Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City is named after the revolutionary leader who led North Vietnam to victory against the Americans.

The city is totally different from Hanoi. It is more modern and, in my opinion, more touristy than Hanoi. Hanoi has a beautiful old town and you almost have to walk through the different streets where there are only metalworkers, paint shops, flower shops, etc. We missed that a little bit in Ho Chi Minh City, as the center mainly had stores for tourists. But the traffic, it's just as crazy.

Fortunately, we took a Free Chinatown Walking Tour with Ground to Sky Tours one afternoon. Sky is a young Vietnamese graduate who started his own business. He took us to places we probably would have never discovered ourselves. Among other things, we visited a wholesale market where only shops buy in larger quantities. The various market stalls were packed with all kinds of colorful products, and there was usually only enough space for the seller himself. We also got to try fruits at a fruit market that we didn't even know existed. Thank you Sky for the unforgettable afternoon!

Of course, we also had to sell our motorcycles. Despite the fair price and the good condition of our bikes (better than when we bought them), this turned out to be a bit difficult. But in the end, we both managed to sell them after 2.5 days. It's an incredible experience to travel Vietnam by motorcycle and a great opportunity to get to know a country beyond the tourist areas. Of course, the traffic can be dangerous at times, and with these old bikes, you have to repair something almost every other day. But this is part of the experience and it's just how it is.

We spent a few more nights in an Airbnb-like accommodation, where we rented a room in the apartment of a young English-Vietnamese couple. The apartment was in a modern high-rise building with a rooftop pool. They also took us to their father's birthday celebration at a barbecue restaurant. Each table had a grill in the middle, and you could eat as much as you wanted. There was also unlimited beer and Korean white wine. Since the Vietnamese like to raise a toast before every sip, we certainly didn't miss out on drinking. Whether that was good or not is another question. ;-)

Before taking the flight to the Philippines, we visited the Cu Chi Tunnels. The tunnels were built by the North Vietnamese during the war against the Americans to hide inside. We also saw how they made weapons and traps. It's amazing what they accomplished with simple means.

Next stop on our journey, the Philippines, specifically the island of Palawan. Let's see what we will experience there...