Saigon (Ho Chi Minh) and surrounds (10-12 April)

Cu Chi Tunnels, Mekong Delta, Reunification Museum, Notre Dame Catherdral, War Remnant museum (3 days)

Fri 11th April - Cu Chi Tunnels

Ho Chi Minh City - HCMC or formally Saigon, is a large city of 5.8 million in the south of Vietnam. Today I visted the Cu Chi Tunnels, 15 K out of town and costing 5 USD. Include info I put on facebook.

OK so I arrived very early in the morning, after a terrible nights (not) sleep on the bus from Ton Cum in the central highlands. I got dumped at a bus stop and didnt have a clue where I was, again only westener, completely unprepared because the light was broken on my seat on the bus so couldn't do the reading and planning I had intended the evening before. Other information I had researched was in my netbook which is not really a good idea to flash to the many people bustling around that may contribute to Ho Chi Minh being a capital of petty theft! I plonked briefly in a street cafe to get my bearings with my trusty lonely planet, and the impatient guy dumped some cold coffee in front of me and then charged me double for it! But still being new to Vietnam and being half asleep I didnt argue as its only pennies at the end of the day.

I did finally find a local bus that an hour later got me to near the backpacker district (Ho Chi Minh is very big and very bad traffic!) and after only asking in maybe 3 places I secured a room in district 1 'mini hotel alley' with tv bathroom and wireless for 6 USD. The staff also seemed quite honest and I guy that stayed there tesitified to this fact. I knew this place was more expensive so I wasnt gonna waste more time getting it cheaper. I did in fact ask in 'Yellow House' which do dorm rooms but it was 7 USD so realised I did get a very good deal considering I'm currently solo.

I literally didnt even shower, as my room wasnt even ready to check into (it was 7.30 am!) and many tour operators were full for the Hu Chi Min tunnels so by the time I found one, I had about 0 minutes to grab a baguette for lunch before getting on a bus to the Hu Chi Minh Tunnels. I felt so tired sometimes the only way is to keep going and it was a way I knew I would be productive in my first day and make the most of my time here.

We stopped on the way at a place where handicapped people make beautiful, well anything and everything really. Pictures, chopsticks, furniture, but it was all very expensive so I just treated it like a gallery!
The Hi Chi Minh tunnels were really interesting. What gets me is the sheer resilience that led to a solid 15 years of digging underground by the Vietmanese. Some people found them quite claustraphobic but I managed the full 90 metres, which even though I dont like enclosed spaces, I found quite fun and was with an outgoing canadian girl who also found it a laugh which always helps.

After a hasty shower, I met Elli, a german girl I had hung out with throughout the day, after a hasty shower, to be told 350 euros had been stolen from her bag in her dorm room. She was obviously upset and so we went out for some food and a bottle of wine in a mexican restaurant near her hostel Yellow House. Since I have arrived here I keep hearing stories of people that have either been held up or been stolen from. I have to be more careful. Like clutch you bag for dear life so nobody can motorbike by and grab it off you. I was scared of Vietnam for this reason but in reality as long as your aware it should be fine. I may start using my pacsafe though.

MOney spent: 6 USD accomodation, breakfast 1 dollar, waters 50 cents, ice cream 60 cents, lunch (noodle soup and 2 beers) with Gene ? dinner (street) 1 dollar. Wine 70,000.

Sat 12th April - Mekong Delta

Another really good day. For 8 USD I have visited the Mekong Delta, (2 1/2 hours each way with the obligatory toilet stop just 15 mins from our destination!) gone on a boat, had a nice lunch, visited the honey bees and sampled honey tea (very nice) tried some coconut candy (slightly sickly), handled a python (I really dont like snakes so that was my mental challenge of the day!) had a 'jungle fruit' afternoon meal accompanied by green tea and live music (I can't really tell if the females have nice voices as its kind of a nasal sound they make!) and my favourite part, gone on a 'rowing' boat (although it was more like Oxford punting only they are squatting not standing) along a narrow distributary with large jungle trees either side, wearing the famous pointy Vietmanese hat. We noticed (Elli, Tom and I) that all the Vietmanese dressed very smartly considering they were performing fairly active tasks in the sun. But perhaps they know best, it must be cooler.

I hung out with Elli from yesterday and a guy called Tom from Liverpool who regaled us with a tragic tale of how his girlfriend dumped him ON THE PLANE they were both on to travel to South East Asia together! He got so upset he was put off the plane and never made it that time round. Another traumatic event led him to book a last minute flight this time. Elli on the otherhand has been travelling for 1 1/2 years. She is intending to return to Gernany in July or possibly earlier.

My impressions of Elli and Tom are both of genuine people. I initially noticed Elli because she had a lovely smile, and someone who smiled like that has got to be nice hey! Tom was quieter, but very open about things in his own life, and good to chat to. Later in the day we started making plans to continue travelling together at least till Mui Ne which I have decided I am going to briefly to try out kite surfing and sand surfing ;) You have to grab these opportunities while you can!

