Blogs from Ho Chi Minh City, Southeast, Vietnam, Asia - page 226

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Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City December 28th 2006

So no sooner was I getting to know Cambodia than it was time to leave and head to Vietnam. When I was leaving England, I was very looking forward to visiting Vietnam from everything I had heard and read about. Unfortunately along my travels I had met many people who had very mixed reports about the country and so after being very relaxed and trustworthy of the people of Cambodia and Nepal, I felt that it might be time again to put my guard up a little much like India. My trip to Vietnam from Cambodia on christmas day was a very cheap and good bus journey which lasted just 7 hours courtesy of Capital Tours and hey presto I was slap bang in the middle of Saigon AKA Ho Chi Minh City.No problems. My plan ... read more
Chi Chui Tunnels
B52 Bomber
Destroyed Tank

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City December 28th 2006

Landed in HCMC on Boxing Day, with free upgrade from Cathay Pacific (yahoo!). Had a belated Xmas and family reunion wiith my parents, cousin Chaudie and her folks. Traffic is pretty chaotic, but it's really easy to cross the road once you get used to it. Just keep walking; everyone swerves around you. And the food is bloody magnificent. Have been pigging out on fabbo seafood, pork chops, pho (beef noodles), fruit shakes, fresh fruit and salads, beef cooked 7 ways, and roll-your-own rice paper rolls. Visited the Ben Thanh Markets (great food) and War Remnants Museum (horrific to witness the effects of agent orange on the local populace). Also did a day trip to the Mekong Delta, which was very relaxing. ... read more
Bia Hoa
BBQ pork chops
Rice paper rolls & sugar cane prawns

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City December 25th 2006

We decided to take it easy on this Christmas day, you know, nice relaxing stroll around the botanical gardens, or something. Turns out the gardens are where the zoo is, and despite warnings from guidebooks to avoid the zoo we thought we’d check it out. Much better than expected, most of the animals had reasonable enclosures, and overall it was better than most of the zoos I’ve been to in Japan for example. Little did we suspect the horrors that were to come… We were more interested in Vietnamese animals, but its always interesting to check out the big cats, you know, lions, tigers, jaguars and so on. Passing the tiger cage we noticed that feeding was at 2pm. Jolly good, we’ll check it out after the next cage which happens to be the lions. There ... read more
Strange shapes at the zoo
Bears in the woods
Swinging

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City December 25th 2006

We had Christmas in Vietnam, en route to Cambodia for Peter and Christiana's wedding. Unfortunately all we really had time for in our four days was Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) - so it was just a taster of the delights that the rest of Vietnam has to offer. HCMC was frantic, but fun. We ate noodles, shopped in Ben Thanh market, toured the Reunification Palace (slightly eerie - it's been left just as it was when the tanks rolled in in 1975) and the war remnants museum. The traffic was mayhem - although it's true what they say - if you just walk slowly and purposefully, several hundred mopeds will simply go around you! On Christmas day we took a bus trip to Tay Ninh and the Cu Chi tunnels. Tay Ninh is the site ... read more
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City
Traffic in HCMC

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City December 25th 2006

After an eight hour bus ride, I soon learned that I had become target for remarks against the americans. Scott and Darren loved to inform me how loud and obnoxious americans can be. I also became accustom to a new vocabulary like being tired is knackered (except I can't say it correctly). I do have to admit they are right about a few things, their remarks have stereotyped a few americans I have met along the way. This was all in good fun, and I enjoy learning about our differences with humor. Christmas day was a lazy day for myself. I mainly just wondered around Saigon. Crossing the street was a adventure in of itself. Basically you just start walking into traffic at a constant speed so the moped drivers can predict your moves and go ... read more
Sagion
Christmas Dinner
Darren and Paula

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City December 23rd 2006

Umm, where's the lollypop lady? Our man from the hotel was waiting for us with my name written in large red letters on a piece of cardboard. He swiftly had us bundled into his large modern wagon and on the way to central Ho Chi Minh. We moved into the traffic and were immediately sucked into a snowstorm of whizzing, zooming, buzzing motorcycles and scooters swirling around us. Roads are dominated by these two wheelers; the side of the road nearest the pavement is their territory. Vietnamese drive on the right, and when a car wants to turn right, the driver indicates this by honking the horn while slowly moving into the flow of mopeds. It is up to them to get out of the way. When the driver wants to turn left, across the traffic, ... read more
Confused Traffic
Hanoi Traffic

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City December 23rd 2006

December in Japan means incessant lights, snow, and best of all, time to travel! Jeff and I decided to continue our world tour and head to southern Vietnam and Cambodia for our winter vacation. Unlike last year’s trip to Thailand, NOTHING was planned. Beyond our flight and place to stay in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC and Saigon), we were going to take it as it comes. We ended up with a full non-stop itinerary and I wouldn’t change a moment of our trip. It was phenomenal! Read the next few blogs to see what adventures unfolded…. HCMC Jeff and I flew into HCMC, also referred to as Saigon. Before the Vietnam War when it was known as Saigon. Then after the war when the south lost, it became Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). I assumed ... read more
Casa de Andrew, John and Ryan
Humble Abode
Pham Ngu Lao Road

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City December 23rd 2006

The trip to Cuchi Tunnel was unique and amazing. My family had this last minute plan to go to Vietnam, since it was still the school break for us in Malaysia and Singapore. So, my mother and me, ended up going with my auns, uncles and cousins for vacation together. We decided to go Vietnam because my father's brother has a huge bangalow in Vietnam. It's really big, it is 5 storeys high..it's like a villa. On the first day of our sightseeing, we went to Cuchi Tunnel. The history of it was also amazing too. To summarised the purpose why the chuchi tunnel was built is the Vietnamese had to prevent the Americans to attack then when the Vietnam War had occured, long, long time ago. I went to to the tunnel it was ... read more
Cuchi Tunnel

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City December 22nd 2006

i rolled into saigon with peter, my easy rider, around midday and he managed to get me a room with a bath for a nice discount. after saying our goodbyes, he headed off to the outskirts for a kip before heading back up to Dalat. my initial impression of Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City was not a good one. after spending the past 3 days tear-arsing it around the central highlands without any western influences readibly noticeable, it was quite the shock to once again be confronted with so many motos and the dense smog hanging in the air. some little prick even managed to steal some of my leg hair when we stopped for a red light. i decided i'd stay here for a few days before a border dash on the day my visa expired. ... read more
Museum
mekong kids
the posse

Asia » Vietnam » Southeast » Ho Chi Minh City December 22nd 2006

Just a quick update on my final days in Vietnam! Ill backtrack a bit to Mui Ne. One of my favouritre places so far. Mui Ne is just one roadd with restaurants and hotels. We were told it was wiped out by a typhoon just a couple of weeks beforehand and im not surprised. Im pretty sure engineers were not involved in the planning of Mui Ne as every single property is built just metres from the beach. Whilst this was fantastically convenient for us, heaps of places need sandbags to keep the water out on a clear day! So we spent a much needed 3 days beach bumming, not needing to move far, as our hotel delivered food to us on the beach. The other greatest thing about Mui Ne is the sand dunes, and ... read more
Sand duning!!
Cuchi Tunnels
Mekong Delta




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