Anderson took the elevator to the ninth floor and then climbed the extra flight of steps to the lounge. He walked through the bar area and took a small table on the veranda. Peering over the low railing, busy Lam Son Square far below looked familiar. Intrigued by the view, he didn't sense the eyes watching from the darkened bar area behind him.
Veranda at Saigon-Saigon Bar
Yes, the railing is REALLY low. It never would pass a U.S. building code inspection. Let's hope that none of the characters, at least the ones we like, get too close to the edge. But I wouldn't count on it ...
A bit of history: During the war, major newspapers and news bureaus established their Saigon offices in the Caravelle Hotel. So where do you suppose the reporters hung out at night? Correct! As North Vietnamese troops approached the city in late April, 1975, journalists literally could cover the war from the rooftop lounge.
One of them was Pham Xuan An, American-educated staff correspondent for Time magazine, who doubtless took a special interest in attending briefings on military operations. Because he secretly held the rank of colonel in the North Vietnamese Army and worked with the Vietminh since 1944.
