Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon, is another big
city, not too different from the many other big cities we've seen in
east Asia. But they put on a pretty good welcome for ASEAN
(Association of South East Asian Nations) tourists... not American
tourists, our waitress was keen to point out. This is a picture of
a dance with dragons that was part of that welcome. Don't tell
anyone we're not from an ASEAN nation.
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Traffic in Saigon. The main flow of
traffic is on the right hand side of the road here, but don't take that
rule too seriously. Traffic rules like that are mere suggestions.
And it moves a bit faster here than in Phnom Penh, so it is extra
scary. Crossing the street is a leap of faith. Our guide
estimated that there were between 30 and 50 traffic fatalities every day
in Saigon.
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On a day trip from Ho Chi Minh City, we visit
the Cu Chi Tunnels where Viet Cong successfully fought off the Americans
for years. This is a model of the tunnels with the different
levels. I think the exit to the Mekong river at the right of the
picture is the coolest. The opening to the tunnel is covered by
the river during the day when the tide is in, but is open at night.
People lived in these tunnels for years. We crawl around in
a reconstructed section of tunnel.
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| Also out of Ho Chi Minh City was our
three-day Mekong Delta tour. That was a series of bus and boat
rides through the fertile and flood-prone southern tip of Vietnam.
At one point we came within a kilometer of the Cambodian border. |
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| I don't have too many
photos of this trip because I got soaked by the rain on more than one
occasion and my camera shut down from the damp. Here I am coming to
terms with the inevitability of wetness. |
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After we dried out, we caught a bus north to
the mountainous city of Da Lat. This was a refreshing change from
the humidity. But it was still a bit too warm to wear sweaters and
stocking hats like all the natives were wearing. Come on!
it's only 75 degrees. Da Lat is popular with honeymooners
and really caters to the cutesy.
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Also in Dalat, we run into
friends we met on the Mekong Delta tour and have a lovely meal of hot
pot dishes.
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Here's a scene from the drive from Da Lat to
our next destination: Nha Trang. The busses have been a fine
method of travel: cheap, air conditioned, and not too crowded.
The other land travel option is the train, which costs a great
deal more and goes a lot slower. Still I hope to do a leg by train
soon after Nha Trang.
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Another stop along the way to Nha Trang.
This is a Cham temple that looks a bit like the temples at Angkor
Wat, if you squint your eyes.
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Ahh, Nha Trang. A beach resort town.
Lots of diving, snorkeling, and swimming. We take a boat
tour to some of the islands nearby. The South China Sea is very
pleasant to swim in, but there are too many stinging jellyfish to spend
much time in the water. Still, we snorkel a bit and see some
tropical fish. (When no one is watching, I pee in the South China
Sea.)
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On the island tour, we stop at a fishing
village where everyone uses these basket boats. They can really
cruise around with their fancy rowing technique.
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