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I've had a pretty hectic few days since arriving in Ho Chi Min City (HCMC). After the 15 hour bus from Sihanoukville I bid farewell to Cambodia and entered the Congress Republic of Vietnam. The boarder crossing was really easy and the bus company sorted out all our stamps on arrival allowing us to sleep as it was 6am when we arrived at the boarder.
Like a click of your fingers everything changes the second you cross, most noticeable was the condition of the roads (much smoother) which was a god send! however, as mental as the driving was in Cambodia nothing changed much on that front except now we had to dodge millions more cars and moto's.
On arrival in the city I got chatting with 4 guys who I shared a room with, 2 Brits, a German and a American. All really nice and heading to the north of Vietnam the same as myself.
Settling into HCMC was an eye opener, the traffic is a death trap and cars DO NOT stop for anything or anyone!! After a few feeble attempts at crossing the roads at varying speeds trying to dodge moto's, cars and buses failed
as I almost got killed when I got swiped by a wing-mirror!! It was only then an old Vietnamese women pretty much held my hand and taught me the green cross code!! Don't stop, walking slowly and they will have time to get out of your way!! and that's how it is done....literally.
Beer in the city is cheap 10,000 dong (another currency to get used to) about 50 cents US. but the food so far although cheap seems to be very bland, but it fills you up and the portions are massive. After dinner me and one of the guys headed to the War museum, any American wishing to go here must wear a thick skin as it is very anti-US. Many pictures, weapons and old machinery to look at but very little mention about the great war between the North and South and rather how the US decimated the country and it's people.
The evening was spent chilling out in the street side bars nursing 10,000 dong beers before heading back to the hotel ready for the Cu Chi tunnel tour in the morning.
The next two days me and one of the guys
booked a couple of tours, the first being the Cu Chi tunnel tours and the latter the Mekong Delta Tour.
The Cu Chi tunnel (CCT) tour was fantastic and we had the best tour guide, they all like to sing out here and always get everyone involved in some power ballads on the way!! The Cu Chi tunnels were used by the CC Gorillas to protect the fertile land against the US forces back in the war, there maze of underground tunnels allowed fighters to get up close to the US troops without detection and strike with a very successful kill rate. On the tour you can go down into the tunnels and see the many traps laid out to injure the Americans but the highlight has to be the chance to shoot many of the arms that were used by both side at a cheap price. I decided to go for the M1 rifle and the two Aussie girls I met up with rinsed almost 60 bullets on the M60 machine gun, it was an adrenaline buzz and so much fun a definite must do at the tunnels. Throughout the whole site it was well maintained and the
tours were really well prepared and great value for $5.
The second tour involved traveling out to the Mekong Delta, to see how people live out there and survive in this very wet region. Most of the tours are done on a boat and you hop between the different islands in the region, but other modes of transport on the tour include bicycle and rowing boat which I didn't expect and added a little quirk! A lot of eating & drinking on this tour including many types of tea and fruits, coconut candy and various types of alcohol produced using animals from the region. Yet again another great day even though this one was considerable wetter and a bit like a pub crawl but very fun with our guide Ms Quiet (or not) she had a fascination about trying telling how much the Mekong ladies would love to marry me for the whole day, maybe that's why we got a lot more free alcohol.
The final day I booked my bus ticket to Meu Nei a Beach resort about 3 hours from HCMC (it's actually 6 hours). I spent the morning visiting the dependence palace and then got
lost trying to make my way back to the hotel so reluctantly I took a moto back there which was a very scary experience.
But now, in Mui Nei and again the bus ride was mental, I don't think I'll be sleeping on the buses out here as there is no chance to relax when a bus pulls out into 4 lanes of oncoming traffic to overtake!!
So far Vietnam is much better than I expected, still very much communist even though it thinks it isn't. Facebook is banned out here and so is the BBC website from time to time, the police at the cross roads give you a sly tap on the leg with there batton to budge you into the box which you must stand in if you wish to cross at busy intersections. But it's in no way suppressed here just still slightly communist and a very cheap country.
tune in soon for Mui Nei
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