Vietnam...

---

---

Tues 13th - Tues 20th

After an uneventful day back in Singapore, I boarded my cheap Tiger Airways flight to Ho Chi Minh City to see the family.

I think Vietnam is a great country, full of really nice food (I bet you can see what I like doing most!!) and most of the people are really friendly - there are those that who give you funny looks, but on the whole lots of smiley faces and are always willing to help - although it does also help that I have native speaking cousins who can order food (!) haggle for the best prices and translate for you!

I spent a couple of days in the Mekong Delta, which was pretty cool, went with a tour group with some Brits and Irish - was nice to speak english again! We saw the produce of the Delta, how they made coconut candy (v nice) rice noodles and paper, and rice crispie type things! Also visited the floating market and saw how people traded their wares. Travelled along the Delta in a tiny long tail boat - when I say tiny, I mean really really small - it only fitted 6 of us in it and it was very close to the water! At times when we were going through the delta, it felt a bit like Apocalyse Now!!

Back in HCMC, went shopping in Ben Thanh market in Saigon district - it's amazing - it has sooo many things from traditional Vietnamese clothes to western t-shirts, handbags and shoes! (and I've been really good - even though there were loads of nice bags and shoes, I've been very restrained and haven't bought anything - well maybe just a t-shirt!)
The market also sells fresh fruit / veg and meat and also dried preserved stuff which stinks and you probably don't want to know what it was when it was alive!!

Also been to a couple of temples and offered incense to Buddha and the Spirits, not that I'm really religious or anything, but you know, it doesn't cost very much to go into a temple and I might as well try and get as much luck and protection as possible for my travels!

Anyway, in my final hours left in Vietnam I'm now up to date with my blog!

In a few hours, I'll be sat in Changi Airport in Singapore counting down the minutes till I board my plane to the great land of Oz!! I'm soooo excited!!

---

Photos

The making of...
...coconut candy, part 1

The making of...
...coconut candy, part 2

The making of...
...coconut candy, part 3

Rice Paper...part 2
...drying in the sun

Rice Crispies...
...rice grains poured into hot wok with sand to stop it burning

Rice Crispies...
...the guy stirs it constantly to make sure all the rice "pops"

Rice Crispies...
...after it's all popped and mixed with a sugar syrup mixture, it gets poured into this template and another guy cuts it into squares

Rice Crispies...
...and then it gets bagged by a few more people ready to be sold!

Like a scene from...
...Apocalypse Now!!

Temple...
...in Saigon

Incense coils...
...offered to the spirits asking for protection, wealth and health!

Saigon...
...at dusk, on the back of a motorbike!

Comments

[Yuks]

Wow!
Thanks for all the pictures,I'm glad you took the ones where they were making all that lovely sweet food!Bet you had loads didn't you Dinh!It looks really nice over there in Vietnam,It must also be nice to see you're family too. You carry on and have fun and have a fab time in Oz,which i know you will so it's a bit silly for me to say it really!luv lots Yuks