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After 8 weeks in Malaysia we were happ to land in another country, not because we didnt like Malaysia, we loved it, we were happy to move on to see new people, cultures and experience different landscapes.
On landing in Ho Chi Minh otherwise known as Saigon prior to Ho Chi Minh's death but still called Saigon by the older Vietnamise generation we jumped in our taxi to Madame Cuc hotel right in the center of Saigon. On driing through Saigon we were acutly aware of just how different this place was to other countrys we had just travelled. NUTS is the only work that can come close to descibing wat it was like, Imagine London City centre on speed with 3 million mopeds whipping around, I think you start to getthepicture. We drove through the city to the hotel to meet with Matt and friend from Stowmarket in sheer amazment at theamountofmopeds there were. Arrivng at the hotel it was a little strange to see someone from backhome stood in reception on the other side of the world and in Vietnam. Rach also realised she knew him once she saw him as she used cut his hair in the Salon in which she worked. It just goes to show how small the world is when you meet someone in Vietnam whos hair you cut back home! We put our things in our room and went straight out for something to eat and a few drinks just down the road from the hotel.
The next day we all got a boat 2hrs up the Mekong Deltato see the Cu Chi Tunnels which are a network of connecting underground tunnels located in the Cu Chi district of Ho Chi Minh City. The tunnels were used by NLF Guerrillas as hiding spots during combat, as well as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weapon caches and living quarters for numerous guerrilla fighters.We had a guide show us dopwn one of the tunnels in which have been made bigger for us huge Europeans. Rach was ok saying that she felt "Right at home in these little tunnels" but Mat being 6ft4 had a slightly tougher timetrying to negotiate them. We all made it out in one peice however if not a little muddy.
The day after some bright spark (Matt) thought it would be a good idea to do abit of sight seeing on the bac of one of thse mentlist mopeds. After much pursuation we all wen out to see various Pagodas (temples) around the city and to a Chinese Market. We hopped on the back of our bike whilst Rach was still fiddling around with her helmet and asking "Is anyone scared, are you scared (looking at me), are you scared (looking at Matt), and are you scared (looking at her driver who had beeing doing this job fr over 20 years)" tg to get on the bike ad say "coz im everso scared" the truth was we well all bloody scared especially seeing as when we all about to get on the bikes we saw a truck run over a man on a Moped and watched all the locals run to lift the van to lift the man ot from underneath it! You dont need to see that wen your already slightly fearing for your safety amoungst the other 3million motor bike on the roads. We set off down the road all looking petrified nd this was justifed once we got on the busyier roads as we were under & over taking, cutting up buses, driving on the wrong sde of the road, clipping wing mirrors of cars and ducking and diving inbetween cars & lorrys. Thankfully we made it back in one piece from our mentle sightseeing trip. That night we took a walk down to a nearby land market where me and Rach brought a few bits and then made our way back to the hotel. We all stopped to take a picture of all the mopeds that were waiting at a set of traffic lights as tere was over 100 waiting for the green light! I had taken my picture and then about to put my camera back in my bag when a young man and ladie drove past on a moped at full speed and the lady reached out and grabbed my camera, thank the lord I reacted quick enough and held on fo that Canon for dear bloody life. My whole bod swung around as I gripped onto the camera and the bike went round the corner, with me still holding on my arm felt like it was going to come out of its socket and my body reached forward following the bike. At this point my camera case detatched itself from the rest o the camera and I was left with the camera. I looked up at the lady on the bike, she looked down at what she had in her hand, that being just a $2 pink camera case, looked back at me and with tat they sped off. I wish I had ee quick enogh to shout "F**king unlucky, you stupid old bat" bt I was just in shock that Id managed to keep a hold of my camera. With this litte saga over I trotted back to the Hotel with my tail in the air very happy i'd beaten the low life that tried to do me a kipper!!
The Following day I went to the War Remnants Museum to find out abit more about the Vietnam War. It was pretty tough going with very graphic photographs of rphaned children sat on the floor watt being shot before watching the Americans walk away leaving them to starve to death or be hit by Napalm, Falimys begging not to be shot, Deformed children as a result of Agent Orange and dead soldiers. Anyone who went to thatnd didnt get a tear in their eye woule have to be dead inside.
The next day we all went to the Mekong Delta on a 2 day trip to see local villages & water markets. This is where we saw the real Vietnam and realised that the Vietnamise are such happy, forgiving, funloving people who welcome tourists with open arms and are happy to talk about their life and experiences. We visited a Rice Making factory, a VERY local market, where they were selling whole pig heads and live fish etc & a little place on te shore of the Mekong Delta where we saw Coconut Candy made from start to finish along with Rice Paper. This litle shop/factory whouldbe where me and Rach would first sample sanke wine! It is as it says on the tin. Its wine that has been femented in a jar full of snakes andon closer inspection we also noted a bloody great bird in there aswell! It was bloody horrible but hey, we havnt come travelling eat,drink and live as we would in Stowmarket, Right? Well thats what I keep having to tell myself! We spent the night in a lovely hotel in a local town and the next day headed off to see another floating market bfore heading Back to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).
On arrival back we booked up our bus which would take us 7 hours North & inland to a place called Dalat.
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