Bendera komunis di jalan

Lalu lintas di Saigon benar-benar gila. Lampu merah kehilangan derajatnya ketika motor dan motor tampak bergerak semaunya sendiri. Menyeberang jalan adalah neraka bagi turis-turis bule, walaupun bagi orang Indonesia ini hanya sedikit tidak beradab. Dan di jalan-jalan utama mereka, bendera-bendera merah dengan gambar palu arit itu berjajar tegak merayakan 80 tahun Vietnam.

Di salah satu jalan itu, tepat di samping patung Jendral Tran Nguyen Han, berdirilah pasar Behn Thanh yang menjual segalanya: buah-buahan, ikan, beras, kopi, cindera mata, pakaian, pho, banh mi. Bagi pelancong Indonesia, lapak oleh-oleh yang bisa ditawar adalah daya tarik utamanya.

Benh Thanh Market

Memperhatikan sudut-sudut Saigon terasa benar kalau ruh komunisme sudah lenyap di sini. Di antara patung raksasa Ho Chi Minh sang bapak bangsa penganut komunisme itu berdiri hotel Rex berbintang lima, department store Tax, opera house, menara Sheraton, dan gerai Louis Vuitton. Ngerinya kudeta berdarah Presiden Ngo Dinh Diem di istana Guang Long 47 tahun silam, kini hanya tersisa menjadi bangunan museum untuk prewedding.

Tanda-tanda represi terhadap agama juga tidak kasat mata. Katedral Notre Dame bikinan Perancis masih menaungi kekhusukan di dalamnya, sementara umat-umat yang sembahyang membawa dupa terus datang dan pergi di Pagoda Ratu Giok.

Vietnam nampak (sedang?) melupakan kegetiran masa lalunya. Penduduknya merayakan hari-hari mereka dengan mencari nafkah. Dan pariwisata termasuk bisnis yang menggiurkan. Tempat makan siang kami, Quan An, dijejali turis-turis asing yang mengantri tempat duduk.

Di sini saya mencoba pho dengan mi dari daging cumi, tapi sayang rasanya kurang fantastis. Sementara sekantong ceri yang dibeli di pinggir jalan membikin mules sehingga saya tidak bisa menikmati Istana Pemersatuan Vietnam.

Ketika waktu sudah menyentuh pukul lima sore, ribuan sepeda motor mengalir memenuhi jalan-jalan kota Ho Chi Minh dan merayapinya seperti semut. Seperti mengenal maghrib, motor-motor itu berkurang sedikit ketika matahari tenggelam dan lampu-lampu menyala satu per satu.

Lampu-lampu itu agak lebih meriah ketika mendekati tahun baru Imlek. Pohon-pohon tinggi di jantung kota dirias dengan lampu-lampu kecil dan ornamen bunga dipasang melintang di atas jalan. Sebelum menonton Saigon dari lantai 23 Sheraton, untuk terakhir kalinya kami duduk di bawah opera house dan memperhatikan keramaian kota yang terang dan hidup ini. Sudah tidak ada lagi komunisme ataupun trauma perang.

Nafas Komunis di Saigon
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26 thoughts on “Nafas Komunis di Saigon

  • February 5, 2010 at 11:12 am
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    iya nyebrang disana emang penuh perjuangan.
    merhatiin kabel listriknya ga? kusut banget

    Reply
  • February 5, 2010 at 11:14 am
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    Kalo ada yang jual kaos palu arit di sana bagus juga buat dibawa pulang sebenarnya :)

    Reply
    • February 6, 2010 at 1:15 pm
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      Iya, di Hanoi banyak orang jualan kaos suvenir palu arit. Saya malah merasa komunisme tinggal menjadi memorabilia di sana.

      Reply
  • February 5, 2010 at 11:39 am
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    aku tetep seneng Vietnam…serasa Jakarta 70-an :D

    Reply
  • February 5, 2010 at 12:20 pm
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    kangen!!! Awww opera house dan louis vuitton!!! *hugs*

    Reply
  • February 5, 2010 at 2:10 pm
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    pulang dari hanimon kalian tampak sungguh melar! :p

    Reply
  • February 5, 2010 at 2:56 pm
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    btw di sana bnyk pengrajin palu ama arit jugakah?

    Reply
  • February 6, 2010 at 8:56 am
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    luar biasa ternyata sesuatu kalau kelewat didoktrinin emang lama-lama jadi ilang daya “sakralnya”, heheheh bener gag mas, udah pernah ke viet-Namm ya? cerita-cerita lagi dong, pengen tau juga keadan komunisme disana ni saya… salam kenal ya

    Reply
  • February 7, 2010 at 4:54 pm
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    vietnam dulu jajahanny prncis ya,, d bbrp artikel org2 vietnam tu santai,, d jln byk yg ga pake helm pdhl d jln2 protokol,, tapi kotanya bersih

    Reply
  • February 7, 2010 at 6:14 pm
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    Jadi disana palu arit hanya sebatas simbol nang memiliki nilai ekonomi tinggi, begitu kah? Rasanya masih lebih nyaman russia bagi saya, bahkan pernah saya lebih hafal lagu kebangsaannya russia daripada indonesia raya. Tapi jangan disalah artikan saya ndak cinta Indonesia lho.

    Reply
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