On arrival in Vietnam we were suddenly awakened from our relaxation by the craziness that is Ho Chi Minh city. The drive from the airport to the hotel was a brilliant way to jolt us into the reality of where we were to spend our next five days. Ho Chi Minh has an average of 1.2 motorbikes and scooters per person. I think at least half of those are on the road at all times. There appear to be no rules on the road, everyone weaves in and out, goes through red lights, sometimes with a whole family on one bike! Intersections are chaotic and everybody just hoots, even though there is no where to go. Crossing the road on foot is an experience. You wait until the large vehicles have passed then just slowly step out into the road in front on the stream of bikes and miraculously they weave around you and somehow you make it to the other side!!
Our hotel for the next few days was lovely, situated right in the busy backpackers area which was interesting but inside was a lovely clean haven with all we needed.
Once we stepped out of the hotel there was plenty to see and lots of places to eat and drink. Street vendors cook on the side of the road and bicyles and motorbikes ride up and down peddling their wares as well as ladies carrying two baskets suspended between a long pole which is carried over their shoulder.
We decided to play it safe and ate at one of the many restaurants which spill out onto the pavements. The food was delicious and all freshly cooked - very like the Thai food but not as spicy and was all washed down with fresh coconut juice which is served ice cold directly from the shell.
We spent the first day getting used to the area and the next day we booked a trip out of town - to the Cao Dai temple and the Cu Chi tunnels. The drive out of town was fascinating - past markets selling everything such as huge stone buddhas, goldfish in plastic bags and assorted food with fruit and vegetables we didn't recognise!
We arrived at the temple in time for the midday service and we quietly ushered to the back of the temple where we were lucky to be able to watch the service where white robed people shuffled in to beautiful haunting singing. Every time a dong sounded they all bowed in unison. The strong smell of incense, the chanting of the monks, the singing of the choir upstairs and the sight of orderly rows of white robes praying was a very special experience. The temple was beautifully adorned with colourful pillars with dragons, dogs, snakes etc. CaoDai is Vietnams largest religion, and is a fusion of Taoism, Buddism, Confucianism with elements of Christianity and Islam.
Within the temple, males must enter on the right and females to the left and shoes must be removed before entering the massive hall. Once you step into the temple you seem to be removed from the hustle and bustle of the outside world and placed into a world of calmness, peace and colour.
We then had a stop for lunch before arriving at the Cu Chi tunnels - an underground base in the American-Vietnam war. There a guide explained to us how the Vietnamese people lived and fought in the 250km of tunnel warrens and it was incredible to see how narrow, hot and humid the tunnels were and the methods they used to hide.
The next day we booked another tour which included a water puppet theatre, cyclo ride and a dinner cruise.
A taxi took us to the nearby water puppet theatre where we watched an enchanting 45 minute show. The puppeteers stand waist deep in the water behind a curtain and from there they operate the various puppets. It is a musical show and the singing narrative and music is provided by 6 musicians who sit on either side of the water playing ancient traditional vietnamese instruments which are unlike any we have seen before. The story was sung in Vietnamese but seemed to tell the story of vietnamese legends involving dragons, birds, boats and fishermen. A very cute and entertaining show, all taking place in a little old theatre.
We then got on a 'cyclo' for the fun trip to the river and the dinner boat. A cyclo is a bicycle with a seat on the front where the passenger sits. The journey across town was quite an experience. The crazy traffic is bad enough when you are in a taxi but on a bike it is hair raising to say the least! We were ridden down the avenues which are decorated with beautiful lights and flowers and once we relaxed into the journey it was magical! We were taken through a different part of town where the streets are lined with designer stores,
opera house and five star hotels.
We arrived at the boat where we boarded and set sail down the river while we enjoyed a lovely traditional vietnamese dinner and entertainment provided by singers and dancers. From the river it was lovely to see all the little fishing boats and the lights of the city on the bank. The boat was an old wooden boat beautifully decorated with hundreds of lanterns.
Next day we explored Ben Thanh market which was another new experience. Narrow little passages divide stalls laden with clothes, jewellery, souveniers, fish, vegetables, flowers and numerous stalls cooking and selling food. We wandered up and down the aisles and the sights, sounds and especially smells were quite overwhelming.
The next day we left our hotel and moved to a different hotel where we would join our tour for the next 22 days. We met our tour guide Charin, a wonderful man from Thailand and the rest of our group of 16 from all over the world. That evening we all went to a nearby vietnamese restaurant for dinner and to get to know each other before wandering around the night market.
On Tuesday we had a few options to join the group but as we had already been to the tunnels we spent our last day in Ho Chi Minh exploring a different part of town and then packing our bags ready for our next destination.
That night, backpacks on, we joined the rest of the group and all boarded a train for our overnight journey to Nah Trang. It had been years since I had been on an overnight train and it was just like the trains we used to travel on in South Africa over 25 years ago. It was a great nostalgic experience, although I didn't manage to sleep a wink, partly because of the noise of people up and down the corridors but also because I was excited at what lay ahead!!
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