Blogs from Ho Chi Minh City, Southeast, Vietnam, Asia - page 216

Today we promised the kids a fun day (in between Mekong River and Cu Chi Tunnel tours). We went out to Dam Sen water park. We had a great day. This place is just like Wet and Wild on the Gold Coast. Heaps of slides, wave pool, floating tube river etc. Virtually no line ups and all the slides were top quality. No pics, you'll just have to imagine me coming to the end of a slide and causing a small tsunami that soaked some non swimming onlookers at the base of the racer slide. Did some more shopping this morning at the markets. Getting the haggling thing down pat now. Found a Gloria Jeans in town this morning, so guess where we are going tomorrow afternoon. Andrew ... read more

We left Mui Ne on the 2pm bus arriving in Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City to use its official name, at around 6pm. A little old lady wanted to show us her guesthouse when we got off so we took a look, wasn't great so we made our excuses and left, the end of it? No. She followed us out and tailed us into a different street where she would run upto the next guesthouse where upon arrival it would be full, hmm suspect! This happened at about 3 or 4 places so we were starting to get pissed off by this point. So while she was 'showing' Matt a place that we both knew was to expensive, I took the opportunity to sneak into another place and get a price, it was okay so ... read more

Returning back to our hotel in Saigon after our trip to Mui Ne, the first thing we did was book our US $5 day tour to see the Cu Chi Tunnels and the Cao Dai Temple. We awoke early the following morning, as the tour departed at about 8.15am. Our tour guide was so cute. A Vietnamese man about 60 years of age, who had worked as a translator for the Americans during the Vietnam War. From the aisle of the bus, he spent a bit of time x00guidingx00, and a lot more time talking about how there are no winners in wars, the pointlessness of the Vietnam War and how people should talk to resolve their differences, not use violence. At about 11.45am we arrived at our first destination, the Cao Dai Temple in ... read more

hello, sorry about the spelling again - just spotted som awful bloopers without even trying so were in Vietnam and i like it! cambpodia was cool . since i rambled last time, we went on a day trip aroound Phnom Penh saw the killing fields, the S21 museum and prison, - both pretty harrowing, - then the national museum and the castle, we had a fair intake of the history! twas good though. the history good to see, funny heading around , again on the tuk-tuk, got a terrible amount of attention from the locals , driving was crazy, they jsut come from every angle , but its kinda plesant they dont go so fast, but manage to drive against the traffic on motos and bikes and cars, all over each other, not at all organised ... read more

On the run around AisaAlan Gillespie Border roll call, into the bus and cruise through customs via a few monetary incentives from our guide. Vietnam is instantly nicer than Cambodia, except the non-English speaking lady tried to charge me 3 bucks for 2 warm beers! The country already appears cleaner and much more structured. They even appear to have some sort of road sense (some, but not much). Arrive Saigon, what a town. You can see why everyone loves this place. It has its own aura that just seems to reach out and grab you. We get off the bus, of course with no idea where we are but double in number. Evan had joined us also a crazy Canadian, whom is quickly burning my short fuse. She is old, stupid, talks too much (I know, ... read more