Ho Chi Minh City - Vietnam 23012008

LOTUSfairy

7 Feb 08, 16:59

I joined my kakis for a free and easy, walkaround at Ho Chi Minh City last month.

It's pretty chaotic at the city and so there wasn't mucg interesting subjects for pics..

only building, people and traffic..traffic ...traffic....

so i walked, sampled every kind of food (almost every kind except the exotic ones), and did snapshots of what i see.

so here are the touristy pics... i will upload them bits by bits...

Good Morning Vietnam !

LOTUSfairy

7 Feb 08, 17:21

Me and my kaki lady buddy reached HCMC (Ho Chi Chinh City) on (Wed), 2 days earlier than our gang of 34 who will only touch down on Frida.

Upon landing at the Airport, we met 1 CHina young working couple and 4 of us decides to go Cu Chi Tunnels (which is north of airport) and near to Cambodian borders.

We negotiated cab fare with a guy (thought he was the taxi driver), agreed on the price and hopped onto his white cab. The Cab to Cu Chi Tunnels and back to our hotel (which is back to airport and further down to reach town) is 1,250,000d.

We are going to pay 1million in currency for cab fare.!

The lonely planet book says 24km..and damned we found out it is 24 km out of the airport premises and we have to travel another 80kg up to Cu Chi town...

The ride was quite oki as we travelled at the villages and vast lands where they plant vege and stuffs.

It took us 1.5 hour to locate Cu Chi Tunnels after going on sandy and muddy roads.

When we reached the Cu Chi Tunnels, and as we paying for the entrance fees, we found that the TOP SIGNAGE "Taxi" is not on our white cab anymore. Our cab has turned into a private car.

LOTUSfairy

7 Feb 08, 17:33

This is a typical hole created by the bomb blast.

Leftover Bomb Shells for display.

The Tour Guide (free) and I crawled this tunnel too. Knocked myself on the head a couple of times as it is very low...must bend low and run foward..

This is one small hole which I did not try. Sure get stuck one.

LOTUSfairy

7 Feb 08, 17:40

There is a temple built there with thousands of names curved on the stone walls to remember the brave civilians/soldiers who fought during the war.

LOTUSfairy

7 Feb 08, 17:43

On our way back to HCMC, going to hotel...we see the native/the locals.

LOTUSfairy

7 Feb 08, 17:45

this is a altar for the deceased...and they are by the roadsides...

if they are "occupied", there will be pics on the altar.

LOTUSfairy

7 Feb 08, 17:51

Back to HCMC, and we got intersepted by the local police (2 policemen and a small bike). The driver tried to beat the red light, we presumed. But it seems to be more than that. We suspected that he has illegal use his car to pose as taxi, (we were the victims, the blur tourists). The policeman was calmed and the cab driver seems to be negotiating something with him. The lady (the other couple) turned around and took a pic of the policeman and cab driver in ......dunno what they doing.

the police guy very angry and scolded the driver. The driver said we shouldnt take pics of them. now he has to shoo us out and get us another cab. he told the other cab driver where we are going. We hopped cab.

the weirdest thing is that the police buddy took the bike and left. the in charge took our white cab and left with driver. wah...

so..it was adventurous indeed. Only a few hours we landed in vietnam, our 1st cab driver kana arrested liao..

the Bear

7 Feb 08, 19:16

surprised they kept the rocket pods.. thought they'd sell them for scrap..

the cu chi are amazing huh?

and i see they put up Uncle Ho on a shrine...

glad you were not kidnapped by the pirate taxi driver though

LOTUSfairy

7 Feb 08, 23:24

Anyone like herbal stuffs? here's some....too bad i cannot bring back ...it's about S$7 per bottle.

LOTUSfairy

7 Feb 08, 23:27

Cream With the Venom ..about S$1.50 per tube.

LOTUSfairy

7 Feb 08, 23:37

Before looking for our hotel, we went to the biggest market Ben Thanh market to look for food..

