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We arrived back in Saigon at 6am and got a taxi back to Yellow House hostel to see if we could book back into the dorm. Big dorm full but there was a three bedroom dorm with two beds available so took these for the night. Booked straight onto Cu Chi tunnels tour since we were up and ready to go this time!! On way to the tunnels we stopped at a arts and furniture factory which employs people effected by Agent Orange which the Americans used in the war. Really shocking to see the impacts this is still having on peoples lives now as the effects continue to be passed on. From here we went onto the tunnels and saw here the means and devices used by the VC during the war. Some real nasty looking traps were on display but the tunnels, which I did manage to crawl through (I say crawl for me being Asian build meant I could squat and walk them), were really impressive. Daz on other hand was not prepared to venture down them for fear of getting stuck. These tunnels had however been opened up for public viewing so can not begin to imagine what they were like when in use. Very dark and no idea where going just keep following it round!! Also climbed into one of original entrance holes to tunnels and this was a tight squeeze and also very muddy as had just been raining!!! After this we went to firing range where I blasted off a few rounds on an AK47 and Daz with an M60 machine gun.... Really good fun and very very noisy, proper John Rambo style.
Once back in Hostel met a guy in room called Steve from Bournemouth who was in Saigon for a month doing a teaching course, went out for few drinks and food with him and also an American from tour called Kate and Kyla (Canadian) who we bumped into in street and we originally had met on Boat trip in Nha Trang. Her friend did not join us since she had fallen off a motorbike the previous day and was nursing her wounds. The dangers of motorbikes on roads here were clearly evident with an accident being witnessed almost everyday!!!
Whilst in Vietnam I got confirmation from Andy in UK that he had booked his flights out to OZ to come and join me on the final 3/4 months of my trip. He was not arriving until late August so decided I would hang about in Asia longer then originally anticpated so as to arrive in OZ at same time as him. After spending a couple days in Saigon I decided since I liked it so much to hang around here for a while and decided whilst here I may as well have some Vietnamese lessons. I found a place at a Cafe which offered lessons and hired a motorbike along with Daz to go and locate the place. Daz got a twist and go and me a 4 speed little 100cc demon of a bike!! No further then 20 metres down road and I had lost Daz I proceeded on riding around and before I knew it I was in an unfamiliar part of city. I spent next hour or so riding about looking at map trying to find way back but roads are so crazy it was impossible. I kept asking other motorists and they would tell me to follow them for some of the way and then where they have to turn off they would point me in general direction. I eventually made my way back to Bui Vien street and had recevied a message from Daz to tell me in restaurant. Went and found him and had a sleep here for couple hours (oh yeah I forgot to mention it had been another late night and in all honesty probably shouldn't have hired bikes but the roads and traffic soon sobered me up anyway, smacked wrists for me!!). After my power nap we headed off on bikes and managed to keep together this time. Found cafe and booked my first lesson for a couple days time, we then headed back to hostel and hit 5pm rush hour traffic, if I thought it had been manic earlier it was nothing compared to what we encountered here!!!Had a couple days of visting markets and a chill out day for Darrens last day. Went out that evening to the old regualr restaurant of Hoa Mai, followed by drinks in Appocolypse Now (seedy little night club). Guy from Hostel called Anthony (from Portsmouth), Becky (Southampton), Steve (yes we all Southerners and clearly like to stick together!!!!) and Josh (from Somerset), all from Hostel headed out with us. Very very late night and after getting to bed in late hours of morning we then got up after one hours sleep and went with Becky to a local Orphange. Bought this springy device that looks like a shuttle c*** with spring in it and all Vietnamese use them to do 'keep em ups' Spent good couple hours with kids at Orphange playing this and they make it look so easy I was totally exhausted by end of it!! After thisI headed to my first lesson and met my teacher called Lin. Really friendly lady who could speak many languages and was fluent in Vietnamese, English and French (clever lady she certainly was!!). After setting up a schedule whereby I would be undertaking 6 lessons a week for 2 hours a day (well need something to keep me occupied in days and stimulate my brain, yes I do still have one functioning) she was straight into speking Vietnamese which for somebody who knows only a few words was not an easy task. Got back met Daz and went to local for food and farewell drink. Absolutley gutted he is now heading home as had such a great 3 weeks travelling with him and familiar company once again had been welcomed. Still I suppose worse for him since he was heading home, at least I was still going to be on the road travelling!!! Spent next few days having lessons and trying (very badly) to communicate with locals around by hostel. Met up with Steve a few times and his class mates and also nights out with Anthony who ended up haging around Saigon for 3 weeks.
