http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , Vietnam , Southeast en-us Sat, 05 Dec 09 09:38:40 +0000 Sat, 05 Dec 09 09:38:40 +0000 The golden key that unlocks a thousand doors.... even this may not be enough praise for the value of learning the local dialect when traveling. When combined with with a smile and an open personality the thousand doors easily becomes a million and more. I have been here nearly one week so far and the initial rush of being back in asia is beginning to wear off.Although I cannot altogether disco http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Ho-Chi-Minh-City/blog-457170.html I arrived back in Ho Chi Minh City after a four week visit in the UK. I had just started to get used to the flights I have done it a few times now but then they threw me a curve ball. Having got used to a selection of movies to watch on the interactive entertainment system well it stops me getting bored I then found myself on an old Air France 747 which only had a central screen. I knew there http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Ho-Chi-Minh-City/blog-455515.html Saigon ... Oh dear what a nightmareWe arrived in Saigon after a nine hour bus journey from Da Lat Knowing that Saigon is the largest metropalis in Vietnam we kind of expected it to be heaving...but nothing could of prepared us for the mahem of this citySince arrival we have discovered that pavements according to the Vietnamese living here are not for pedestrians to walk on they are in f http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Ho-Chi-Minh-City/blog-454729.html Before I launch into Saigon I want to update everyone on our itinerary as we just booked the rest of our flights last night since we are sadly nearing the end of our Asian campaign. On Sunday we will be catching a bus over the border of Cambodia and going directly to Siem Reap the town bordering the famous Angkor Wat temples. We will spend almost a week there touring the temples before cat http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Ho-Chi-Minh-City/blog-454549.html hi allnext stop home... we have had a great few days in ho chi minh city more commonly known as saigon to the locals. apparently there is something like 6 million motor bikes here and we reckon we have seen 5999999. the main thing to do here is shop hotels resturants and shops fill the streets of district one the tourist area of saigon and lots of street sellers selling everything under the su http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Ho-Chi-Minh-City/blog-454316.html Our entrance to the communist country of Vietnam was not as smooth nor as grand as our other entrances. Firstoff the bus ride from Siem Reap took the entire day. Secondly the Vietnamese Immigration is corruption in action Crossing the border was easy enough bus conductor got all our passports Cambodian immigration officer stamps it and off we go. A few minutes away and we all get down http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Ho-Chi-Minh-City/blog-454066.html I am in hell. After coming from the paradise of Cambodia and I must have used all my good traveling luck. I hope I get some back. Let me start over.Yesterday morning Dy took me to the National Cambodia Museum which was incredibly interesting and I learned a lot about the Buddhist and Hindu religions in Cambodia. We then went to a restaurant made of of several rows of bamboo and straw huts with ha http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Ho-Chi-Minh-City/blog-453869.html It's always nice to know that you are headed to a tropical destination during winter but to know that it will be 25c when you are away is even sweeter. With that we said goodbye to Edmonton.After a full day of flying we finally made it to Saigon on Saturday night. Other than a very long 14hour flight from Vancouver to Hong Kong things went off with out much hassle. Shauna didn't get any sle http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Ho-Chi-Minh-City/blog-453461.html Hi allGreetings from beautiful Mui Ne Sorry it's been awhile since posts but between dodgy internet connections and just being plain busy haven't had a chance. Anyway I stumbled on an internet cafe this morning so can catch you up to date. Thanks also for the messages everyone we are getting them and it's great to hear your feedback. We spent a few days at the resort town of Nha Trang which http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/blog-453041.html Well as usual I've waited much too long to update the ol' blog. But moving along last month I took a weekend trip to Ho Chi Minh Vietnam with newish good friend Malcolm. Malcolm is here from England teaching English with his girlfriend Louise who happened to be off on a girls' trip to Hong Kong so Mal and I planned a boys weekend. It also happened to be Mal's birthday an extra cause f