Vietnam

My first impression of Saigon was excitement as we zoomed from the airport and everybody on scooters buzzing about. I said this about China that it amazes me that in a place where you hear people spitting loogies in a restaurant, openly laugh and point at people but are concerned about saving face??many of the women ride side saddle on the back of mopeds but will shoot a snot rocket anywhere. Theeerree's the windup!

The traffic is amazing: If you can imagine the worse of NYC traffic buzzing by and you step into traffic, what would happen? Beside being cursed out twelve ways to Sunday, you would be the bug on someones windshield right? Nope here you slowly step off the curb and start slowly walking and the traffic goes around YOU! No obscenities, it is the norm. How amazing!

Alot of people went out of town to experience the Cu Chi tunnels. This is a series of tunnels about 75 miles long and built on three levels all underground. It was used to ambush American soldiers during the Viet Nam war. Americans tried repeatedly to find the tunnels and destroy them using special forces called "tunnel rats" but failed because they were built very small to accommodate the small stature of the Vietnam soldier.

That is also why I decided not to go, I thought it would be a sad commentary that our military failed to blow the tunnels up only to have them dug up when an American tourist gets stuck in them. Also I am a bit claustrophobic and from what I was told the only way my friends could see them is crawling on their knees.

Leaving Saigon for Chau doc
20/10/06

Today we left Ho Chi Minh City for a 7 hour road trip to Chau doc. It was amazing seeing the people of Vietnam. I can't help but wonder what it was like for the US troops here. Going from their insular world to this foreign land.

The landscape is incredibly green and who thought rice paddies could be sooo beautiful. We had two ferry crossings and during one of them there was this older man who just stared at us for the the whole crossing. I thought about him and what was he thinking? How old was he when the war happened? How did he participate? We made it to Chau doc in one piece. It has been hard since today is my second day of my period. I could not find any girly provisions before I left Saigon so it is going to be a lOOOOOOng week. The hotel for the night was on the Mekong with a floating restaurant where we ate and talk for hours, just absolutely perfect. Know this as this is my first stop in the tropics.......I HATE CREEPY CRAWLIES!!!! any kind of bug, or lizard, spider and you would think growing up in FLORIDA!, I would be at least OK with them, well I am not. Like the dork I am not a full fledged traveler, YET, I ask the guy at the front desk to have someone come an remove the gecko in my room. Yes! I know! Well a guy came up with some plastic bag and asked me to stand outside where he proceeded to shoot it with a slingshot, he came out and showed me "something" in the bag. At dinner I am talking to my Intrepid leader and as I started to tell the story, he is laughing already. When I happily told him the issue was resolved when the guy came and removed the vermin, the look on his face was YEAH, RIGHT. Of course I woke up the next morning and the same gecko, who was missing a tail was back in my room. What an idiot!!!

Our group is only 7 people, 2 Kiwis, 2 English, 2 Irish and me, lead by a New Zealander/Australian I call Big Daddy.

Tomorrow we border cross from Vietnam to Cambodia.