What is interesting here also is that there are many asias on holiday from elsewhere and amongst backpackers too I am appreciating meeting people and hearing other peoples stories. Each one is unique. Being a ridiculous romantic it also warms the heart to meet people who have met while travelling. It didn't quite work out for me that way, but maybe one day...

We got back 6.30 ish and I downloaded some photos before meeting Tom in the evening. Went for some cheapo beers (10,000 each!) and ate at Stella after seeing my dutch friends Bas and David. Davids been ill and the Irish girl Karin also who I met in Don Det, Laos. So they didn't come out but it was still good to see them.
Also hung out with a larger crowd we met at the cheapest drinking place in town, which is basically on the street sitting on kiddie sized plastic chairs! - but the club we were going to was shut (on a Saturday?) so we dispersed and I went to bed about 2am. The lads were really sweet they wouldnt let me walk to and from my guest house by myself (I dumped my laptop back before going out to club) and Im glad Tom walked me back later because actually the alley that I thought would be constantly busy was actually completely empty. Think Tom is a really decent guy. He's like a typical scous in one way and is into his martial arts but is really soft underneath. Gonna do the city tomorrow and then leave early the next day. I do like Ho Chi Minh but I have to get a move on!

One thing: I rang up an english speaking church and the connection wasnt great but it was very clear they were not meeting because of the government. I know Vietnam was / is a commiunist country but forbidding christian public meetings is not what I would have expected at all. Quite full on.

Money spent: 8 dollar day trip, 6 dollar accomodation, 1 dollar breakfast and drink (cheese baguette and lipton ice tea), 1.50 ice cream, dinner 59,000, beers 30,000.

Sunday 12th April - Ho Chi Minh

Happy Easter! So today even though I woke up at 7am (ouch!) I laid in bed and did chilled stuff and went for breakfast at Stella's which was an easter treat as more expensive. I had very nice poached egg baguette, meat and cappucino which was gorgeous. Nate said he had eaten breakfast here 5 days in a row and walking past each time I could just imagine him here on his laptop! It was not very typical Vietnam though - it was modern and westernised. I got chatting to a lady and a man who had been to India so gave me some tips. We ended up going to viist the cathedral together but it was shut (lonely planet let me down!) so we went to the Reunification Palace, built in 1966 to serve as South Vietnams presidential palace, and the site of famous images of the communist tank crashing the gate on 30th May 1970, the day Saigon surrendered. We only paid 15,000 to get in (just over a dollar) and had an enlish speaking guide for an hour or so. It was very grand, and designed by some famous architect...er must find out who..! From here I went straight to the War Remants museum which had come highly recommended and which left a lump in your throat. I think the worst was seeing the tanks and bombs designed and made specifically to destroy and kill, the depictions of mutilated soldiers, innocent victims of Agent Orange, a toxic spray used by the Americas to clear vast areas and which still affects people now with cancer and deformation. It spolied all the water resources in the area and was an evil tool. The photos of those deformed were very sad, little children born as victims of a war they didnt even live through. Other heart rendering images were those painted by the children and their perceptions of war - bloodshed, dead bodies, tears, mass graves, and peace - soliders returned, families reuintied, unity joy and friendship. I arrived there abolutely exhausted and so chatted for about half an hour to an american guy called Dave who we later arranged to meet to do to a service at the cathedral. He also came out for a drink that night and changed his ticket from Nha Trang to Mui Ne to move on with our wee crowd.

The service, although all in Vietmanese, was just what I needed to focus on it being Easter. During all the talkie bits I read my little bible and applied some of the versus from the psalms to the songs the choir were singing. My church at home has a band for worship and is contemporary in its approach although Church of England, so am not used to 'traditional' services, but there is something very uplifting and majestic and somehow on a higher plane to hear voices in unison filling a vast space. It reminded me of Italy 2000 where I went to mass in the Vatican wih Pope John Paul II, an experience I shal never forget. There is definately a holy atmosphere in such places.

In the evening I met Elli and Tom as planned, and also Dave who I met today, and a few of Toms friends from his travels also joined us. I got on really well with Gemma, a girl from Birmingham who is just on her way out of Vietnam, who recently was living and working in Australia with her boyfriend and travelling for a year and a half already. She'll also be in India about the same time is me. We had a drink at Go 2 bar, (2 for one beers) had some cheap noodles at one of the many street cafes where everyone sits (almost toilet style!) on low plastic tables and chairs and then ended up at our cheapie hang out where you can get a Saigon bottle beer for under a dollar. There towards the end of the evening we met the strangest lady who was apparantly deaf and mute due to the effect of bombs. She was quite a character, drinking her beer and miming out her story in a way any professional artist would be proud of. Had another late night and no sleep before getting a bus to....

Money spent: Breakfast 94,000 dong, moto 12,000 dong, entrance 15,000 dong, water 4,000 dong, cigarettes 4,000 dong, War remnant museum 15,000 dong, moto 15,000 dong, dinner 10,000 dong, beers 25,000 dong.