A rather colourful bus took us on the three and a half hour journey to Ho Chi Minh with no dramas to report.
We'd heard tales of the intensity of Ho Chi Minh and we weren't disappointed. The bus depot was on the outskirts so we caught a local bus in to the city and were dropped at district 5 with a twenty minute walk to our guesthouse (near district 1). The roads are wide, as are the pavements, but both are used for traffic or selling you need your wits when walking. The city is heaving, noise deafening and hot, hot, hot!
After dropping our bags at the guesthouse we set off for the war museum. The museum is predominantly about the American war and is really well put together. Outside there is a large collection of American tanks, planes and helicopters etc.
Inside, three floors taking you through the history, people and heartache of the war. Not surprisingly hugely Vietnamese-biased but warranted.
There was also an impressive, and deeply moving, collection of key newspaper photographers' work during the period. These and the aftermath of Agent Orange had me really choked at points, horrifying, devastating and so, so pointless.
A message from Sergeant William Brown, United States Army, donating his medals and saying "I was wrong, I am sorry".
The nights are filled with noise, noise, lights, bars and THE best people watching spots ever. If you don't object to seeing the seedier side to the city, you can watch rubber and lace clad girls totter on heels like sky scrapers enticing western idiots into their bars for exorbitant drinks and whatever else is on offer.
Unfortunately, the only way we could only visit the Cu Chi tunnels was as part of a tour unless we wanted to pay exorbitant fees. Bundled on a coach with the masses we headed 17km out of town with the mandatory stops to buy merchandise. The tunnels in Cu Chi village, a Vietnamese strong hold in Saigon during the war, were fundamental in the Viet Cong fight against the Americans. A series of underground tunnels enabled the villagers (Viet Cong) to hide, travel undetected, attack and place traps etc. and the Americans couldn't find them. As this was a tour some of the information provided was protracted and repetitive. The number of tourists was completely overwhelming is a relatively small area...but it was worth it. To experience the tunnels and incredibly small space was amazing. The Vietnamese are tiny compared to other Asian countries I have visited so far, a selection of tunnels were increased to enable tourists access but even so it was a tight squeeze. The series of camouflaged entrances and booby traps employed were ingenious. Amazing to think of all the armoury and budget at the American's disposal as oppose to the adoption of rural hunting techniques by the Cu Chi.
You bump into the odd Viet Cong dummies every now and then, much to our amusement.
Independence Palace, was the site of the end of the Vietnam War during the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975, when a North Vietnamese tank crashed through its gates. The guide said it had been left as it was on that date so I was expecting to seeing tank shaped holes, chairs over turned, bullet holes and rotting food...imagination is a wonderful thing! Interesting to see inside a presidential palace but no carnage seen.
Just in front of this helicopter was the initial bomb hit site from a Northern Vietnamese fighter pilot who made it passed the defences.
A very sparkly tank, don't ask me what kind!
The most amazing Post Office, site of posting of Caz's birthday card.
The old telephone booths are now individual ATMs or serve as post boxes.
Ho Chi Minh is massive, we have walked miles, seen loads and could have spent longer but Matt has a craving for a Thai beach and we want to be through Vietnam before Chinese New Year or onward travel becomes difficult if not impossible. Vietnam is indeed beautiful in places, a very different vibe between North, Central and South. People in the South seem more chilled and there was definitely less scamming but money is very much a driving force here, to be expected given their history. Surprisingly, I found the Cambodians, despite similar economic issues much more honest, understanding of budget travellers and on the whole friendlier but that is my impression. We are pleased we visited Vietnam but are ready to leave and head back to Bangkok.
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