Island and Hello Vietnam

Oh oh, sorry for the long blog break but we either had no wifi or no time. So after the Killing Fields we took a bus to the port, which is considered one of the major stops in Southeast Asia for Chinese tourists. We took a boat for 2 hours to a small island where most residents are fishermen.

The island (name = Kho Rong) was fantastic. So fantastic that Ed Sheeran spent his vacation on the neighboring island. However, he paid about 4,500 Swiss francs more per night than us (there were long discussions about that and it was a big deal for the locals). The plan was to relax, soak up the sun, swim, snorkel, and so on. But that didn't happen because it rained practically non-stop. Instead, we walked around and drank rice whiskey in the village. You couldn't go wrong with the drinks at the hotel bar either (name of the cocktail = 'Can't Kho Rong'). Despite the rain, we really enjoyed it.

Then we went to a village on the mainland and stayed with local families. It was basic: 3cm mattress on the floor, fan and mosquito net, one toilet for everyone. We also saw stalactites (mode of transport = tractor trailer). Afterwards, we made bamboo bracelets ourselves and played a Cambodian drinking game: Take the head of a dead chicken, spin it on a frying pan lid, and whoever the chicken looks at has to drink.

The next morning we continued at inhuman times (5am). We drove very long by bus to the Vietnamese border. It was complicated there (especially because Jimmie the chill guy had the visa issued for a different date) and we had to wait in line for a long time and then walk across the border in the rain with all our luggage. When that was finally done, we continued to Ho Chi Minh City and arrived after 5pm. Then we fell into a travel hole. On the one hand, we were completely exhausted, had a lack of sleep, the heat was a strain on us, not to mention the stomach and intestinal problems,... In addition, I (=Barbara), who has an extreme fear of rats, saw about 20 rats within 200 meters. Shaking and with tears in my eyes, it was difficult for me to leave the hotel again. In addition, the train we wanted to take was suddenly full, and we had to book complicated tickets in second class through an 'incredibly reputable' street agency. Second class means 6 people in a tiny compartment, on hard mattresses in a very very cramped space. Then most ATMs didn't work, and that was the last straw for us.

This morning we woke up (with a slightly better feeling) and visited the Cu Chi Tunnel, where we learned about the Vietnam War. Our guide was a veteran who fought against North Korea or served as a translator for the Americans. This gave us unique insights and many authentic war stories. The tunnels were used by the Viet Cong (communists). They hid there, set traps for the Americans, and mingled with the people, so you didn't know who was Viet Cong and who was not. They also knew the jungle much better. The guide said that the victory of the North Vietnamese had actually been quite clear early on. We then climbed into holes they used to hide and into part of the tunnel. The tunnel was very very narrow, so Barbara only made it 20 meters, but Nathu made it all the way through the full 100 meters (even though he almost got stuck because his upper body didn't fit). After the tour, we went to a market.

Now we're already on the train to Hoi An. It's less bad than we imagined. However, there are some details that are not ideal: the rooms are freezing cold (air conditioning, not because it's cold here), climbing up to our bed (the top one, i.e. the third bed) is truly an art, the train is veeeery damn loud, we encounter a cockroach every two seconds. And since we can't sit on our bed (way too little space), we are in the train restaurant, where locals seem to argue with the train noises about who can be louder. That's it for today, tomorrow we'll continue.