Trip to Cu Chi tunnel
8 $ gets a bus and a tour guide for a few hours as I join a few other tourists on our way across town to the Cu Chi tunnel site. The inevitable history lesson ensues from this charismatic fellow, if a little eccentric. Suddenly he bursts into a verse of patriotism, not a bad effort for a 65 year old as we all applaud. In short, the tunnel complex was constructed as part of the effort to kick the French out and later the Americans. Supply lines from the Saigon river were carried through the vast tunnel network.
Along some very small and bumpy country roads winding through vast rubber tree plantations, areas that were destroyed by the Agent Orange chemicals during the American war we are told. Another patriotic song and we learn all about his efforts as a soldier with the Vietcong, oh and he says its another 8$ to look around the place. Bus rolls into the parking area, it taken about 90 minutes to get here. Quiet, not many tourists at all.
Tour begins in a replica bunker where another history lesson gets underway, with some models and diagrams to aid with understanding. We here about hardships and suffering with conditions inside the complex definitely not comfortable, and quite hot too. About 20 minutes here before the trail begins. Through the woods, past a few more replica bunkers complete with replica soldiers in residence and a real tank pops up unexpectedly. Gun fire can be heard along with several loud explosions. I seem to recall being told that bullets and a few bombs can be purchased for the tourists enjoyment. Well, maybe not the bombs part, but some hefty fire power all the same. About a dozen bullets can be purchased for 25-30 $ and fired off at some point along the trail.
A hole in the ground and the first tunnel opening. Everyone is invited to climb in , one at a time obviously, since it's just a good fit for someone slim. Further along, the firing range and a snack shop. Bang, bang, bang in quick succession, and again as the boys fire off their Ak47 rifles. 20 minutes here for snacks, drinks and shooting.
Moving on to the next feature, another gap in the ground. Actually this time there are steps leading into a cavern and the tunnel complex. We're invited to journey through the complex to the next hole, about 50 yards along, or even further to the next for those with a burning desire to endure being crouched and confined in a dimly lit tunnel - not for me. And that's the Cu Chi tunnel tour, about 3 1/2 hours of an insight into life of the Vietcong fighters.
Sunday, 5 February 2012
War Remnants Museum
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| F5 Fighter, Just inside the gate. |
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| Cessna, in front of the main building. |
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| Jail and Tourture |
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| Guillotine |
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| Tiger cages, not for tigers. |
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| In Jail. |
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| Cells. |
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| Interesting read about the Tiger Cages |
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| Inside a cell.
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Day 2 in Saigon The War Museum
War remnants museum
Having survived day 1, it's a stroll along Pham Ngu Lao towards the market area. Ben Thanh is a big bus station, a big roundabout and a big market. The market Isn't huge by Asian standards but is quite typical in being repetitive. It is clean though, very clean infact, clean enough that I feel confident in eating here. Bowl of noodle soup is $1.5 from most of the outlets, meat or fish dishes will add another $1. Endless stalls selling tee shirts, and all the same designs too as 1 walk through the covered market looking for an exit.
The war museum is the place to see relics and learn facts about the Vietnam's most recent war, the one that ended in the mid 70's. There have been others and are detailed elsewhere in the city, but this is the era I grew up in and so holds the most interest. According to the map it's a good walk from district 1 but navigation looks quite straight forward. Street names can be confusing at first, looking quite similar in the written form, but the layout seems to be based on the grid system.
The war museum is closed, re-opens at 1.30pm so off to find somewhere to sit around and kill a couple of hours. Windows cafe, according to a few websites is the place locals like to go and chill out. It's just a few blocks further on, easy to find as I noted the address followed the map. It's big, on 2 levels and has a good atmosphere with music videos pumping out a good mix of tunes. It's a place for locals alright, just a couple of other tourists there. A coffee here is £1.40, and there isn't much of it either. That's seems to be the norm in Saigon. Rarely do they use fresh milk, it,s always sweetened condensed milk, with coffee being filtered through a pot on top of the glass, ending up with just a thimble full of strong coffee. Top coffee tip here. Ask for a bigger glass, pour in the coffee then ask the staff to fill it up with boiling water. After that, the coffee is good!
The entrance fee is 15,000 dong, that's about 50p. It's a big place, looks relatively new with exhibits immediately beyond the gate. The War museum, Saigon, is a comprehensive account of the conflict, all from the Vietnamese standpoint of course, but since I wasnt around for most of it, i cant really make a judgment on wether some of the facts are somewhat skewed as some guide books suggest. A good collection of captured American hardware on display here with a large transport helicopter taking prominence. They all look in reasonable condition too, if a little faded here and there. Next to the hardware is a mock up jail as used by the Americans, complete with torture teqniques and a host of photos with explanations. Quite gruesome pictures and accounts of individual suffering.
