Next Stop: Ho Chi Minh City, the largest city in Vietnam! From the plane, the size of the city could already be guessed... After we safely landed in Ho Chi Minh City - or Saigon for the older ones among us - we first had to face the crowded immigration waiting hall. We thought we would have to wait there for the next 2 hours, but luckily Clemens quickly realized that the outermost queue was divided into two or, if there were no more wheelchair users, into 3 counters. So we passed the other waiting people in 20 minutes =) So many people... After a ride on a public bus, we arrived at our accommodation, shocked by the traffic. The traffic was really exhausting... But also interesting to sit down at a roundabout with an iced tea and watch the spectacle ;-) When we arrived at the hotel, we were delighted to find that it was really nice and had a pool. We made good use of the pool :-) Afterwards, we explored our surroundings. The backpacker and party mile of HCMC... Loud, crowded, and full of lights :-)
Exciting :-D
The next day, we booked a trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels. This tunnel system is 200km long and is located between 3 and 10m underground. The tunnels were first used in the war against France and later in the Vietnam War against the USA... It is said that around 17,000 people lived in the tunnels for 15 years and fought against the Americans.
Our guide shows us the size of the tunnels.
After we had seen the entrances...
No, we didn't fit in ;-)
... the shooting positions, the ventilation holes, a bomb crater, and the various traps...
So many different traps, each more wicked than the other... And one of the Vietnamese had to demonstrate each trap with a stick... of course.
...we then continued to the tunnels.
Since the tunnels were only about 60cm high and 60cm wide, some of the tunnels were slightly enlarged (90x80cm) specifically for tourists to experience.
It's a bit dark, but yes, a small Asian woman is crouching in there with not much space left...
Well, surprisingly Clem couldn't fit through, but Thea managed to crawl through the tunnels for 40m...
... and was really glad to be outside again... It wasn't a nice life down there... very tight, dark, hot, and stuffy...
But what was always funny were these Asians taking selfies everywhere and with everything...
Simply brilliant, this group... Apparently, the T-shirt was no longer available in his size ;-)
In the evening, we went to a...
Many small stands with delicacies!! We decided to go for our favorite Vietnamese dish: Pho bo! A hearty broth with rice noodles, beef, bean sprouts, coriander, mint, parsley, lime, soy sauce, and chili sauce. So delicious! Pictures will follow below ;-)
For the third day, based on Ben's recommendation, we booked a scooter tour with students based on tips (www.christinas.vn).
The two students, Hana and Hunter (the Asians always give themselves western names, seems to be easier :-)), picked us up at 8 am from our hotel and safely drove us through the Saigon traffic for 4 hours.
Clem and his driver HunterThea and her driver Hana We first went to the Presidential Palace, which is said to be named after a Cambodian king as a thank you for marrying his daughter to the then Vietnamese king. Nowadays, it is rarely used for political purposes and is rented out to companies for conferences. Daily guided tours are also held there. We were satisfied with the view from the outside. Next, we went to a district shaped by the French colonial era. There, they showed us the old post office which is still in use. Of course, we also sent a few greetings from there. The post office of Saigon was built by the French... you can still tell =) Right across from it is the Notre Dame of Saigon. It is currently undergoing a longer renovation phase, as the materials have to be sourced from France. It has been under construction for 2 years already and is expected to continue for another 3 years... Hopefully, the original's fire won't cause any supply bottlenecks... Although covered, it is still standing ;-)Next, we went to the opera house. Since there are always big events taking place inside, the daily traditional concerts have to be held outside on a small stage. However, it's more for the wealthier ones... Magnificent, isn't it?! We don't know if the red carpet was rolled out for us :-) This building was built by the US Army during the Vietnam War and housed the GI's back then, now it is used as a coffee house Finally, our guides let us try a specialty from Hanoi that Hunter was very excited about. The 'Egg Coffee'! It is made from Vietnamese coffee and whipped egg yolk-milk foam sweetened with sugar. It is similar to a latte macchiato, but much sweeter and the foam is even more firm... but super delicious. We will definitely 'test' it again in Hanoi :-))) The two then drove us to the War Museum, which we visited after this beautiful tour. We can highly recommend this kind of sightseeing tour. The students want to improve their English skills and of course, they are also happy to be invited for coffee and receive a small tip. Thanks again to Bene for this tip!!! :-) Here is another little insight into the traffic... Scooters, scooters, scooters everywhere scooting! And now it was time for the cultural part of the day. To understand the history of Vietnam, and also the formation of the country today, the long Vietnam War is part