getting around in this city a difficult adjustment. The air sort of sticks to my skin; it curls my hair in ways that I never knew were possible, and it causes sweat to pour from every pore on my body. It is uncomfortable to say the least.

People say I'll get used to both the heat and to the streets. I am already excited for that day to arrive.

But I cannot wait around for that joyous moment; there is too much to do in my new city and so, so much to learn.

So, here I stand {sweating}, outside the Reunification Palace, built by Roman Grand Prize winner, Ngo Viet Thu in 1962. 

 It served as the headquarters and home of South Vietnam's President Nguyen Van Thieu until April 1975, when North Vietnamese Army tanks crashed through the palace's gates marking the fall of Saigon and the creation of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Though the tanks are parked on the front lawn, the completely rebuilt gates offer no evidence of the turning point in Vietnamese history.

Wandering through the palace, I am surprised to realize it is less a reminder of war and more just a fancy tourist attraction – it almost feels as though I am walking through a James Bond movie set – especially when looking at the escape chopper stationed on the roof.  Rooms are set up as they were when it was in use and very little information is given about the war years. When the war is referred to, it is called the American War.

The basement bunker displays original war maps and the president's combat duty bedroom. A small room displays a few seemingly random photographs of different events held at the palace throughout the post-war decades. The photo room also offered a small air-conditioner which I took extreme advantage of before exiting back into the suffocating heat of HCMC.  

Meeting Ötzi.

Stepping into the South Tyrol Museum of Archeology was a bit like stepping through time — first, the year 1991.  Live news stories pour down the the walls on TVs and on oversize headline reproductions, trumpeting the discovery of  Ötzi, the 5,000-plus-year-old man who was killed and then accidentally preserved in ice until a couple on a hike discovered him 22 years ago. 

On the second floor, you step farther back in time to become a "crime scene investigator" of the third millennium B.C. Your task: to discover why and how Ötzi died. Though 500 investigations have been completed, evidence is limited to a crack in his skull (thought to be from blunt force trauma) an unhealed wound on his hand, an arrowhead lodged in his left shoulder, and the few items the "iceman" was carrying — including an axe, a dagger, a bow, a quiver, arrows, a backpack, and a net.  Recently, investigators have drawn the startling conclusion that Ötzi was in fact murdered.  However, the motive will forever remain a mystery.

Looking through a tiny window into a refrigerated casket, visitors can see the mummified ambassador of Europe's Copper Age. Thanks to drying and later freezing — conditions replicated in his special tomb — Ötzi's skin resembles shiny leather with the thin layer of ice that must be maintained to preserve him. His clothing and the possessions he was found with are also on display, providing us clues to the daily life and skills of people 5,000 year ago.

Museo Egizio Di Torino...Not Just for Mummies.

So, for the record, I never really expected an Egyptian museum to be in Italy. But, I am really glad it was, and came highly recommended, because it was not only super interesting and informative, it was also quite pretty.

This museum is dedicated solely to the Egyptians art and culture. The 7.50 euro admission allows visitors to see a breathtakingly beautiful statue hall, the tomb of Kha and Merit, and the artifact floor which reveals much information on the daily life of the ancient Egyptians. If you're the type of person who has a hard time saving the best for last, head to floor 2 first. The marble and stone statues are illuminated by bright white lights causing them to shine against the mirrors and dark walls. I think it was one of the prettiest rooms I've ever stood in.

Plan on perusing the museum for about 2 hours. I would recommend for kids aged above 8 -- there's a lot to see and a lot to read, but no hands on activities.

And teachers, bring proof of teaching identification because the museum offers an educator's discount making the admission fee only 3.50 euro.

I have a thing for the Fun Size.

Since I was little, I've had a very severe obsession with small things. My sister has it too; it must be genetic. We've just always loved finding things that are abnormally smaller than real size. I'm not kidding. My mom used to have a shadow box hanging on a wall in our kitchen, and my sister and I used to just stare at and then talk about the miniature objects on the the tiny shelving system for hours. For the record, we were really cool; in addition to our obsession with minis, we loved to act out the Sound of Music, visit Presidents' homes, and perm our hair.

So, now, imagine my excitement when we happened to find ourselves standing outside of the Puppenhaus Museum in Basel, Switzerland. I'm sure you can now tell that I am clearly still very cool.

{And, remember how I said museums are all closed on Mondays?! Surprise! Much to the boys' dismay, this one was open!}

For 7 Swiss Francs, we stopped in at this teddy bear and dollhouse museum, which not only houses dolls, their houses, and a variety of Teddy Bears dating back to 1904, it also happens to have a "history of the eye glass" exhibit.

{Yes, we too thought that this was random.}

As you can see, Puppenhaus Museum is a cute museum full of many miniature items and childhood memories.

And for those of you who like games, you can play a little, "Where's Winehouse."

{Too Soon?}