http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Ho-Chi-Minh-City/blog-452527.html That's Vietnamese for 'how much is this' which by the way I have no idea how to pronounce and which also is fairly irrelevant cos I already know the answer will be 'cheap very cheap'So wersquore currently in Mui Ne about 200kms north east of hcmc. Let me just get back to the lsquoawesomersquo bus again if I mayhellip. I tell ya that was seriously the most comfortable mode of transpo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Mui-Ne/blog-451515.html Predictable title I know but Irsquove always wanted a purpose to say thatSo we are in HCMC actually to be precise I am writing this from the worlds coolest bus seriously itrsquos a sleeper bus so its full of beds instead of seats wersquove only been on here 10 minutes and mick is already snoring apart from the noise Irsquom loving this bus.I actually wrote this huge blog last nig http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Ho-Chi-Minh-City/blog-451136.html Allo Allo on est rendus au Cambodge et comme vous avez peutetre remarque l'acces internet n'est plus gratuit C'est pas cher non plus mais moins facile que de descendre au rezdechaussee de l'hotel. Le Vietnam etait bien pour ca mais on s'en ennuie pas. C'est unanime 2 sur 2 on prefere le Cambodge L'atmosphere les gens c'est charmant Mais ca c'est une autre histoire Je vais d'abord http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Ho-Chi-Minh-City/blog-451120.html At its height the tunnel system stretched over 250km. from Saigon to the Cambodian border and was three levels deep. The network included innumerable trap doors specially constructed living areas storage facilities weapons factories field hospitals command centers and kitchens. Today the remaining tunnels have become a major tourist attraction giving the visitor a unique experience and a feel http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Ho-Chi-Minh-City/Cu-Chi/blog-449418.html Saigon... capital of motorbikes.. Day 21 22In a city with a population of 9 million there is an estimated 5 million motorbikes. Thatrsquos more motorbikes than the people of Ireland and this is only one city I have no doubt that many teenagers have never been in a car in their lives as the motorbike is the only mode of transport they need. We got an evening cyclo city tour of Saigon. I was r http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Ho-Chi-Minh-City/blog-448027.html Following the French Conquest of Cochinchina and Saigon the Roman Catholic Church established religious services for the French colonialist in an abandoned Vietnamese pagoda. That was too small so they built a wooden church which was damaged by termites.In August 1876 the Governor of Cochinchina M. Duperr held a design contest for a new cathedral. Apart from creating a religious building for t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Ho-Chi-Minh-City/blog-447930.html My morning walk is getting less strenuous and always interesting. If you enjoy watching people Vietnam is a paradise. Most of the walk also alerts the senses to the beautiful surroundings. This blog is a little of what I see as I walk to the Cafe Vuon Xua.There is a school near my house and a lot of the kids are eating breakfast on the street. No school lunch no school breakfast just a bunc http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Ho-Chi-Minh-City/blog-447696.html Llegado a Ho Chi Minh tambin conocida como Saigon aunque no es la capital de Vietnam desde luego que se nota que es el centro de comercio y negocios del pas y entiendes que Hanoi es un poco mas tradicional mas similitud a la cultura China.Cuando digo mas moderna es simplemente que hay mas luces carteles y un poco mas limpio...la gente sigue con motos polucin poco higinico comiendo a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Ho-Chi-Minh-City/blog-447431.html Hello againFirstly thanks for all the blog love I've been getting glad you guys are liking the blog. I'm just happy to share our adventures and some pictures.Anyways last time it was Northern Vietnam and Halong Bay that amazed us this time it was the central coast of Vietnam.There is an open bus ticket option here in Vietnam where you choose the number of stops along the way from Hanoi to Ho C http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Ho-Chi-Minh-City/blog-447426.html Disaster Tupur and family are scheduled to reach by 11 ish so we had thought that we would grab some breakfast at our favourite ABC Bakery trying to keep the costs down its so easy to blow away 150 dongs in that place and then get the train tickets and the Mekong tour in place before they arrive. I had spoken to our landlady that we need 2 rooms for the night of the 30th. When we come down http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Vietnam/Southeast/Ho-Chi-Minh-City/blog-447229.html