Goodbye Ho Chi Minh City!

** I started writing this while in Vietnam and finished in Korea **

I can't believe that this week is almost over. In less then ten minutes we will be in a cab heading for the airport. Our time here was short, but good. I wish that I could have seen more and had more time to really experience the country and the city we were in. I felt rushed - get as much done in four days as you can. I would have liked a chance to sit down and relax, but when you only have four days you have to make them count.

I think both Paul and I thought that Vietnam would be like Thailand and we were definitely wrong in that opinion. I guess that's why so many people think Canadians and Americans are the same. One word - ignorance. Although the outward appearance of this country is similar to Thailand, the people, the history and the food are completely different. Although the people spoke more English, they weren't as friendly. Not to say they were mean - not at all, just detached.

The history - well we all know the history. But for the first time in my life I saw it from the perspective of the people of Vietnam. It tells a very different story then the one I remember from history class. The Vietnamese people are extremely proud of their life, their choices and their army. The war was devastating to this country and to see how well they survived it and moved past it is inspiring. The war museum was one of the best places we visited. Although the images were graphic and horrible, I think they were necessary to understand the scope of the war. Seeing people who survived Agent Orange, or looking at the face of a dead man who had just been murdered by an American Soldier are not images I will soon forget. I am glad that I went there. It made me appreciate life and the country I was visiting so much more.

DAY ONE


One our first day we did a recommended walking tour of the city. Walking around the city was INSANE! They have the worst drivers in the entire world (and they admit it). At any given time it is estimated that there are over 3 million motorbikes on the streets of HCMC every day. Red lights mean nothing and people just drive all over the place. Pedestrians do not have any rights what so ever and they simply fling themselves into traffic hoping to come out alive on the other end. It was extremely stressful. Other then the walking part, the tour itself was great.

Our first stop was the war museum (described above), where we experienced our first Vietnam rain. The sky just opened up and poured for about thirty minutes. Then it stopped completely. It was so strange, but it broke the humidity so I didn't mind too much. Our next stop of Notre Dame Cathedral which was beautiful. The architecture was amazing. It was so interesting to see a church like this smack dab in the middle of a Buddhist country. Right across the street was the post office which was constructed during the French occupation. This shows through the design and architecture of the building as well. Both building were well worth the visit.

After more walking we stumbled upon a zoo/botanical gardens. Outside of the gates there was a political protest going one. We're not sure what they were protesting, but a local stopped Eva from taking pictures so we decided not to risk it. They are very guarded when it comes to politics (for good reason!) We decided to visit the zoo and it was great. The gardens were beautiful and well maintained. I have always had mixed feelings about zoos and this one was not as nice as the ones in North America. Although their variety of wildlife was impressive, I got the distinct feeling they weren't treated as well as they should have been.

The last stop was the impossible to find Jade Emperor Pagoda. After almost seven hours of walking we were almost going to give up, when we finally stumbled upon it. The energy in the building was very cool, but it wasn't as impressive as we were lead to believe.


DAY TWO

On our second day we went on a one day tour of the Cu Chi Tunnels and a Cao Dai Temple. In the morning we visited the temple which in the worlds of religions is a very new one. It is a combination of Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism. We were able to witness a ceremony, which was very beautiful.

Our next stop was the Cu Chi Tunnels. They were dug out of the VC army during the war and used to travel undetected through the jungle to attack American soldiers. The energy here was so intense. In all my life I have never felt so much hostility and death. So many people died on the grounds we were walking on that it was overwhelming to think about it. The tunnels were a perfect military tactic. Unless you knew where the entrances were you would never know they existed. The VC could hide or ambush at any time. They were also able to set traps or bombs as well. Although these people were not nearly as well equiped (they fought in rubber sandals!!) they still won. Part way through the tour there was a shooting range where for $1 a bullet you could shoot a wide selection of guns - from AK47's to M16's. I've never heard a gun shot before in my life and I didn't realise how loud it was. It was disturbing how many people were eager to shoot these guns after witnessing the tunnels and the traps. Paul had no interest and neither did I. Ivan on the other hand was so excited I would have thought him a kid in a candy store. There was a family there who let their children try these guns. Strange, strange, strange. Our guide let us go through the tunnels, but they were so small and narrow that Paul and I opted out. It was a one way trip. The tunnel we 50 meters long and it was way too narrow to turn around so if you wanted to go, you had to go all the way. I would have totally freaked out, so even though I would have liked to say I went through the Cu Chi tunnels I am glad I didn't.

DAY THREE

We decided to sign up for another one day tour. This one took us in the opposite direction (south) and allowed us to experience the Mekong Delta. The tour was very touristy, but for $12 I certainly won't complain. Once arriving in the small village of Ben Tre we took a boat to one of its many islands - Unicorn Island. There we got to taste honey tea made from honey farmed right there on the island. We also got to sample local fruits (which was fantastic). While we were there Paul tried Snake Wine (basically a bottle of alcohol with a big cobra in it). I still can't believe he did it!!

Next we took a row boat ride down the Mekong River, which was by far the best part of the tour. The scenery was beautiful and it was so completely relaxing. I could have stayed there all day. Next we were back on the boat and on our way to a Coconut Candy factory... yummy. We got to see how locals make the candy and of course we got to sample them. It's probably the only time in my life I will ever get to see candy made and packaged by hand. We stopped for lunch and a bike ride around the village and then we were on our way home. Instead of taking a bus back we actually took a three hour boat ride back to HCMC. Not my favorite (or Paul's favorite) part of the tour. By the end of the ride Paul was not feeling well and as it turns out this would only be the beginning.

DAY FOUR

I spent much of this day by myself. Paul stayed in the room because he was too ill. We took it easy mostly. We started the day by visiting an Old Propaganda Poster shop, which was really cool. I walked away with three posters myself. We then went back to the guesthouse to pick up Paul and go shopping at a market that was close by. Similar to Thailand this market had everything from food to luggage. The selection wasn't as nice, but we still managed to come away with a few good deals. Paul went back to the guesthouse and Ivan, Eva and I went out for Pho, a local favorite. It's basically noodle soup, but it’s what the country is known for so we had to try it. Other then being a tad oily, it was really good :)

Our last stop of the trip was Reunification Palace. It is preserved almost as it was on that day in April 1975 when the Republic of Vietnam ceased to exist (the very thing that thousands of Vietnamese and Americans died for). This building has a lot of important history so I would recommend googling it. After that we went back to the guesthouse, showered, ate, packed and that's when I started writing this entry.

I know this is probably the longest entry you have ever seen, but I did have to pack four days of information in it. I hope you enjoyed it. We will be updating the photo album eventually. Love to you all and I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving!

Peace Out.