Day 8/9 – Vietnam

Hello my little Sparrows

Welcome to Saigon…..the hotel has a very ‘English’ feel to it and there could possibly be more staff than guests!! Its all quite colonial and the staff are super attentive.

Today has been a very cultural day – our hairy guide, Sari came to pick us up at 8.30am and off we set to the Cu Chi tunnels – there’s Ho Chi, Cu Chi and now there’s Chu-Chi!!

Bearing in mind it is a Sunday, one would have expected the traffic to be a little easier however in Saigon the traffic is never light and worse than Hanoi you are literally driving into on coming traffic, silently praying that you are going to over take the car in front (it’s not a Toyota) and make it back to your own side before the large truck who is on his own side of the road, hits you head on!

The Cu Chi tunnels are about an hour and a half outside Siagon and surrounded by woodland. New trees get planted every 8 years or so as once they are tall enough, they are chopped down and used for either their rubber or bamboo.

The tunnels are a network of tunnels ranging up to 250km – built by hand (no machinery) These are on three levels – first level being about 3 meters down (and very dark) and all have escape routes. Its a bit like rabbit warrens, which I am guessing what they based it on!!!! There are dining areas, conference areas, hospital areas, old lady and children areas, living quarters, kitchens etc. Even the kitchen were designed not to show the Americans (from helicopters above) that there was cooking going on…they had a sophisticated extractor systems which is all very clever.

However they were also an evil bunch – they devised these horrible booby traps all ending the same way….a series of spears going through various body parts. Worse if you were a man as some were especially designed to get you in the goolie area. The Americans weren’t so nice either and dropped a shed load of B52 bombs – there are still some unexploded land mines in the area but no one is too sure where they are so whilst nothing is cordoned off, you are advised to try and stick to the path!!

The tourist tunnels have been enlarged a little as no one would be able to get down them to have a look however there are loads of original entrances which if you are small enough, you can go down. Whilst your down there, it’s very hot, quite claustrophobic and you have this over riding desire to stand up, which obviously isn’t possible so you get in and out as soon as there is another entrance/exit. We were in one that was about 50 metres long (and dark) and were quite relieved to get out.

By now the temperature had risen to 38 degrees – which is about 106 in our language…..even a tad warm for me!!

After the tunnels we went off to China Town and the biggest Chinese market called Ben Than – it’s got some other name too but Ben Than will do. It’s kind of like the wholesale market for the retail market!!! Not us – the local market traders buy their stuff from them and sell it to the likes of us. Which brings me on to Lotus seeds……..

You may recall I bought two strands of Lotus seeds from Dong in Hoi An (the waiter at the hotel) – he charged me 150,000 bits each strand, which is about £5 a strand. And, last night they wanted $10. Today I bought 10 strands for 10,000 each – total 100,000 for 10!!!! – that £3.00 for all of them…..30 pence each!!!
Dong has probably swapped his moped in for a Harley Davidson today….he saw us coming a mile away – and now he can speed off even quicker!!

After the market Hairy took us to see some Chinese temple – the story goes that it is a lady Buddha who looked down from her cloud when the seas were stormy and if you gave her a big enough offering, she would save you when your boat capsized. Before you enter, there are people selling little sparrows (live ones) for you to make as an offering. You buy the sparrow, buy the incense sticks – set the sparrow free and then go and light your incense sticks and ask her for whatever it is you want……preferably success in business, a baby or marriage.

I thought it was very cruel that they had all these little sparrows all crammed into a cage so we bought two! Our own pet sparrows. The lady took then out one at a time and handed me the first one – scary shit….have you ever held a sparrow??? The saying a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush springs to mind – although what are the chances that you will be holding a Sparrow!!???

I named the first one Num Num (as in Birdie) and released her (it was a her) into the wild and then the lady gave me the second one – who was a bit quick off the mark – I named him Freedom and off he flew. Our good deed for the day.

After that Hairy took us to the Presidential Palace, which no one lives in as the first President died before it was finished and the second President only got to stay there for 47 hours before the Viet Cong captured it. It’s a very nice looking building but if you ask me – its a bit of a waste of money. Doesn’t do anything.

Next it was off to see the Notre Dam Cathedral…..very nice…..swiftly onto the Post Office which was built by the same chap who built the EIffel Tower – very nice. Then Hairy wanted us to see the Opera House which was built by the French, who incidentally also built the Hotel D’Ville – its not a hotel but the town hall. As it happens the architecture was beautiful – so we stayed another 30 seconds to admire it. Very nice!!

Being completely site seeinged out – we told Hairy that we had had a lovely time and he could have the rest of the afternoon off……

Should you ever find yourselves on these shores, and as cultured as ourselves, we would definitely recommend the Tunnels and the Ben Than market – the rest are just photo opportunities.

Tonight we went to a restaurant called XU – pronounced Me!! (have you worked that one out??) – Excellent. Again, if in Saigon – go there.

Before dinner we went off to the local market and Indy became one of the sales people…..he sat there whilst I was negotiating for something asking people who walked by “Waaaa you wanna paaay”? “We got your sizes” “Where u flom…” – It was a location thing and clearly you had to be there but he was very funny. He is now the proud owner of a new pair of Adidas socks!!! It is cheaper to buy new them here than send them to the laundry!

It’s now bedtime for us – so on that sweet note – good night and see you tomorrow.

Lots of love,
Me and the salesman
xxxxx