72 Hours in Saigon
18 August 2009 in Photos, Travel, Vietnam
Apparently this money exchange strongly dislikes Japanese currency. I can't say I blame them with current rates.
Famous Vietnamese Singer Thùy Dương in the Makeup Room. I got hooked up with a backstage pass at a TV studio on a day they were shooting "The Music Show," a program of popular songs by various artists.
A staple Ho Chi Minh City landmark, this basilica features a statute of Virgin Mary that "cried" tears down her cheek in 2005, creating huge traffic jams for days.
It seems I can't go to any foreign country, including Communist Vietnam, without seeing billboards of President Obama. Doing a little research, this advertisement is for a book written by an American on purposeful speaking. Is there really a market for this product in Vietnam?
A very common site---scooters act as transportation, lunch benches, makeout locations, and street vending stands. Less money forces more resourceful spending.
Ho Chi Minh City, often still called Saigon by residents, has over 7 million people, and likely an equal number of scooters. Notice the street has walkers, bicyclists, buses, and loads of scooters.
I've seen quite a few scooters carrying three people at a time. Occasionally, a four person scooter will pass. Residents call these machines motorbikes, but I have a hard time calling them anything other than scooters.
"Got room for one more if you still want to go to Aspen. I can get 70 miles to the gallon on this hog." A new friend let me drive her scooter in downtown HCMC for over an hour on Saturday night, literally four hours after I arrived in the country. There is no way I could do the same. Thank you Vivian!
This stuff makes water boarding look like child's play.
This durable badboy is still flying in some countries. Be gentle with the landing light, though...
More warbirds from the Vietnam War.
The Cu Chi Tunnels are a vast underground network for covert living, moving supplies and troops, and storage. Additionally, they offer several principles of war like security, maneuver, and surprise. Only a very minuscule portion of the tunnel system is open for tourists. The rest of the tunnels are off limits, except for Vietnamese military...Wikipedia says there are just over 100 kilometers of tunnels, but a guide at the tunnels told me 250...
This is a typical tunnel entrance. Notice the camouflaged cover just above the hole. The hole is about the size of a junior high mathematics book.
This is as far as my body would go into the hole. Talking with some Vietnamese folks, many of them would not fit today either as they think the population has grown substantially. Because the normal entrances are so tiny, plus-sized cutouts and tunnels have been made to accommodate tourists.
To keep an adequate supply of air in the tunnels, small air holes were created. This porous rock is one of the more inconspicuous air sources.
I made a poor decision by asking for an extended tunnel tour. I really wanted to go in deeper to some of the not-so-touristy alleys. I was too big to crouch and the floor was too moist to crawl. I compromised by doing the duck walk for a few hundred meters. If you don't think that is tough, try doing the duck walk across your living room, letting your butt come no higher than 2 inches off your heels. I had to put myself in the pushup position every dozen steps to keep my quadriceps from cramping.
Vietnam is hot and humid. These underground tunnels offer no cooling, as I thought they would. Many of the off limits tunnels are allegedly smaller than these offered up for tourists. Vietcong lived, planned, ate, received education and medical care, and died in these tunnels. Many lived in these tunnels for years. Are there Laws of War against torturing yourself?
After suffering through the long tunnels, we were treated to a common Vietcong dish, tarot root. It tastes like baked potato and is dipped in a tasty cinnamon, sugar, and peanut dry mix.
omg that long tunnel looks quite tough to pass through but I would like to try
Bogy, I know you would do it! With your size, you would manage a lot better.
Everyone who has been to Ho Chi Minh talks up the traffic like it’s something crazy and chaotic, but it’s not even close to the worst. I actually think HCMC traffic is very orderly. Sure there are a lot of scooters, but they are polite and have a logical flow to things. Walking across the street is a piece of cake even though every tour guide book makes it sound like imminent death. All you have to do is keep on walking, smoothly and slowly, with an eye on traffic.
Ulaanbaatar’s traffic is the most insane I’ve seen ANYWHERE! Maybe I’m a little biased since we nearly got killed at Naadam, and since cars don’t seem to care if they run over people. Anyways, I thought you’d like to know that I think your city is #1!
These are awesome!
My favorite post yet. Do you think Steve would even fit in the tunnels?
Wendy, thanks!
Mrs. Big Mac, no way, he wouldn’t stand a chance! He could walk into the bigger tourist entryways that have been constructed, and should be fine in the opening rooms, but crawling through any length of tunnel would be painful, maybe impossible, for him. He wouldn’t be missing out on much fun, as you can see from my exhaustion. I’m glad you like the pictures!
You sell me short, my friend, I would have laid on my belly and slithered through just fine.
I’ll take your word for it. I believe that you’d give it a sincere try, but slithering in damp dirt and high heat can only take you so many feet. I read somewhere of an NFL player that tried going in the tunnels and, after getting stuck, had to exit through a sealed-off chef’s door that had been specially designed by the VC for one of their portly cooks.
Hey Brook! I’m catching up on your blog. I like the museum, especially the A-37. Those tunnels look rough. Good luck on the rest of your adventure.
Del, glad you took a look. That A-37 looks like it would be a good time.