Vietnam

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Ho Chi Minh City (still referred to as Saigon) is certainly the busiest place we have visited so far. On the first morning we booked a guided tour of some of the historic highlights. The temperature is in the mid 30's here so it was worth being taken from one place to another in an air conditioned mini bus! We visited the Reunification Palace, the original had been built in an elegant french colonial style but was replaced by a very utilitarian building and a lot of the rooms have a typical 1970's style. We were also taken to the war remnants museum which provided quite a powerful record of the Vietnam War, or the American war as they call it here, using images taken by American war journalists accompanied by some very biased labelling. The guide told us that the Vietnamese people are keen to look forward and they are not happy with the communist government. In fact he was hoping that the new leader due to be appointed was the one who wants to work more closely with the USA and not the one who wants closer ties to China. He seemed to have quite revolutionary views and was very vociferous about the exploitation of the poorer people.

We also had the same guide for a day trip to the Mekong Delta. It took about 2 hours to reach Cai Be where we went on a motorised boat up river then were transferred into smaller, ancient looking sampans in groups of 4. A young dutch couple drew the short straw and they helped with the rowing once we got going along a narrow canal, surrounded by mud and bamboo. Chris and I were at the front of the boat and there were several occasions when we ran aground and had to wait forward other boats to get out of the way. There was no way I was going to get out of the boat to push as someone ahead of us did! Eventually we came back to the river and rejoined the motor boat. When we arrived in Cai Be we didn't really see the floating market that takes place there as all the sellers were back on their houseboats. You need to be there by 7.00 to see more activity but it was a fascinating river trip anyway. Some of the buildings alongside the river seem to be hanging on by their fingertips! We pulled up alongside a lady selling coconut drinks from her boat and then visited the town on an island where they make sweets from coconut, ginger and other local ingredients. There were all sorts of foods being made in the workshop and we enjoyed sampling them all.. Before we had lunch 6 of our group went on a bike ride with our guide along the canal paths and through the town then before we knew it we found ourselves riding through the local market, dodging the low level canopies that provided the roof and avoiding sellers and customers. It felt like a scene from a James Bond movie and I have no photos as I didn't dare take my hands off the handle bars! Before we could eat lunch, we all had a go at making our own pancakes which were just a small part of a very substantial lunch! A fantastic day out!

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Comments

[Maureen Riley]

the roofs at Danang
A ridiculous but telling juxtaposition on my computer screen your beautiful photo of the ornate pagoda roofs , below an advertisement for guttering repairs! Life is so strange. I am really hoping that when you return we can all have lessons in making rice paper wraps and Vietnamese pancakes and other culinary delights.