Inside the modern 3 storey building is where things really get a gruesome - not for the squeamish as there is one photo of an American holding up a decapitated Vietnamese body.
The use of 'agent orange' is given a complete room within the building. A chemicals sprayed from the air over jungles and plantations to flush out the Vietcong destroying all vegetation at the same time. Many accounts of how the chemical has effected the lives of ordinary people since, with deformities widespread. More of the same throughout the building interspersed with displays of guns, grenades and a few bombs etc. Needless to say the world is reminded of American conduct whilst trying to hold the tide of communism in the Far East and plenty of wall-space is dedicated to the destruction caused by B-52 carpet bombing campaigns. An interesting and thought provoking few hours, with many of the accounts and photos captured in digital for later reading.
Having survived day 1, it's a stroll along Pham Ngu Lao towards the market area. Ben Thanh is a big bus station, a big roundabout and a big market. The market Isn't huge by Asian standards but is quite typical in being repetitive. It is clean though, very clean infact, clean enough that I feel confident in eating here. Bowl of noodle soup is $1.5 from most of the outlets, meat or fish dishes will add another $1. Endless stalls selling tee shirts, and all the same designs too as 1 walk through the covered market looking for an exit.
The war museum is the place to see relics and learn facts about the Vietnam's most recent war, the one that ended in the mid 70's. There have been others and are detailed elsewhere in the city, but this is the era I grew up in and so holds the most interest. According to the map it's a good walk from district 1 but navigation looks quite straight forward. Street names can be confusing at first, looking quite similar in the written form, but the layout seems to be based on the grid system.
The war museum is closed, re-opens at 1.30pm so off to find somewhere to sit around and kill a couple of hours. Windows cafe, according to a few websites is the place locals like to go and chill out. It's just a few blocks further on, easy to find as I noted the address followed the map. It's big, on 2 levels and has a good atmosphere with music videos pumping out a good mix of tunes. It's a place for locals alright, just a couple of other tourists there. A coffee here is £1.40, and there isn't much of it either. That's seems to be the norm in Saigon. Rarely do they use fresh milk, it,s always sweetened condensed milk, with coffee being filtered through a pot on top of the glass, ending up with just a thimble full of strong coffee. Top coffee tip here. Ask for a bigger glass, pour in the coffee then ask the staff to fill it up with boiling water. After that, the coffee is good!
The entrance fee is 15,000 dong, that's about 50p. It's a big place, looks relatively new with exhibits immediately beyond the gate. The War museum, Saigon, is a comprehensive account of the conflict, all from the Vietnamese standpoint of course, but since I wasnt around for most of it, i cant really make a judgment on wether some of the facts are somewhat skewed as some guide books suggest. A good collection of captured American hardware on display here with a large transport helicopter taking prominence. They all look in reasonable condition too, if a little faded here and there. Next to the hardware is a mock up jail as used by the Americans, complete with torture teqniques and a host of photos with explanations. Quite gruesome pictures and accounts of individual suffering.
Inside the modern 3 storey building is where things really get a gruesome - not for the squeamish as there is one photo of an American holding up a decapitated Vietnamese body.
The use of 'agent orange' is given a complete room within the building. A chemicals sprayed from the air over jungles and plantations to flush out the Vietcong destroying all vegetation at the same time. Many accounts of how the chemical has effected the lives of ordinary people since, with deformities widespread. More of the same throughout the building interspersed with displays of guns, grenades and a few bombs etc. Needless to say the world is reminded of American conduct whilst trying to hold the tide of communism in the Far East and plenty of wall-space is dedicated to the destruction caused by B-52 carpet bombing campaigns. An interesting and thought provoking few hours, with many of the accounts and photos captured in digital for later reading.
Saturday, 4 February 2012
A few photos of Saigon
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| Downtown Saigon |
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| Saigon Scene |
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| High-rise in Saigon |
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| Streets of Saigon |
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| Saigon Street Scene |
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| Saigon Scene |
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| Smart new Saigon |
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| Busy Saigon |
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| Scenes of Saigon |
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| Saigon Bank |
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| Saigon Park |
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| Saigon skyline |
Saigon, The First Day 31st January
Saigon in daylight...
The alleyway is quiet, not many people about at 10am as I step out into daylight. It must be about 28 degrees, warm, not hot and not humid. The place is clean, no garbage anywhere, it has a certain continental feel. Cafes end to end each offering a western style breakfast, even cereal is available at over £2.50 for a small bowl! Fruit salad and yogurt is usually a safe option and is a good portion, with coffee at £1.80.
