Saigon, Saigon (again)

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We returned to Saigon via a 9 hour bus journey of death from Dalat, it was only 300 Km but the buses are not in a rush and the chaos of the roads doesn't help.

We went back to Saigon to meet my parents and some family friends who are now here for two weeks on a mini tour of Vietnam. This tour kicked off with three nights back in the crazy, dynamic city that is Saigon.

Staying at the Thang Long Hotel (really nice place) in the centrally located Dong Khoi area we spent a few days and nights gawping at the sights and sampling the local brews and cuisine.

Saigon is still an impressive city that never fails to entertain, there is always something going on and it is simply completely different to anywhere else we have ever visited.

One day was spent at the famous Cu Chi tunnels. These are a network of 200 km of tunnels north of Saigon. The north Vietnamese army used these to fight the Americans and the South Vietnamese in the Vietnam, War, and basically this is one of the reasons why they won. It allowed them to hide from the US air strikes and mount surprise attacks. The tunnels themselves are tiny and that's after they have been widened for larger tourists, its an amazing thing to look at and it makes you respect the people whom had to fight a war down there.

The harrowing War Remnants Museum was our next stop that day, a photo gallery dedicated to previous conflicts in Vietnam. Jeez, this place was not for the faint hearted but is an essential reminder of the horrors that these people had to endure in four decades of wars, an essential stop lest we forget. But not one that will make you in any happy whatsoever. The pictures are far more graphic illustrations of war then any of us had ever seen before.

On a more cheerful note, during this visit we discovered the Vietnamese institution that is Bia Hoi!! BH is a home brewed pilsner lager first introduced by the Czechs that is popular all over the country. Think of a large scruffy garage, add plastic tables and chairs, a huge tank of beer and some local characters and that is basically your Bia Hoi. Ten times worse than the worst dive back home but so much better. They are really popular with locals and very lively so it's a good place to go see what makes the Vietnamese tick. Plus its ridiculously cheap, we went to one spot where 24 large (about 400 ml) glasses of beer cost us 2 pound 20 pence and it was really good stuff. Some of the others are not so good but at those prices you would be stupid to complain, so if you are in Saigon, head to 325 Vo Van Tan in District 3 for some great beer and excellent food. Take your phrasebook as English is not spoken, we had to point at other peoples food to order but the locals let us try some to suss it out, really friendly, totally excellent.

That was it for our second visit to Saigon, next stop back to Mui Ne Beach for some chillin!

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Photos

Dong Khoi
The Dong Khoi area, hotel continental is where the journalists stayed during the Vietnam War.

Reunification Palace
Stormed by the VC in 1975 and left as it was ever since.

Bia Hoi
Dave, John n Warren feeling the effects of Bia Hoi!

Local Hang Out
The local Bia Hoi in the Dong Khoi area

The Locals
Two guys in the Bia Hoi, didn't speak any English, we don't speak Vietnamese. Lots of toasting.

Home Brew
Beer tank, brewed nearby served in two litre jugs, really really cheap.

Chaos
The crazyness on the roads continues

Linda (aka Mum) n Claire
The girls in the Bia Hoi (garage serving beer)

Beer Hoi
Suspicious looking jugs of pilsner

The Hotel
Thang Long Hotel

Trapdoor
One of the trapdoors at the tunnels, consider that they have been widened for us fat westerners!

Coms Room
At the Cu Chi Tunnels

Comments

[dad]

Thanks for introducing us all to Bia Hoi! great to see you both. love mum and dad