On our own

Today was the first scheduled rest break day.  I am well aware that I like to pack as much as possible into the few days we have in any one place.  I am equally aware that not everyone likes my 'scheduling'.  So, Ive done my best to put in a rest day for my troop to recover every few days.

We had nothing pre-organised today but opted to take the free hotel shuttle bus into the centre of the city in search of a supermarket as there were a couple of things we needed.   We went out at 11 so that my need to shop could be disguised as an opportunity to get lunch. We drove past the Ben Thanh market where Poppa got 'assaulted' 2 days ago.

Tony was also desperate to get a head shave.  I had figured out the name of the barber shop a few days ago, but finding a "Hot Toc" near where we were proved more difficult.  After getting dropped off by our bus we walked to some random street and came across a little lady handing out beauty shop brochures.  I flicked through it and a men's haircut was $7.  So we told her that Tony wanted a haircut and the adventure began.  I don't know why I didn't pay attention to the name of the salon - if I had I might have reconsidered it. 

We were lead in through a camera store up two flights of stairs and into the 'salon'.  It had one hairdressing chair in the front room, and beyond that was another room with 6 lounge chairs.  The rest of us were ushered into the back room and forced to 'relax' in these great big chairs while Tony went into the salon.  They bought out glasses of what I hope was water - I didn't drink mine in case it was supplemented with a special 'vitamin' to help relaxation.  They kept telling us to relax and lay back.  Nate of course thought it was great as they also had bowls of lollies.  I sat on the edge of the chair the whole time so I could go and see how the head shave was progressing.  In the end she didn't really shave it, but it was certainly shortened, and it was the longest time ever to cut a head of hair that was already short.  We paid the $7 and got the hell out of there.  As we were leaving she said to Tony - "you come back tomorrow at 10 o'clock".  I'm thinking that was the "lucky" part of the service.

Thank god for the Internet as I was able to find one of the very few supermarkets in HCMC in advance and was then able to successfully navigate us to it.  We decided to try the KFC for lunch as I have this thing about comparing the junk food in each different country we go to.  There's no McDonald's here, and actually remarkably little western named stores in the streets.  Id seen one Gloria Jean coffee place, one Pizza Hut and only 2 KFC outlets in total.  Theres certainly none of the 7/11 stores that are everywhere in Thailand.  I was doing some reading about it and its because the government here doesnt want the western look here - they want to look Vietnamese.  I must say I do have to commend them for it.  I do think though that if we came back here in 20 years the place will look quite different.  At the moment there is a distinct lack of high rise buildings and there really isn't much of a skyline to look at.  We did go past a few building sites with pictures out the front of what they are planning to erect and it does appear that some mega glass fronted buildings aren't too far off.

For our last night in Ho Chi Minh I had organised for us to have a dinner cruise on the Saigon river.  We ventured out into the night in a 6 seater taxi which not surprisingly was dirt cheap.  We boarded a replica 19th century royal Vietnamese Dragon Boat called the Bonsai 1.  We were greeted by the staff in traditional costume and were handing cocktails and canapes as soon as we boarded.

Dinner was an amazing buffet of western and Vietnamese foods, but the highlight was certainly the atmosphere.  Cruising up and down the river, being entertained by traditional music and dancing and a mini massage on the upper deck made for a very memorable night - a perfect end to our visit here.  We caught a taxi back to the hotel again, and the only reason I mention that is that the traffic is no better late at night, in fact in some areas it was worse - heavier and lots of people don't bother to use their headlights!

