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Published: December 11th 2013
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On Friday it was time to say goodbye to Singapore. Exchange was over and it was time to begin traveling. Arrived in Saigon about 5pm and headed to the Vietnam Inn Saigon. Was close to the backpacker ghetto around Pham Ngu Lao but not right in the thick of things which means it was a bit quieter. Friday evening was just spent wandering around Pham Ngu Lao and trying to get a feel for the chaotic city.
Saturday morning began with a walk to The War Remnants museum which showcases some of the equipment left behind by the Americans including tanks, air planes, guns, etc. It also has an extensive collection of photographs on display which chronicles the war. Much of it has a bit of propaganda thrown in but it's not overwhelming. Many of the pictures were taken by American journalists and one exhibit on display was a gift from the state of Kentucky. Outside the museum I met a local girl who shows tourists around the city on her motorbike. I was a little hesitant at first but she showed me a journal she has kept with customer reviews and signatures so I reluctantly agreed to have her
drive me to the Cu Chi tunnels on Sunday. I am glad I did but I made the beginners mistake of not negotiating the price before hand so it ended up costing me double or triple what it should have.
So Nhung, the driver, picked me up the following morning to take me to Cu Chi tunnels. We stopped by her drink stall and had to wait for her mother to come take it over while she was away. While I waited she gave me coffee, tea, and a quick breakfast. A few minutes later we were on our way. Nhung got me a face mask to help with dirt and grime which comes with riding on a motorbike. The tunnels are a bit of a drive from Saigon so a little more than half way we stopped at a little banana leaf hut which had a bunch of hammocks hanging underneath. She got me some iced tea and we relaxed in the shade. It was a place I probably wouldn't have gone with out a local.
Arrived at the tunnels. The Cu Chi tunnels cover more than 200km in what basically amounts to an underground city.
The tunnels are extremely tight, even after being widened for western tourists. I was told the tunnels took 20 years to dig out by hand. Also on display were models of the booby traps the Viet Cong constructed. They were very clever and very gruesome. They even had a shooting area where you could shoot various guns including the M16 and AK47. I skipped that part.
On the ride back Nhung noticed one of our tires was dangerously low so we stopped at a street corner scooter shop to have it fixed. This was interesting to watch as the mechanic had the wheel off and a new tube installed in about ten minutes. Was fun to sit amongst the locals and observe. No tourists here. Back in Saigon she took me around to a couple hang out spots frequented by the locals which provided a nice view of the city. One was very popular with young couples. It was easy to see why as the sun finished setting and the lights of Saigon reflected off the river. i am glad I had a chance to see busy Saigon from the back of a locals motorbike but am kicking myself
for not being a shrewd haggler. Oh well.
On Monday I walked to the Notre Dame cathedral which was pretty and spent some time wandering through Ben Thanh market. It appeared like everything under the sun was for sale at the market. I found a little food stall in the center, grabbed lunch, and people watched. i thought it odd that prices in the market were more expensive than around Pham Ngu Lao where all the tourists are. Maybe it's because there's not as much demand away from the tourists.
Monday night I met a German girl, an English man, and another American at the roof top restaurant of the hostel. We sat up late telling stories and talking about everything under the sun. Was great fun but I was very tired the next morning when I had to catch my bus to Can Tho at 10.
At the bus station I must have had that lost foreigner look on my face because a young Vietnamese woman came over, looked at my ticket, pulled me to where the bus was, asked the bus driver something, then did her best to explain my bus left at 10 and
that the one which was there was the one scheduled for 9. I arrived in Can Tho, the central hub of the Mekong delta a little after 1 in the afternoon but will continue that part of the story later.
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Terri
non-member comment
Great!
Am so glad to see more of your travels, Ben! Sounds to me like the motorbike tour was worth it, even if you didn't haggle and ended up paying more. The photos are great!