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Gone but not forgotten
Category: General Published on Monday, 20 December 2010 16:30 Written by John Thornton Hits: 331
The Metropole Hotel
The demolishment of the Metropole Hotel was another blow to those who treasure Saigon’s rich history. Famous for its use during the American War by US military and war correspondents, the hotel was a landmark building and its passing means that the city has lost yet another piece of its heritage.
Cage
It may not have been the biggest or cheapest venue in town, but when it came to putting on gigs, Cage took some beating. Eight months on and the void left by the departure of this much-missed club has yet to be filled.
6-month visas
Gone are the days of the beloved six-month visa extension. Three-month visas are the best you’ll get now (unless you’re willing to take a cheeky trip to see “a man about a dog”. A Cambodian dog that is…).
Sarah Johnson
Two years after taking the strain, our deputy editor Sarah Johnson has decided to forsake Vietnam for the UK. Sarah’s sterling contribution to The Word will be greatly missed and so will her ‘slowly but surely’ approach to navigating Saigon’s roads.
Sunday jams at Alibi
Alibi may have reopened on Nguyen Sieu but we still miss its legendary late night Sunday jam sessions at its old spot on Thai Van Lung. Some of the most thrilling rock n’ roll heard in Saigon was jammed off-the-cuff by a revolving door of local and foreign musicians.
dOSe
With the organisers behind one of Saigon’s favourite parties now focusing their efforts abroad, it looks like we won’t be getting our usual dOSe of banging house music as often as we used to.