Goodbye Vietnam

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We have been in Saigon for the last four days, which unfortunately means our time is also up in Vietnam. Vietnam is defiantly a rating of 10 on the CF scale but we really could have spent another month here. But because we have decided to stick with the Education Department we are only 5 short years away from some more long service leave (yes, generation Y and generation Me there are benefits to sticking at a job for more than a year or two). We have spent the last month making our way from Ha Noi down to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). It has been fantastic and has lived up to all of my expectations, which is great considering I have wanted to come here for nearly 20 years. Before I get into my thoughts on Vietnam as a whole I will quickly cover what we have done in Saigon.

Our drive from Mui Ne to Saigon was really good. The mini-bus did not have many passengers and we pretty much followed the main highways, so there was no spine shattering or arse punishing bumps this time. Jo scored the most awesome deal on the internet as far as our accommodation went. We got ourselves rooms in the newest 5-star hotel in Saigon for less than a third of the price(10 out of 10 on the CF rating there my love). Rooms in Saigon are pretty expensive so this was just incredible. The only draw back was that breakfast was not included. A shame as the food looked great but not really an issue as it was very easy to catch a taxi to and from places to eat. Most days we needed to go to the area where most of the back packer hotels were so we could catch buses for tours or other business. We all made the most of our rooms and the kids also loved the pool, mainly because two of its sides were see through. Saigon is incredibly busy and full on. The traffic is just insanely busy yet somehow works and you can still cross the roads. I wanted to stand in the middle of the road and get pictures of the peak hour traffic like I did in Nha Trang but gave up after the first attempt. I actually only saw one crash which borders on the amazing if not miracle level. It is actually quite exhilarating dodging several hundred motorbikes to get you morning coffee. There are still many wonderful buildings throughout the city that were built by the French. Most of these, especially the most impressive ones, have been taken over by the Communist Party but some are still used but the common man. For example the main market is in a beautiful old colonial building from the 1800’s.

We did a trip to the Cu Chi tunnels. These are not too far outside of the centre of Saigon. Before we went Phoebe and I were a bit ho hum about them, especially after our excellent trip to the Vinh Moc tunnels. The tour was in fact excellent. The town Cu Chi is pretty much as it would have been during the Vietnam War, especially the site of the tunnels themselves. We do however now have the benefit of walk paths to get through the very thick jungle. They have a firing range there now as well which is incredibly loud and can be heard as you do the tour. It just helps you imagine, definitely only a little bit, what it may have been like during the war. The tour started off with the guide showing us what the original tunnel entrances were like. Firstly they were pretty much impossible to see, secondly they were so small there is no way you could get into them very quickly, well if you are a westerner anyway. Alex and Phoebe got into them but I would have struggled. We had another couple of Aussies on the tour who play for Carlton. They were fit as (so not fat in the slightest) but they were pretty big units and they couldn’t fit into the tunnels let alone the original entrances. Before we got into the tunnels we were shown some of the booby traps used by the Viet Con. They were made out of everyday items such as folding chairs, windows and doors. They were incredibly vicious. They were designed to inflict a maximum amount of pain without killing. This was for two reasons; firstly the screaming soldiers let the VC know of the enemy’s position and approach; and secondly it inflicted a massive amount of psychological pain. I know that the ingenuity of the VC should be pretty high on the old CF scale but the brutality against the American and South Vietnamese armies and the South Vietnamese people is pretty awful. The only things that have been altered in the tunnels are the entrances and exits, additional exits every few metres and some very dim lighting. Other than that they are pretty much as they were during the war. They were so small and tight even Alex had to bend down on the odd occasion and he is only six and I had to crawl in some places. All up it was very interesting (mind you I could have done without the propaganda movie at the end of the tour) and left you in no doubt as to how hard it would have been on the Aussie soldiers. It must have been unbelievably hot, noisy and confusing. You would not have been able to see more than a few metres in front of you and you would have had no idea if there were any other armies there or not, let alone if they were V.C. or South Vietnamese. Then if you did stumble over a tunnel you would have been petrified of booby traps. No wonder so many of these soldiers came back after the war with massive psychological issues. The kids loved the tunnels so much they went through twice. However Alex did spend most of the time telling everyone he saw about the fact that his first tooth finally fell out. It has been wobbly the whole time we have been in Vietnam. He also spent alot of time wondering if the tooth fairy would stump up Vietnamese Dong or Australian Dollars.

My last day in Saigon was spent preparing for and watching the AFL Grand Final replay. Jo and Phoebe went off to a cooking course for the day and I stayed with Alex. He was great and watched a lot of it but unfortunately decided to back Collingwood. I know there are many years of shame ahead of him for this poor decision but it was pretty funny every time Collingwood kicked a goal. After the footy went through for a goal he would bend over, smack his arse and tell me how great his team was and that I had backed losers in Saint Kilda. Probably not as much arse smacking that will be going on between Eddie and Mick tonight but too much all the same.