The path to Enlightenment

I figured in advance that today was to be all about enlightenment.  I was pleased to be right.  We took off early today because we were heading into the northwest, about 90 kms out of Ho Chi Minh City.  We were reminded all too quickly of where we were because even early morning the traffic here is nuts.  Very few cars on the roads - really only the little tour buses, a few taxis and a handful of cars.  I know Ive already mentioned it but there seem to be a bazillion motorcyclists getting around.  Vietnam is home to 90 million people, and 9 million of those live in HCMC itself.  And Id hazard a guess that most of that 9 million own a motorcycle and that the majority of those were out on the roads this am.  The traffic lights are hard to see because they are halfway down the posts they're on - kinda at eye height if your on a bike.  They use the countdown to light changing thing that most Asian countries seem to.  The only thing is that if you're in the lane turning right you can ignore the red light and keep going through!!

A snapshot of the traffic today from our van


First stop today was at the Cu Chi Tunnels.  Before stepping out of the van we armed ourselves with anti bug spray and these funky little badges also to scare away mossies.  This place was down a very long road in a tropical forest - a haven for little nippers.

The place itself was really quite eerie considering it played such an important part in the American War.  It really only took a few minutes to understand why Post Traumatic Stress features so heavily amongst those men who served here.  The villages made this massive underground tunnel system that was in some areas four levels deep.  They could pop out in one spot and then vanish only to reappear elsewhere like a ghost.  In the thick vegetation with no light it would have been terrifying.  It was really hot and steamy and with all the tropical forest they would have felt smothered.  We had quite a long walk around looking at some of the bunkers and bomb craters and tunnel entrances.  They have an American tank that was pretty well just abandoned after it struck a landmine, typical that they'd think a tank would work here in the jungle.

There was a whole collection of booby traps that they made with all kinds of metal and wood designed purely to trap and maim the American soldiers trying to find them.  Trouble was that they also got their own people as the whole area was very easy to get disorientated in - so much so that they really stayed in their own little areas so they didn't stumble upon their own traps or landmines.  They were really quite clever, not just about the very creative ways they found to take out their enemy.  Cooking was something that they needed to do, but it posed great risk as it could give away their location.  So, they created smoke vents that were 10's of metres away from their bunkers so even if that was found by the sniffer dogs there was certainly no guarantee of finding the source.  Likewise with the dirt that they removed from the tunnels - clearly a great pile of clayish mud would be a giveaway.  Instead they created "termite mounds" and filled in river beds so the soil just kinda vanished.  Amazing.

There was one  40 metre section that had been widened so that visitors could get a closer look.  Of course Nate (and then of course his mum) wanted to climb down into it to get a better look.  Nate could barely stand in it, and I had no hope of getting through as my shoulders got stuck even being bent over.

The highlight for Tony was his chance to fire off some rounds from an AK-47.  At $15 for 10 bullets he thought it was a bargain.  The rest of us were shocked about how noisy it was.  There were some other tourists that were using a 50 cal machine gun that certainly made the ground rumble.  Nate was terrified the whole time we were near the firing range - I think he must have very sensitive ears.  They were soothed by an ice cream though (thanks grandies!).

Pew Pew video footage

Overall it was a very thought provoking visit.  Not often you get to spend time where many people lost their lives in such horrible conditions. 

Back in the van and another 45 minute drive onto the Tay Ninh province to the Cao Dai Holy See Temple.  On the way to it I'm pretty sure that we were all thinking we could just skip it as we've seen pretty much all types of temples here.  So wrong.  This place is amazing.  The religion itself is very complex (wiki link).  Its actually relatively new, 1930's - some dude woke after being contacted by god in his dreams to create this religion and build this temple.  It certainly caught on and is the main religion in these provinces.  I guess to describe it, it has 'borrowed' tenets from Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism and Confusicsm.  The followers pray to a great big gold ball with an eye painted on it that sees all.  The devout pray 4 times a day - 6 hours apart.  We arrived just before 12 so got to roam around the non restricted part of the temple.  A couple of minutes before 12 we were ushered upstairs by these cranky wizened up little old worshippers who were more like ancient military police (or something out of Big Trouble In Little China).  The prayer service is quite long and can go for 50 minutes - they were all lined up, sitting on the floor chanting and swaying.