I ended up spending virtually a month in Saigon and it was a really cool place to hang about I found everybody to be so friendly and the locals helped me with my lessons. There was one chap who worked at local coffee shop and when he saw me with books just before I was heading to lesson he said he wanted to help me pratice. I met him couple days later for a fruit juice and he helped me practice my dialect and I helped him do his English homework (some of which I was unable to do....... Some translations just did not make sense, or maybe my brain had just been in shutdown mode for too long!!!).
In the time spent here I paid another visit to the waterpark with Steve, Anthony and Yuki from local restaurant. Was not anywhere near as busy as last time but this meant no queues so all had great fun.
After one of my lessons Yuki's friend Ngoc (who had been out a few times with us for drinks) picked me up from my lesson and told me that Yuki gran had died. Saw Yuki and she wanted me and Anthony to go back to her family home with her and her sister Poon (who also worked in restaurant). Thought this was a little bit weird given the formalties etc I am used to for funerals in England. However since she had asked and I also thought it would be interesting way of seeing a real Vietnamese village with locals agreed to go. I rode Ngoc bike and Anthony and Yuki hired a bike. Couple hours of riding and ended up out at the village (which to this day I still do not know name of, must try and find out!). Once here we were all greeted by all family with glass after glass of iced vietnamese tea and bowl after bowl of food. They must think Im fat or something the way mine and Anthonys bowls were constantly topped up....... Her grans body was still on bed in house where we were sitting outside. After Yuki and Poon had been in to see her it was then transferred to a coffin and drums began to play. Very very accomodating family who could speak know English but had Yuki translating for us. We went and saw her family house after this and was tiny modest little place, and you really do get an idea of how a lot of Vietnamese live out in farming areas. Went and booked into hotel in area then headed back next morning where we were once again greeted by tea, even more food and this time local rice wine (for those who do not know this is a potent local brew which is drunk by many vietnamese presumably due to its cheapness). Not sure about rice wine at 9am but rude to turn down, however after third one I did have to decline since I was riding motorbike back to Saigon that morning as I had lesson to attend (look at that on travels and stil have appointments I feel I have to keep!!). Managed to get back in an hour this time and saw the nasty remains of bike accident on way (I did say I saw one almost everyday in that month spent here).
Next couple weeks in Saigon was spent going to lessons, wandering streets aimlessly and chatting to locals to practice. Met plenty of people coming in and out of dorm rooms and would end up going out every night with who ever had turned up that day in dorm. Really good fun and nice to be stationary again for a bit as I was going to have a lot of travelling about over next month or so heading through Cambodia and Laos. One night while I was sat outside a reatuarant the dodgy wiring (and trust me all wiring in Asia is dodgy) caught fire above one of the shops. Slowly one by one all street lighthing and electricity went out until complete darkness was upon us. About 30 mins later a couple guys on a motorbike turn up one riding it the other on back clutching a host of tools. One guy then clibms up telgraph pole with a couple tools while the other stands at bottom and shines a little fisher price torch up to the area of the fire (which had since burnt out in a big ploom of smoke which was sent down across all the bars and restaurants below). This guy up pole then proceeded to do his thing under the light of a tiny torch from below and 10 mins later bang power back oin. Fantastic, back home that would of taken couple of days of reporting, assesment, form filling and finally an engineer dispatched. Here 1 hour and your back in business, love it.
After 3 weeks in Saigon Anthony decided it was time to head out and on his last night myself, Yuki, Ngoc and him all went to a Karaoke bar. You get given your own room and a song menu together with a crate of beer and a bottle opener!!. This song menue had hundreds of songs in it and that was just the english ones, there was another one full of Vietnames songs!!!! My god the Asians love thier Karaoke.......... After bashing out a couple classics like YMCA and Hotel Calafornia and after a few beers we headed back to hostels. Great fun.
Got a bus to Vung Tau (couple hours away from Saigon) a few days later with an Irish girl met in Hostel, and we went and chilled out for a few hours on the beach here. Nice to get away from bustle of a city for a day and since not so much English spoken here gave me a really good opportunity to practice my Vietnames some more and actually had some conversations with a couple locals, amazing I did actually learn something after all!!!
Week later and I decided to head off in direction of Cambodia. Steve had finished his course and passed so was now a legitimate English teacher in foreign countries. He to was planning to head to Cambodia so we booked onto a bus to Phenom Penh and headed out of Saigon on 7th June. Sad to leave Vietnam behind (not sure what it was aobut Nam but I really did love it here and could deffinatley see myself coming back at some point in future), but also looking forward to embarking on a new country. Had my final lesson with Lin and she insisted I return to continue my lessons. Said farewell to everybody who I had become friends with in my time here and next day jumped on the bus with Steve for next part of Journey into Cambodia.
Realise all the above is a bit hit and miss and randomly written down, but was a while ago now and a motnh spent in one place makes for writing about it a little difficult. Anyway next stop Phenom Penh see you on the other side.
Hen Gap Lai (see you again) (just showing off now,haha)
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