of it. We don't want to go into too much detail here. The many pictures clearly showed the suffering of the Vietnamese and the efforts of the US Army. In our opinion, there was too much text accompanying each picture and the museum is very outdated. This important topic could probably be more easily and better explained using newer media. There were about 12 rooms like this on 3 floors, all built the same way...Many tanks, bombs, and helicopters (Chinook yeahhh) were exhibited in front of the museum. All in all, we didn't like the museum so much, but it definitely informed us about the past and made us think. On the way back, we discovered this cute creature in a park... Cute little rascal ;-) Shortly before our hotel, Clemens then got a more suitable haircut for the hot weather for 60,000 Dong (2.31€).It was like an Advent calendar, behind each door there was a utensil for cutting (which were sterilized in a kind of microwave) and in the end a big hair vacuum cleaner was used... Germany should have something like this too =) In the evening, we enjoyed our usual soup Pho bo and fresh spring rolls (just like every day). mmmmmmmmmmm :-))) for the rolls, rice paper is laid out and filled, for example, with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, mint leaf, noodles, and fish or meat.. we were allowed to make them ourselves the next evening... Another favorite dish of ours here in Vietnam is Bhan Mi. It is a fresh crispy baguette topped with coriander, cucumber, tomato, chili sauce, and either chicken, egg, or pork. SO YUMMY!!!!!!! So far, we haven't taken any pictures because we always ate them too quickly... but there will definitely be some coming ;-) The next day, the 2 days - 1 night - Mekong Delta Tour started! We did this in a 'medium' group with 22 people. The tour started with a 4-hour bus ride to the port, where we then took a boat to the first floating market with about 10 boats... The breeze was nice, but the sights weren't so exciting... Boats on a Mekong branch transporting various goods, such as straw and soil... Houses directly on the water on stilts. Smaller boats then come to the houses and supply the people with various goods... Next, we were taken ashore, where they showed us how hats, baskets, handbags, etc. were made from palm leaves (plus a sales stand). There was also a bee farm where you could try honey and tea and of course buy them... It was delicious, but walking around for 2.5 months with a jar of honey... probably not :-D and we have much better heather honey at home Then we finally had lunch!! A Mekong fish! Prepared again in rolls. Later, rice, vegetables, etc. were added :-) The tour also included a visit to a coconut candy workshop. The process was shown and you could also buy candy again - this time we decided to take a packet with us - maybe there will be some left until we get home ;-) In the back room, the 'happy water' was then made: rice wine - of course, there was also a tasting ;-) At first, no one dared to try it, but Clemens doesn't hold back.... There were versions with 40 and 60 percent and for sale with pickled cobras and scorpions *ewww* After a long day, we arrived at our 'homestay', essentially an accommodation with a local family with a cooking class... Here we learned how to make the rolls. In addition, we also filled and fried spring rolls ourselves (with a potato-bean filling). The mother took over some of the work for us... The table was full and the other travelers were also very nice and entertaining... The family was also super nice, and in the evening, a whole bag of 'happy water' was served... the son of the family was the one doing the serving and drinking from 2 tables at the same time... he was in high spirits =))) The second day started with a walk through a market where all sorts of vegetables, fruits, fish, and meat (delicious and less delicious things) were offered... Keep your eyes open... SeafoodDelicious fruitVegetables galoreThere was definitely enough to look at :-D And some displays even looked back... Then we continued by boat to the largest floating market in the region with about 100 boats selling goods to each other... Loading sweet potatoes and......lots of watermelons Finally, we went to Thea's (and after Clem's look in the next photo, also his) favorite place: the noodle production!!! Here, people make rice paper from rice powder and natural dyes, and then make noodles from it (more pictures in the gallery) We then took the boat to a really boring garden and finally back to the port, followed by a 5-hour bus ride back to Ho Chi Minh City... The long tour came to an end and the next one began: We arrived at 6 pm and at 7 pm, the overnight bus continued for 5 hours to Mui Ne... From there, we'll be in touch again, hopefully with not so much to talk about. The plan is simply to relax on the beach. Until then, we wish everyone a great rest of the week and warmest regards If there's anything new, let us know ;-) We're glad you're with us! PS: For those who always guess who of us is writing, this time the answer is: Clem on the day of the scooter tour and Thea for the rest ;-)
Danke für die eindrucksvollen Fotos und besonders für die Reiseberichte, egal von wem! Sie sind einfach toll. Wir sind ja jetzt auf Sylt und kommen endlich dazu "nachzuarbeiten", Urlaub für Rentner halt :-) Entspannt Euch und vor allem, kommt gesund zurück! LG O.u.O