After feeding our souls it was off to another little restaurant to feed our bellies with yummy Vietnamese food.  Once that was done there was nothing left but to snooze during the 2 hour ride back to the hotel.  Such a great day and the last of our touring days here.  Ive learned a lot about southern Vietnam but am certainly aware of how much more there is to learn.

The last photo here is Nate with our driver and tour guide - hes a bit sad to say good bye to them after getting to know them over the last 3 days, but then thought that when we come back here again we can just order them up again!

In the Footsteps of Uncle Ho

Still no sleep in today, but it didn't really matter too much as we got to swim again pre breakfast.  6:30 am on a Sunday morning seemed to be quieter than the past couple of days but it really wasn't, maybe the locals just slept in a little.  By the time we got out of the pool the regular noise from all the beep beeps was back.  The view from the pool deck certainly is spectacular as the hotel is definitely the tallest building in this area.  Only 25 floors though so short by Bangkok standards.

We opted for breakfast upstairs in the rooftop restaurant for something different and it was a good call.  We were pretty much the only ones there!  Nate demonstrated his love of the personally cooked eggs for us...

I just re read this and thought Id add one more thing about the view from the pooldeck. Its not always pretty.   For example after returning from breakfast we were treated to the view of a naked elderly asian man drying himself after having a dip in the pool.  No pic to share as the camera wasnt ready and that naked butt wasnt really something we wanted to remember in great detail.
Todays trip was based around Ho Chi Minh City, visiting a number of historical landmarks.  First up was the Reunification Palace.

It held quite a significance for the South Vietnamese and was actively used during the war - the tank that crashed through the front gates at one stage proudly sits on the front lawn.

It has been rebuilt a few times, the last being mid 1960's, which is pretty obvious as the place certainly has a 60's feel about it.  Still very grand and adheres to a lot of tradition as far as the use of colours (red and gold for the president, blue for lesser important people like the VP).  The room where the big conference was held at the end of the Vietnam war is in original condition and still gets used on rare occasion.  Its very grand and has a great big gold statue of "Uncle Ho" on the stage.

The last president to use the building actively was there during the Vietnam war and there's a lot of remnants from that - underground war rooms, a residence including private cinema and bar / games room, a roman catholic prayer room, a bomb shelter and many underground tunnels, oh yes and theres still a helicopter parked on the 4th floor in case he needed a speedy exit.

Next up was a look around District 1 which is the central part of Saigon.  Lots of very french inspired architecture there, including a Cathedral and Post office.  We also saw some hotels that originated pre 1870's and were often used as meeting places during the war ie the Rex Hotel.  The Caravelle Hotel housed all the reporters that were there covering the Vietnam war as it happened.

Next was the almost mandatory stop at a local handicraft factory.  This one made those beautiful laquered items - bowls, plates, pictures etc.  It was kind of  interesting though as the skill it takes to make those things is amazing.  Lots of inlaid mother of pearl and even egg shells.  Lunch was at a little restaurant where once again we were treated to a sampling of Vietnamese delights.  We've fallen in love with their soups - really going to miss them.

Early afternoon saw us stop at a beautiful old Pagoda where the worshipers release fish and turtles to pray for longevity and happiness.  Kinda nice unless you're one of the tiny fish being released, as I think they end up as food for the ever growing turtles and the giant fish in the pond lurking in the shadows.

The Pagoda was quite similar to others we've seen, so Ive included below a shot that Tony took which captures the incense filled atmosphere inside these ancient houses of worship.

Second to last stop was the War Remnants Museum.  A fascinating place filled with memorabilia from the Vietnam War including bombs, weapons, helicopters, beach landing boats, and examples of conditions inside the POW camps managed by Uncle Sam.  There was certainly a very anti American feel about the place, particularly in the photography on all the walls.  I am determined to read up and learn more about what went on here as some of it is pretty disturbing to see.

Last stop for the day before we collapsed back at the hotel due to dehydration and heat exhaustion, was the Ben Thanh Markets.

