We took the easy route after staying a few extra days in Hoi An...we couldn't face an overnight train trip again so paid $60 per head to fly to HCMC arriving at 11 pm.
Day 1 we spent getting our bearings...Ben Thanh Market and The War Remnants Museum. Talk about differences. The markets are famous for pressure selling. Bargaining skills come in extremely handy, as does walking away if you can't agree. We managed to buy M a 'Rolex' which he is impressed with. A few other bits and pieces were also bought but after an hour, it was time to escape.
We went to The War Remnants Museum, arriving to see the yard full of old tanks, anti aircraft guns and helicopters. I thought it would be a bit of propaganda and technical exhibition inside, however I was not prepared for the heart wrenching stories and photographs which took the war from technical to personal, continuing to this day with people who are still suffering the effects of Agent Orange generations later. In a couple of displays I was completely overwhelmed and had to leave to gather myself again. I walked out appreciating my freedom, my family and my good fortune at being born in another country and not in Vietnam of the times. There were uplifting sections where repair and renewal were highlighted which helped.
We are staying in the middle of backpacker central (Pham Ngu Lao Street) and had a lovely dinner on the streets just watching the breadth of humanity pass by - including educating the kids about (and me) about 'lady-men').
Day 2 was a tour of the main temple for the Cao Dai believers at Tay Ninh. We grappled to understand this unique religion - a blend of Buddhism, Taoism with belief that Jesus and Moses are included. Followers pray 4 times a day and it is quite a sight to see, with different colours, music and singing.
After a quick lunch it was on to the Cu Chi tunnels. I think (although I haven't seen written proof) that this is a tourist attraction staged by the political, forces of Vietnam. A very determined path and sequence of experiences extolling the virtues of the guerrillas of Ben Dinh in the Vietnam war. A movie starts the tour and then we visited a series of exhibits....trenches, traps, dressed soldier mannequins, Ho Chi Minh sandal making etc then finally we got to enter 100m of tunnels - with exits every 25m. In two, stages we descended about 10m underground and walked doubled over. My back was scraping the roof and I was stuck behind two girls who kept stopping to take photos...I lasted 25 metres, finding stopping in pitch black in humid cramped conditions quiet uncomfortable. M however went off like a rabbit exploring all the openings on his own with his trusty torch. He ended up helping some of the other tourists find the exit as the lighting extinguished apparently.
We also had the opportunity to purchase bullets to fire a series of guns. We took turns to fire an AK47 at a target. I only fired one bullet to try, while kids got about 6 each. B2 could have happily stood for 30 mins firing constantly. I was happy tonfire one shot - the noise was enough for me. I can't imagine firing one constantly or for extended periods of time without suffering severe hearing problems. B1 and I were both surprised at the lack of recoil.
The bus came back into Saigon at peak hour and that was a sight in itself. The sheer number of motorcycles pouring out of side street onto arterial roads was amazing. The movement of cars and trucks was halting, and motorcycles filled every available space in and around every vehicle. It is absolutely breathtaking - amazement at how such numbers can keep moving at such speed.
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