I am now going to allow Jo to use my blog to give you a run down of her cooking course. A CF of 1 to me for this decision but as I was not there (a bit like Saint Kilda not really being at the MCG today) I really can’t do the cooking experience justice. If it is in Italic it is from Jo. OK, so the King of the Blog has allowed me some time on the computer to describe our cooking course. I have been promising myself a course for the entire trip and in typical “Jo-style”, left it til the last minute to squeeze it in. And no, it was not strategically planned to prevent George from getting pissed with a bunch of expats while watching the footy.
We went with a reputable cookery school, and met up with our chef and interpreter at some local markets. We had another Aussie guy join us on the tour, and a couple of Americans met us at the school (we didn’t hold their ethnicity against them, as travel has made us a lot more broad-minded even with citizens of the gold ole USA). Phoebs and I could have been easily put off at the markets by the various bits and pieces that are on offer, we must be the only country that doesn’t eat every part of an animal. When we witnessed a fish monger beating the living crap out of a large fish that had escaped its tank I wasn’t feeling too optimistic but needless to say things improved from there.
We cooked a 4 course meal, the chef talk us through every step, and even though I had a few “Master Chef” moments where I nearly threw a load of the wrong things into a pan of boiling oil, the food was brilliant. Phoebe cooked all her own food and only got help with her oil burner. The chef tried to hand her a pair of tongs, much to her disgust, instead of chopsticks to cook with, however she totally impressed all the kitchen staff with her chopstick mastery.
The company ended up being great, as we enjoyed the food we had cooked together. We all swapped a few travel stories and ended up having a mini-graduation, certificates and all. So for all of you Manji and Bridgetown buddies - expect an invitation soon for a Vietnamese feast! Signed - The Scorpion Queen aka The Huntress.

We have finally had a negative experience in Vietnam. Not really that big a deal but it is a good warning for any other tourists coming to Saigon. After our trip to Cu Chi we stopped in at the main markets for a bit of last minute shopping. When we left we decided to catch a Taxi to a good French restaurant for dinner. It was dark and it was starting to absolutely pelt down. We jumped into the taxi but I didn’t check to make sure that it was a totally legit one. There was much discussion about the destination which was a bit out of the way and obscure and some arguing between taxi drivers (which we have since realised was all part of the rip off) and we were off. Very quickly I noticed the meter spinning like a crazy person’s eyes. Every time the front wheels turned it cost us about
5 000 VND. Because we had the kids we couldn’t really jump out and tell the bloke to get stuffed. As we got closer to our destination (which I had to point out to the driver) it was obvious that we were getting stung. I mention that we should just go to our hotel as he couldn’t find the restaurant. Well he panicked, pulled over and basically told us to get out. Now I may not be a Michelin rated food critic but I do know the difference between a Pizza Hut and a French restaurant. We were lucky to have our feet on the pavement and he was out of there like a bat out of hell. Lesson learned; make sure that the taxi you get into is legit, just look for the metres covered in Perspex with green ties and a massive sticker on the dash stating the going rates. Still not much of an issue over a month.

So what do I think of Vietnam. In a word; “Brilliant”. Great food; cheap; friendly and helpful people; easy to get around; amazing history; brilliant beaches and totally awesome sights and scenery. There is still an innocence here that many tourist destinations have lost. You really don’t get hassled much (especially compared to India, Bali and Thailand) and most people really are just trying to help you out. If they ask how you are going or if you need help it really is nothing more than that. They love kids which has been great for us as we have been on the road for 13 weeks and been to 10 (soon to be 11) different countries. On top of all this I have always felt safe (except for a couple of bus trips through the mountains) and have never worried about the well being of the kids. A CF of 10 is what it deserves. Hell with it, I think I will give it a 12. Loved every minute of it (including getting drunk in Mui Me and dancing in the middle of the Italian restaurant, yes dancing properly with my wife!) and just can’t wait to come back and visit other parts of the country that we just couldn’t fit in.

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Photos

Ben Thanh Markets
These markets are right in the heart of District 1 of Saigon and there is nothing you can't get you hands on.

Donuts in Saigon
A man was selling rice donuts. We got a couple mainly to see how he carried the tray on his head with no hands. It was bloody heavy weighing a few kilos.

Cu Chi tunnels
The only thing that has been widened is the way in and out. Very hot work.

Into the Cu Chi tunnels
The original tunnel entrances were both well hiden and very narrow.

Booby Trap
One of the many different booby traps made by the V.C.

Welcome to Hell's Kitchen
F***, F***, F*** (Food, Food, Food).

A Vietnamese hotpot.
Phoebe made a great Tofu and Pork hotpot soup.

Busting a move with the boy.
Everyone had a good laugh as Alex and I danced in a Mui Ne restaurant.

Cutting a rug with the wife
10 years after our wedding I finally danced with the wife again in public.