Day One: Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon as the locals still call it, is a bustling mix of old and new. Norte Dame Cathedral is one of the best examples of old French colonial architecture.
The People's Committee Building is another impressive building, especially when lit up at night.
On our first day we took a tour around the city. The Thien Hau Pagoda is situated in the city's Chinatown. This temple was dedicated to the god of the sea. Mel and the Dragon seemed to get along very well.
We then had a cyclo tour of the Cholon district. Cholon translates as 'big market' and in this area you seemed to be able to buy literally everything!
Fortunately (for both of us) Dave wasn't doing the peddling... in fact the thought of trying to navigate any vehicle on these roads is terrifying! There are thousands of motorbikes and zero road rules!
As Mel's bike headed into the mayhem Dave cowered in his seat (but still managed to take a quick photo).
Day Two: We headed out early to visit the Mekong Delta area, the southern most region of Vietnam. It is often referred to as the rice bowl of Vietnam as it produces three harvests per year...
... the fertile Mekong Delta is also famous or its tropical fruits and flowers.
One of the most interesting sights along the river is the Cai Be floating market. Here local people trade fresh fruit and veg. The colourful boat bows have a distinctive 'eye' to bring good luck; lined up they make a great picture.
We 'popped' in on a family-run pop rice and coconut candy factory to witness and sample confectionary being produced using traditional processes. Instead of 'cottage' industry this was more like 'tin shack.' It was a real eye-opener to see the raw materials converted into delicious goods.
Next we took to the small waterways through mangrove trees, courtesy of our oars-woman. Mel and our guide Han donned traditional hats as relief from the midday sun: it was 38 degrees C!
Following our relaxing boat trip, we braved Bing Tay Market. This fresh food market couldn't have got any fresher - everything was alive and wriggling. Dave apprehensively holds a handful of live snakes... eek! He was not tempted to barter on this one!
Back in the city after an exciting day, and there was no let-up in the pace of life around us. Crossing roads here is a high adrenaline activity!
Day Three: The infamous Cu Chi Tunnels are a vast network of underground tunnels that were used by the Viet Con (guerrilla fighters) during the Vietnam war.
They are impossibly narrow and entering them, especially in this heat, made for a very claustrophobic experience. It highlighted the dedication and ingenuity of the fighters whilst offering a fascinating window into the hardship and traumas of war.
... it also provided an excellent hiding place for peeping!
It has been an awesome few days in a very alien environment. We have experienced new fruits & foods, incredible insights into history and had a big hit on the head with the culture stick. It has left our heads spinning - Great Fun!
You've had a tough old history lesson on the Vietnamese war here. You'll probably never get the chance to hear first hand accounts of what happened again, even if you do get to go back to the country
ReplyDeleteDon't stand under that tree for too long - it won't only be culture hitting you on the head