After Cambodia we headed to Vietnam!
It's a 6 hr coach ride from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Min. We left bright and early, stopping once just before the border for lunch and a quick loo break (the toilet on the coach was not in function!), then stopped at the border crossing! We hopped off the bus, had our passports stamped, hopped back on the bus - then headed to Ho Chi Minh - aka Saigon!
HCM is the largest city in Vietnam and OMG - it's busy busy busy!!! 90% of the population own a scooter and the streets are jam packed! Every time you cross the road - you pray - and run!
The next day we were up bright and early for a
Day Tour to Cu Chi Tunnels and the Mekong Delta! We were once again on a coach and
2 hrs later we had arrived at Ci Chi Tunnels. It was one of the main bases for
the Party of Committee of Sai Gon during the Vietnam War, a large network of underground tunnels that run 20 m deep, comprising of underground kitchens and hospitals. The tunnels have been
preserved as it was one of the worst bombed areas during the war. The tour starts with a video showing how the tunnels were made and life in the tunnels - they
sometimes stayed underground for months! You then can then go down one section
of the tunnel - 6m deep then you crawl for 20 m! It's hot and there is not much
air! It costs 110 000 Vietnamese Dong (£3.90 or $4.82) to get into Ch Chi, after the tout, those wanting to can get to shoot an AK47 - for an
extra 500 000 Vietnamese Dong (£18.90) !
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| Cu Chi Tunnels! |
- After Cu Chi we headed to My Tho - Mekong Delta, We were packed onto a motor boat and scooted over to Con Phung island for lunch. On the menu was Vietnamese spring rolls, Elephant ear fish, vegetable soup, caramelised pork and rice. After lunch (lunch was neither delicious or terrible - it filled the gap!) we took a horse and cart to watch a Vietnamese traditional music and singing show while sampling local Vietnamese honey tea and coconut candy. Last stop was a small hand-rowed cruise down the delta before heading back to HCM on the coach. It was a good day out and good to see and do so much in the short time we were there.
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| Mekong Delta Tour! |
That evening we had dinner and sampled the local beer (15 000 Vietnamese Dong - 54p!)
The last day we headed out to view the Palace, War Museum and then I was allowed to shop! Yay! I love a market shop...but this was not one of my best experiences! I missed the Thai smile and friendly stall vendors! This market - the vendors got really aggressive with us - Kev had one run after him demanding to know why he didn't want to buy her goods! Shopping didn't last too long - we opted for lunch instead! Kev had chicken curry cooked in bamboo and i tried chicken Pho (pronounced 'fur') a famous noodle soup from Vietnam - it was pretty good and filled me up all day!
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| In and around Ho Chi Min |
Although we only had a short time there - Vietnam was awesome! The food, the beer, the vibe! Just awesome!
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