This place was crazy crazy - a huge mass of market stalls mostly selling clothes and souvenirs.  We all bought the mandatory souvenir Tshirts for ultra low prices of course.  Although we are well seasoned marketeers, this one seemed a little different.  The sales ladies were ultra pushy and not afraid to try to separate you from the others, much like a lion tries to separate their prey from a herd before they go in for the kill - much more vulnerable that way.  Dad even thought one of the girls was trying to feel him up - quite clearly he was hallucinating due to dehydration...haha.  On the way back to the hotel we couldn't resist teasing the parents who we thought had overpaid for their things.  Later I learned that our tour guide Duan told them not to worry about it because they probably got the better quality goods.  What a nice thing to say to try to reassure them!

Emergency?

I thought I'd post this separately as it is worthy of standing on its own.  Obviously with Tony's work he has an interest in the ambulances in other countries.  We always manage to get piccies of ambulances where ever we go and we had seen a couple of ambulances out and about yesterday but were unable to capture them in a photo.

So, imagine our delight when returning from the Mekong we were passed by an ambulance with lights a flashing.  He was travelling quickly so only managed to get a photo from distance.

A couple of minutes later we noticed that it had stopped on the roadside up ahead of us.  Tony readied his camera to get a better photo of it as we went past.  He did!!  And this is the photo...

Yes, he stopped on the side of the road, back to the traffic and was peeing on the side of his ambulance.  At least he kept the lights flashing so we knew it was an emergency...

OMG they grow corn

Up bright and early today - 5 am to be exact.  Couldn't get back to sleep so the boys and I hit the pool at 6am for a pre breakfast swim.  The traffic was really just starting to get noisy so it was a great backdrop.  Buffet breakfast then it was off to our Mekong Delta day trip.

Our driver was Mr Phoung and our guide was Duan.  It took just over an hour to get out of the city, and considering that were right on the outskirts that's a lot.  We got onto highway 1 which is a motorbike free zone so it was suddenly like a ghost town.  We got to see many strange things as you usually expect to see in a foreign country.  Like the snackman...

 

We crossed paths with a Buddhist funeral (cremation) which was bright and colourful, and then we got to talking about city vs country.  In the city when you die you're going to be cremated.  Obviously land is at a premium here.  Our guide told us that when you live in the country you re allowed to be buried so most people bury their beloved in the rice paddies.  I of course imagined the amount of fertilizer they provided to the rice, and actually didn't think he was serious at all. Until we saw the rice fields - complete with tombstones (see far right on the pic below)

A bit farther down the road we got to learn about all the crops that are produced here and of course the one that got the biggest response was the corn.  Yep they have corn here and a lot of it.  I guess they must export it to Thailand (do they even know what corn is?  lol)
We went on to My Tho (pronounced me th - o) and boarded a boat for a ride to a little island in the middle of the Mekong river. 

Here we took a tour of a coconut candy factory and saw them making the rice paper (aka the stuff you wrap cold rolls in).  Next stop was a horse and cart ride to a quaint little cafe for fruit, honey tea and some traditional music.  Ive kinda put the horse and cart ride out of mind because 4 large white people, Nate and the tour guide do not really go so well with a skinny old grumpy horse.  When the horse nearly collapsed we demanded to get out and walk - would have been to traumatizing to explain to Nate why they had to kill the horse...

After the little break we were mobile again, this time on a 'paddle boat".  Was a nice slow pace to take in the natural growth, including lizards and dragonfly's.

Lunch was next, a 5 course delight of Vietnamese food.  The look on Dads face was priceless when the first course arrived.

The fish was turned into fresh rolls with cucumber and rice paper wrappers.  It was followed with river prawns, a chicken noodle soup, a seafood pancake, fried spring rolls with fried rice and jasmine tea with dried coconut bread.  All in all yummy.

