Vietnam Highlights

Since it is finals week I am going to keep this post short and go into more detail soon in the future when all of the stress has been removed from my life. Overall Vietnam was my favorite trip so far, I know that I say that every post, but looking back now it is a top spot contender. We arrived in the lovely country on Saturday, we luckily did our research and knew that we needed to get visas approved before we arrived in the country. After a $25 dollar fee and a good 45 minutes we were allowed into the country with a beautiful page filling visa. The outline of our trip was supposed to start right away to Mui Ne (a coastal village about 5 hours from Ho Chi Minh City) but due to their Labour Day holiday all of the buses were full, so we switched things around and started with Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). At first while doing research before the trip I was confused to see Saigon listed some places and HCMC for the same sights. Saigon was the original name of the 18 district city and HCMC is the name that it received in 1975 after the fall of Saigon. The most popular tourist district where we stayed, district one is still referred to as Saigon, hence the confusion. It is a name that can be loosely used either way. So here goes the top moments from my Saigon and Mui Ne adventure.

1.)Mekong Delta Full Day Tour- We got to ride down a local islands river in authentic boats and rice hats. It was amazing to see how these people live with such limited resources and how they rely on the Mekong River so much. The day was beautiful but very humid and it was the perfect introduction to Vietnam.

Mekong River

Locals

In My Rice Hat!

Boat Traffic Jam

2.)Sampling the local food. Vietnam is known for their spring rolls and soup called pho. So that is what we had for the majority of the trip. Pho Bo is essentially beef noodle soup and Pho Ga is chicken noodle soup. The pho is served piping hot with dishes on the side to add bean sprouts, chilis, fresh herbs, or soy sauce to your preference. I enjoyed my soup with just the simple helping of scallions. The soup was filling and delicious with plenty of meat and noodles to keep me happy. The US has nothing on their chicken noodle soup haha The spring rolls were as well amazing yet with a larger taste difference between restaurants. Some were had a more peppery flavor and others had more veggies, but all served with a spicy chili sauce.

Where Bill Clinton Ate Pho

Pho 200 Food...yummmm

Spring Rolls

Lots of Pho

3.) Cu Chi Tunnel Tour- These tunnels were constructed by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam war to fight against US soldiers. They could not afford weapons so they created deceiving poisonous traps in the jungle and amazingly 500 km worth of underground tunnels. The Viet Cong lived in these tunnels for up to a year in order to keep their locations secure from the US army- and let me tell you they were very tiny! We got to explore a tunnel for a few minutes, and I was hot and sore from just that.

On an old US tanker

Kara squeezing into a tunnel

Tiger trap with poisonous spikes inside

inside tunnel

4.) Shooting an AK-47-After the tunnels we went to a firing range and took turns shooting an AK-47. It was feeling I will never forget, the power of this machine is unbelievable and actually pushed me backwards. I did not want to think about the destruction they caused.

Heading to the range

choice of guns?

GI Jane

So much power

5.) War Remnants Museum- A pictorial self guided museum on the Vietnam war in HCMC. It was a necessity to gain more knowledge on the Vietnam war while there. The museum was a little overwhelming with graphic photos and information. Kara and I did almost the whole museum in silence. We noticed no hostility towards Americans while on our trip. We sensed more of an accepting air that the people would never forget that time, but they were ready to move on.

Fighter Jet oustide

Very Scary photos

US photographer

Propaganda Posters

6.) Sand Boarding in Mui Ne- Mui Ne s a beautiful fishing village in Southern Vietnam with incredible yellow and white sand dunes. Unfortunately the white sand dunes were 25km from the town and not quite accessible on our motor bike. The yellow sand dunes were just as stunning, I felt as I if I was in the Sahara. Surprisingly there was a comfortable breeze from the water, and I think it was cooler in the dunes then in the town. We were taught by local children how to master and boarding and afterwards they kept saying "madame, tip please?". Since they took hundreds of pictures of us and taught us the ropes we made their day.

Learning

Weeeee

Had to...

Normal

7.) Fairy Creek in Mui Ne- This beautiful area was what we named "Mother Nature's Most Confused Place". This beautiful creek ran through yellow sand dunes, next to lush grass, next to white sand, and surrounded by yellow and white canyons and the jungle. Trying to think how this place was made boggles my mind. It was great relaxing hike just in time for sunset.

Starting out

White Cliffs

So confusing...

I don't get it

Beautiful Grand Canyon/Jungle

Hmmm??

8.) Ostrich Riding- On the way up the Fairy Creek a local up to us gesturing towards a paddock. We followed him up much to our surprise to find ostriches milling around. He then goes "you ride?". We were so shocked and excited we stammered out a yes. The man helped us onto a make shift saddle on this ostrich. There was no way of controlling the animal, and I thought it would twist its head around to peck at me. Luckily he did not and I completed my one lap excited to return to the ground. It was the strangest thing I have ever done and something to be checked off the bucket list. (Even though I had no clue it was there)

My turn

so crazy

Kara's turn

I am planning my next trip to Vietnam and very excited to one day return to HCMC and Mui Ne. I would love to venture up the coast to Northern Vietnam and see Hainoi and the Halong Bay. Next time around I will. Until next time...

xoxo

Leah