Saigon is separated in to districts, much like Parisienne quarters with traffic to match. Not so many buses or taxis here, it,s mainly 2 or 3 wheelers that make up 80% of the seemingly organised chaos and mayhem. As in Bangkok, this city is cross crossed with smart, wide boulevards - crossing them is an entirely different experience though. How to cross a street in Saigon without getting hit - that would be quite a useful and handy little guide! Some streets that have traffic lights enable a break in the mayhem, and at least one side can be crossed before the next heap of bikes have you in their sights. Other streets however are just one continuous stream of traffic and one needs to tread carefully to avoid a stay in hospital. For first timers like me, best thing is to cross with a local. It's a case of taking a steady walk across, letting the bikes swerve to avoid a collision and thankfully the roads are wide with plenty of space - wait around like in Britain and it,l be 2am before you can follow the green cross code!
Today is a round the block tour, a few streets here and there to capture the flavours, sights and sounds of Saigon city. District 1 centres on Pham Ngu Lao road, and is clearly a tourist hot spot. Turning left towards district 5 and Pham Ngu soon belongs to the locals again. Right at the end is a small market, mainly produce here, the usual exotic kinds of fruits, all kinds of meats and various fish, still alive in bowls. I never thought of shrimps being able to jump, but they can and quite away to the annoyance of the fish woman.
Class and chique in abundance. Smart malls, huge high-rise developments and big cars symbolises Saigon culture - Chinese, French with American influence. Cafes with smart decor everywhere, literally every few yards there is a smart expensive looking coffee house with or without an attached cafe. An alleyway here, crammed with lunchtime office workers and local shoppers, eating. I'm the only tourist, and it's clear why. The menu is in Vietnamese, the staff don't speak any English. I can see Chien, it means Chicken, so chicken soup should be a safe bet. No chicken soup and I can't even get across noodles or rice to them. I am shown a glass cabinet with various, and dubious looking meats - thanks, and I walk out! Across the alleyway is the same menu in English - noodle soup it is.
Back to base which is the Quang guest house, down some alleyway, off the Pham Ngu Lao road. Lots of people on corners milling about, watching, looking intently. Top Tip here - fasten pockets. If they can't be zipped up, find a safety pin and use those to pin each pocket tight.
The alleyway is quiet, not many people about at 10am as I step out into daylight. It must be about 28 degrees, warm, not hot and not humid. The place is clean, no garbage anywhere, it has a certain continental feel. Cafes end to end each offering a western style breakfast, even cereal is available at over £2.50 for a small bowl! Fruit salad and yogurt is usually a safe option and is a good portion, with coffee at £1.80.
Saigon is separated in to districts, much like Parisienne quarters with traffic to match. Not so many buses or taxis here, it,s mainly 2 or 3 wheelers that make up 80% of the seemingly organised chaos and mayhem. As in Bangkok, this city is cross crossed with smart, wide boulevards - crossing them is an entirely different experience though. How to cross a street in Saigon without getting hit - that would be quite a useful and handy little guide! Some streets that have traffic lights enable a break in the mayhem, and at least one side can be crossed before the next heap of bikes have you in their sights. Other streets however are just one continuous stream of traffic and one needs to tread carefully to avoid a stay in hospital. For first timers like me, best thing is to cross with a local. It's a case of taking a steady walk across, letting the bikes swerve to avoid a collision and thankfully the roads are wide with plenty of space - wait around like in Britain and it,l be 2am before you can follow the green cross code!
Today is a round the block tour, a few streets here and there to capture the flavours, sights and sounds of Saigon city. District 1 centres on Pham Ngu Lao road, and is clearly a tourist hot spot. Turning left towards district 5 and Pham Ngu soon belongs to the locals again. Right at the end is a small market, mainly produce here, the usual exotic kinds of fruits, all kinds of meats and various fish, still alive in bowls. I never thought of shrimps being able to jump, but they can and quite away to the annoyance of the fish woman.
Class and chique in abundance. Smart malls, huge high-rise developments and big cars symbolises Saigon culture - Chinese, French with American influence. Cafes with smart decor everywhere, literally every few yards there is a smart expensive looking coffee house with or without an attached cafe. An alleyway here, crammed with lunchtime office workers and local shoppers, eating. I'm the only tourist, and it's clear why. The menu is in Vietnamese, the staff don't speak any English. I can see Chien, it means Chicken, so chicken soup should be a safe bet. No chicken soup and I can't even get across noodles or rice to them. I am shown a glass cabinet with various, and dubious looking meats - thanks, and I walk out! Across the alleyway is the same menu in English - noodle soup it is.
Back to base which is the Quang guest house, down some alleyway, off the Pham Ngu Lao road. Lots of people on corners milling about, watching, looking intently. Top Tip here - fasten pockets. If they can't be zipped up, find a safety pin and use those to pin each pocket tight.
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