Fantastic Days in HCMC
Trip Start
May 30, 2007
1
21
41
Trip End
Aug 21, 2007
Ho Chi Minh City,
Vietnam
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Well I have been wanting to write for a couple days now but I get home quite exhausted and the machines are usually occupied. Let me start by saying the traffic and constant movement in HCMC is absoluletly out of this world. It makes NYC look like Franklin NH. There are soo many people and Scooters at any given time it truly never stops. Not only that but there are no apparent traffic rules and despite the apparent chaos traffic is very orderly. You do see everything on the road, from bicylces, to rickshaws, to large trucks, all going in their own direction and usually a few horns reminding you that someone is behind you. people do not get upset by otehrs driving, its simply maneuvering around everytihng in the road including pedestrians. In addition to the streets being frantically run by everything possible, the sidewalks are also dynamic in activity. You see everything from pedicures to people seeling guinea pigs, rabbits and dogs from of course, the cages welded on the back of a bike
AK47
. Every space available is either a restaurant or shop and there are lots of people at them at all times. Two days ago, my first full day here i decided to do some touring on the back of a scooter. I found a guy rather quickly considering the all are outside waiting and for 1 dollar he took me to the reunification palace where the President's resided. This is the place that was first built by the French during their occupation and is most famously known for being where the tanks crashed through the gates to Liberate Saigon ending the Vietnam or American War. Also, its is liberation of Saigon but in teh states we would refer this to the fall of Saigon. Anyway, there is soo much history told here in the city, but obviously from the perspective of the Vietnamese. After this I found a rickshaw or Cyclo and had a full day tour on this old bike with a very nice older man who spoke a spattering of English. He took me everywhere, from Pagodas or temples to the War remnants museum, formerly known as the War Crimes Museum. Basically, this museum shows all the atrocities suffered by the vietnamese by the French and American wars. This was truly a depressing experiences as they spare nothing in showing you the graphic nature of war, including full term-fetuses in formaldyhyde to show the effects of agent orange on children.
The next day or yesterday, I went to the Cu chi Tunnels, which were used by the Cu Chi Guerillas during the war. This is an elaborate system of tunnels that goes 250km and has many layers, entrances and rooms. I crawled through about 50 m in what they claim are expanded tunnels to accomodate tourists, but they are still rather small. During this tour my guide showed me the different booby traps used, how they cooked underground and sent the smoke about 200m away, and I even got to shoot an AK47
Cu chi Tunnels
. After the tunnels we drove (I forgot to say, my Rickshaw guide hired a cab and took my all day in a car) to Mekong Delta. This is south of HCMC and I was taken around the small islands around the river. We stopped at an island for lunch were I was offered to select my cobra of choice and watch and photograph them kill the cobra so I could then eat. I was also offered snake wine Boa and Cobra (basically snakes are placed in big jars of rice wine to ferment) and to quote the locals, "it will make you strong and your girlfriend like". ;)
Today I had a relatively calm day, riding around the back of a scooter with my trusty guide again, having more Pho Bo or beef noodle soup and dodging as many moving objects as possible. The funny thing is, even though the movement is constant and chaotic, i felt safe and although there were many close calls or encounters, I never felt like we would crash. Also, noone wears helmets either, but they are requiered on the freeway, where you see some but not everyone wearing them. But incase you need one, no worries, there are plenty of vendors on the side of the freeway selling either real helmets or construction helmets that also appear to qualify. There is so much to tell, but let me post some pics for now.
Comments
Rambo!
Dude, you look like Rambo!
Dude.
Trips me out that you're STILL TRAVELING.
And that you ate kangaroo. And cobra.
This is what, your fourth continent in a month?
Me, jealous.
Travel on!