Ho Chi Minh City (3-6 January)

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We cleared customs in Darwin without any dramas and hopped on the 5-hour Jetstar flight to Ho Chi Ming City (Saigon), arriving around 9:30 pm. We had a booking for 4 nights at the An An hotel in District 1 and so were centrally located. The 'family room' was really just a 'deluxe' room (queen and single beds) with an extra single mattress on the floor.

On our first day there, we decided to see some of the sights of Ho Chi Minh, including getting ripped off by a taxi driver on the way to the War Remnants Museum (which was an eye opener for Annelies and Thomas), visited the Notre Dame Cathedral and Post Office, went for a ride on a cyclo (ripped off again!), and dodged the traffic on our walk back to the hotel. On another day we walked along the river and visited Vietnam-Quilts where we purchased a hand made quilt for Annelies. Annelies chose the colours as it still had to be made and then sent back home. It was quite expensive but for a good cause and of high quality.

Most of the time we spent in Ho Chi Minh was spent shopping and sampling the local cusine. We generally ate Vietnamese food at street-side 'cafes' and restaurants, but also ate at Indian and Italian restaurants.

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Photos

Annelies
Looking sombre after our visit to the War Remnants Museum

Tiger Cages
Used by South Vietnamese military to house Viet Cong prisoners

Guillotine
Used by the French on Viet Minh 'troublemakers'

Motorbike traffic
Who needs a truck - it's amazing what can be transported on a motorbike.

Ho Chi Minh traffic
Note power lines in background