Rhonda

8 Feb 08, 07:48

Oh wow!! So much "old world" charm! And in the case of the Cu Chi Tunnels, so many reminders of a more sinister history.

The snake venom cream makes me think of one Mandarin phrase - Yi3 Du2 Gong1 Du2. (Use poison to counteract poison).

I love the photo of the temple. So picturesque... so peaceful!

And your caption for the small hole is sooooo funny!!

Thanks for the photos! Really interesting! Any more?

LOTUSfairy

8 Feb 08, 10:23

Hi Rhonda,...

the hole really...once u step in the small hole...your body is like swirl in according to the "curve" and glide down by feel...cannot see since upper part on the top...and crawl to the other end in a very narrow tunnel...no lights...

i dun want get stuck siah..considering i am quite "round". last time, i think the viet are petite and lean and strong...they can do all kinds of moves..

i have more pics...coming coming..:)

LOTUSfairy

8 Feb 08, 10:53

we were walking around.. we cannot find any of the hawker people to speak english.. but suddenly a bubbly young gal came to us and assist us. introduce us to her fav drink store and pho store...so why not...? we settled at the drink store...I ordered cheng teng ($1 with lots of ingredient), my friends ordered ginko nuts drinks (about $1.50 and loads of nuts).

left : Chicken Pho 20,000d (big), right : Beef Pho 15,000d (small),

the black sauce is sweet sauce and the red one is chilli.

the chopped chilli very very hot...and the vege goes into the food.

and not too chop head ..oki lah..

there I am ...slurping away...hungry !!

the Bear

8 Feb 08, 10:58

i miss pho..

but what i do with the basil is bruise them up by wringing them and putting that in the soup.. stir it around a bit..

i don't eat it..

add some fish sauce, lots of sprouts, generous squeeze of lemon, some fried chilli...

mundo delish

LOTUSfairy

8 Feb 08, 10:59

Still at the biggest market at HCMC...Ben Thanh Market... we se these stalls.

LOTUSfairy

8 Feb 08, 11:02

LOTUSfairy

8 Feb 08, 11:05

While walking from Ben Thanh Market to my hotel (which is only 2 streets) away, I had the best time of my life...cross the road of HCMC..and I am glad that I am still alive.

LOTUSfairy

8 Feb 08, 11:07

CarPark Attendents

LOTUSfairy

8 Feb 08, 11:09

My friend joined them dancing and exercise at the mini park by the roadsides.

LOTUSfairy

8 Feb 08, 11:12

I had many many coconuts..and the juice is so yummy...

only 5,000d (~S$0.50 each)

and i forgot to buy the lantern back...

LOTUSfairy

8 Feb 08, 11:26

actually i am quite "lucky" there on the 1st day...cos at night, once i stepped into the bazzar nite stalls outside the market, i see people running with their carts and a lot of ruffl-ing... hmm..what happened...then i realised RAIDING !!!

Hawkers kana checked, questioned. carts being confiscated and towed away, people running away... chaos siah..

I hmanaged to take only some pics while holding onto the camera and pretend act blur.......cos the officials alooking at me ...they are not very friendly leh... and some of them are erhemm...smoking with their uniforms in the very view of the public...re

The locals seemed to be very scared of them leh.. i stopped taking pictures before i landed up 5days4nites at the "standard room at their lock-ups".

LOTUSfairy

8 Feb 08, 11:47

Still on Day, Hungry again...it's Dinner Time.. Went to the roadside stall next to Ben Thanh Market. Saw a kid with mom eating some delicious Pho...we joined it.

The stall owner demanded for 30,000d for each bowl. I said : No..i stay here long long, big bowl only 20,000d. (I lied without blinking my eyes)...

He smiled and nod his head and ask us to sit... hehehe..deal..

to our amazement, our food arrive, BIG BOWL WITH LOTS OF MEAT, VEGE AND EVERYTHING..

and they are really delicious... what a bargain..