Ho Chi Minh City

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Back again faithful readers just chilling down after hectic two days of touring around HCMC. Long long trip to Cai Dao Holy See and Cu Chi tunnels but well worth it. Temple area undoubtedly biggest yet - 22 hectares - but after a quick jog round (likely!!!)you got the hang of it. Amazing fusion of big five religions (I feel a blog fact coming on) - Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. So sensible it was bound to fail and note (with apologies to all left footers) only major religion that refuses to acknowledge Cai Dao is Catholocism (check out catholic in the dictionary and you'll get the irony!)

Cu Chi tunnels fascinating and made more interesting by our other tour party member (very select tours we're booked on) being an ex serving marine who was out here in 1968 and had come back one ladt time for closure. Lovely and very interesting character (ex LA narcotics; ex Jennifer Lopez personal security and now part time restauranteur. There is a firing range in the tunnel complex where for vast amounts of Dong you can fire real M16s AK47s etc. he found this understandably unnerving but when we were sitting in the cafe next to the range and a M60 fired off a burst well we all jumped about 6 feet in the air but we thought poor James was going to have a heart attack. Can't begin to imagine what it must have been like but I guess Cam would understand only too well. Sally and I braved a short section of tunnel - I've never had to squat and walk at the same time - not easy and even in this enlarged section (for us big Europeans) I kept catching my shoulders on the roof. Sally was remarkably agile I have to say but wasn't impressed when the guide offered to switch off his torch and/or go faster!! Going to hand over to her good self now to write on about Mekong Delta....

Well we loved this trip!! First boat sailed across the delta- beautiful views, wind in our hair and sun on our faces. There are four islands- Turtle (symbolising longevity) Unicorn (luck), Dragon (power) and Pheonix (beauty)- slipped in that blog fact neatly!! We landed on Unicorn Island and swapped to a small sampan and floated off down a narrow river with jungle vegetation on either side and all so peaceful. Felt like a real explorer and was even wearing my traditional Vietnamese conical straw hat- even more amusing so was John!!! Other exciting parts were seeing coconut candy being made, holding a python (yes we both did) and eating local delicacy elehant ear fish!!! Yummy!!

Now off for evening meal, even though we had lovely lunch..... then Siem Reep in Cambodia tomorrow.

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