Blogs from Ho Chi Minh City, Southeast, Vietnam, Asia

Hi dudes, Vietnam reis zit erop! Nog een laatste post over Saigon (of Ho chi Minh, as you want). De reis van de Mekong delta tot in ho Chi Minh was best grappig. Het was deze keer met een mini buske, vol locals. De rit duurde zo'n 3 uur, viel goed mee, en was een ideaal moment voor de Vietnamese kerel links van mij en oudere vrouw rechts van Anouk om wat bij te slapen. Bij elke hobbel zakten hun kopkes verder weg, totdat de kerel naast mij op mijn schouder lag te slapen. Bad choice, want mijn schriele bovenlijf beschikt over een beperkte hoeveelheid schokdempend vet. Bij elke bult (geen putteke zoals in Belgie, maar het soort gat in de weg waarvan je letterlijk van uw stoel afvliegt) veert zn kop omhoog en landt hij ... read more

Today was one of the rougher days, honestly. Very emotional. I woke up with last nights' impression of Vietnam-- big bright city, cleaner than Chiang Mai, friendly people... then learned better today. I guess that is part of the experience; seeing the lights and darks, highs and lows of a city. We ate a fancy breakfast at our fancy hotel and then caught a taxi. We really wanted to learn more about the Vietnam war and have a little cultural lesson today and oh boy did we get it. First of all I should mention the taxi driver, since he was pretty influential in the tone of the outing. He was very peppy and nice starting out, and he agreed to take us to three places for 970,000 dong (about $50)- the Cu Chi War Tunnels, ... read more

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller “Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” – Cesare Pavase I want to take a moment to express the deep gratitude and pride I have in the man in my life, Brian. Lately I've been trying to put into words how I feel about his decision to come with me on this crazy ride and all the positive things that have come from it, for him, for me, and for ... read more

After Cambodia, I moved onto Vietnam. After a relatively short bus ride of about 6 hours from Phnom Penh , I arrived in Ho Chin Minh city. My first impressions were that it was a pleasant city to walk around. The town center has French influences all over it. There are impressive old French palaces and most government buildings have retained their colonial image. One absolute must if you’re ever in HCMC is to visit the War Remnants Museum. There are impressive military vehicles and equipment on display outside as you come into the site, but it’s what’s inside that carried the most important elements. The war has been well documented with countless films on it, but the violence on display still takes you back. Similar numbers of Vietnamese died during the war to the Cambodians ... read more

Too late a night last night. Too much to drink. Wasted day. Cheap though :) Ate delicious sidewalk restaurant skewer food. 11 servings, the most exotic being crabs and chicken hearts and two longnecks for a grand total of 65r. Met a Spanish couple. Good conversation. He was a stock trader and she a government worker what had options for working longer with longer holidays. His advice for travel; never take the first option. Succinct and quality. Also met an Aussie girl and had a wander and explore through the city. Returned to hospital for vaccine number 2 of Rabies n Hepatitus B. The nurses there are in Kubrick-cute white uniforms with the little hats. Well maybe not Kubrick-cute, he woulda dressed them in short skirts not long pants with possible cleavage boosters. Dirty, disgusting, brilliant, ... read more