Ho Chi Minh (Saigon)

Arriving in Ho Chi Minh in the evening, we were able to check in and went straight to a cute vegan restaurant to eat something. After walking around our neighborhood for a bit and having a drink, we fell into bed exhausted. It was good because the next day would require a lot of energy.

On the following day, the War Museum was on the agenda. In the morning, we fueled ourselves with a delicious avocado toast and a good coffee, and then spent over 4 hours in the museum. Vietnam's past is simply shocking. So many nations wanted to possess this country, and the brave Vietnamese people fought until the end for their victory against the Americans. The war crimes, such as the unnecessary killing of entire villages, as well as abuses and torture. It was also shocking to see the use of Agent Orange, the consequences, and the fact that the Americans still do not see their guilt for this crime and do not compensate the affected Vietnamese people. We were pretty exhausted and sad, especially because these stories keep repeating... Especially the impactful photos of people who have to endure the effects of Agent Orange were heartbreaking, and a few tears were shed. Also because we can still see so many people with visible effects on the streets today. Simply cruel.

To digest the shock a bit, we treated ourselves to a short break after dinner, because later we wanted to go to a bar on a skyscraper to enjoy the view. We did that too, but ended up in the wrong price category. We realized that when the staff bowed to us when we arrived. Then we drank the overpriced wine on the rooftop (since we were already there) and enjoyed a very nice view! However, we didn't stay there long, as we clearly stood out and didn't fit the clientele there. Afterwards, we ended up in the "Ba Vet" street with a funky atmosphere. So many lights and loud music, dancers at every bar. You can't make that up, it has to be seen with your own eyes. What was sad is how many children had to beg for money or food in the middle of the night, for example by spitting fire. You could see how disgusted the poor children were about putting the spirit into their mouths...

The next morning we went on a tour to the Mekong Delta, which we booked at the nearby hostel. On this day, we could see a lot. First, we went to Coconut Island and explored the island by bike. Welcome to Emily's dreamland - palm trees as far as the eye can see.

After that, we had a Vietnamese-style lunch.

After lunch, we took a beautiful boat ride through a very overgrown banana jungle. The ride was really nice and cozy.

After lunch, we visited various stations - different animals, tasting fruits, listening to local music, tasting honey in tea, and holding honeycombs. We even had a snake on our arm and around our neck.

Afterwards, we visited a temple complex, which was very large and impressive. Here we also learned that the northern Buddhists are more relaxed in their beliefs, while the southerners take the rituals and customs more seriously.

After the return journey, we rested at the homestay before going to the nearby hostel again to have our visa for Cambodia printed. There we met two travelers we already knew. Together, we went to an Indian restaurant and had a free beer on the rooftop terrace of their hostel (fortunately, we didn't get caught).

In the evening, we went to bed early because once again our bus would leave very early the next morning.