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We have moved on from Cambodia to Vietnam and the frenetic pace and heat of Hoi Chi Minh City followed by the more gentle pace in Hoi An.
We only spent 2 days in HCM City but it felt longer. I guess that it is no worse than other big Asian cities, but it came as a bit of a shock after New Zealand and Siem Reap. The streets are continually full of thousands of vehicles, mostly motorbikes, and probably the most memorable thing about the place will be the experience of crossing the road. You just have to lanch yourself into the line of traffic and they will drive around you (mustn't try this at home!)
Visited the Vietcong tunnels at Chu Chi, and had the experience of squeezing down the holes and tunnels they used in the war against the Americans.
We have now flown up the coast to the historic port of Hoi An, which is now famous for the shopping- it is full of shops offering good quality clothing and shoes which can be made to measure in 24 hours. The town is well-preserved, almost to the extent that it feels as if it was manufactured for the tourists.
The food has generally been excellent, with all the ingredients, especially the fish and vegetables being very fresh. The only problem is that eating a large lunch and dinner in restaurants every day is hard going! Several on our group had a cookery class yesterday morning where we learnt how to cook several Vietnamese dishes, including spring rolls and steamed fish in banana leaves. It was worth it just for the entertainment provided by the teacher, who had us in fits of laughter.
Today, we are bussing up to Hue, an ancient imperial city.
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