We were then homeward bound, and stopped in Chinatown at an ancient temple that was originally on tomorrows agenda.

We decided on a light dinner of canapes and alcohol in the executive lounge.  We met a pair of fellow Aussies who had literally just arrived in Vietnam and seemed to be kinda terrified...lol

Sorry but the beer is shite

Up early again as we have another flight to catch.  Malaysian again, to Ho Chi Minh City.  No big plan this time, a little one so instead of all 5 of us sitting together Mum and Dad had the pleasure of Nate's company and Tony and I sat behind.  We had an early breaky at Delifrance - croissant based of course.


The flight to HCM was only 90 minutes which I always find odd for an international flight.  When I think of international flights I always think long and drawn out.  We got served a brunch box which had an omelet and other little goodies in it, including a cadbury choc Id never heard of before - Gold.  I tried to find a picture of them but alas no luck (Ill take a photo later lol).  The landing for this flgith was almost the exact opposite - the plane actually bounced on the runway and we seriously thought we were in trouble.  It felt like it was going to roll over.  But, it didnt and we were happy to get off of it :-).

HCM airport is like pretty much all others these days - lots of steel and glass.  What made this one different is that we a) cleared it in about 10 minutes which must be a record of some sort, and b) the people waiting to meet you are all outside.  Outside in the heat with the other 1000's of people waiting to meet their loved ones too.  Bangkok airport is bsier and yet Ive never seen a crowd like there was there today.  I think Tony captured a bit of it.

I was very please that I had booked the hotel minivan as there was no way we could have safely found a taxi to deliver us to the Windsor Plaza Hotel.  The ride to the hotel was as expected, took about an hour and was filled with many near misses with the various vehicles we crossed paths with - mostly motorbikes of course.  Weve never seen so many motorbikes, it really is a sight to behold.



The hotel is beautiful, old style elegant. 

We upgraded to Executive rooms for the free minbar and free afternoon snacks and alcohol (theres more to it of course, but they are the highlights  hehe).  We spent the afternoon resting, and swiming and snacking and then had dinner downstairs at this amazing buffet.  We were able to sample lots of vietnamese food, and some not so asian (ie I tried snail!!).

Oh yeh the title of this post came from Tony's assessment of their beer - "333"  He only had one this arvie but I doubt he will be going back for more. 

We have lift off

Finally the day has come.  It kinda felt like holidays would never arrive, but in reality we really only started planning the trip after Christmas last year, so not really long at all.

The five of us pretty much had little sleep last night - Tony and I were awake at 5am, mentally repacking our suitcases and filling out that last minute checklist.  My morning thereafter included a quick trip to TTP to sort out the third and final Christmas lay by.

I managed to catch up with Greg briefly to check how the doggies went - well I'm guessing because they got upgraded to the laundry in case they got cold outside...

Our pickup arrived at 11am on the dot.  We always use Come cruisen as it takes the hassle out of getting to the airport.

Don and Anna met us at the airport to get a sneak preview of the check in process (in prep for the 15th when they lift off for Thailand).  Of course book in did not go well, an issue with paperwork were guessing although they wouldn't say what.

We left on schedule and although service isn't what it used to be the Malaysian flight to KLIA wasn't too bad.  Dinner was served at about 4.30 and we chose the chicken - curry this time.  Mixed feelings about that, Dad and Tony enjoyed it, me, not so much.  Mum had lamb and I think that would have been a better choice.  Supper was a Chicken "Pie", which in fact was more like a sausage roll.

The landing was probably the smoothest ever, so gentle that it was well after landing that I actually realised the tires were on the tarmac.  I think we were on time, just as well as we had opted to avoid customs/immigration and stay at the Airside Hotel.  The advantage of that meant we could have been in bed 20 minutes after disembarking and no queuing with the masses.  The hotel was a bit daggy, but the bed was comfy, the room was dark and quiet and the view was awesome - the planes in parking bays C3 - C5 were right outside our window.