Scotts Blog

Well I had another little sleep in which was good and decided to get a lonely planet for the area so I would know what to do! I managed to pick one up for 40,000 Dong which is around $3-4 so don’t ever buy one in Australia if you are heading around these parts. Then after a bit of a read I decided to visit Cholon to visit some markets and also check out some Pagodas which is like a temple. I also decided to get a sim card for my phone MobiPhone :) hope it works other countries. My number is +84 90384 5918

There was no way to travel now but a bike so I hit it up, and it was a good ride. It made me want to buy a bike, I think I might when I get back. It is quite funny how you ride, shorts t-shirt and thongs, don’t worry mum they don’t crash much. When I arrived at the market it was manic, they were tiny isles that could fit about 1.5 people so it was pretty hard to get around. One thing I really don’t understand about Asian markets and shops it that they have everything the same next to each other. So if you want to buy a hat there are 15 places with all the same hats, and about 15 million hats all up.

After this I met up with Whitney and had a look around at some Pagodas, they were pretty hard to find, we only really found one, but it was good. They are decorated with wooden dragons and weapons and statues. Then I went back to my room for a little siesta in the cool air cond. Later that night I met up with Whitney and some of her friends and we went out to dinner with some other expats that she knew.

I also saw this cool place where you can order dinner and then watch a free movie (latest release), but it is all normal prices not like la premier. I think that would take off in Australia.

When I arrived home i read up on the Mekong Delta and a few towns that I was going to visit tomorrow!

Well I woke around midday and felt a little off, but being the trooper that I am, I was up an atem! I had some breaky before going for a walk, I opted for a more western breakfast of porridge and fruit. Then I went for a walk to the City about 3-4kms away, as most of the famous buildings etc were around there. They have the most amazing gardens down the middle of the streets. The other thing that I was noticing was that they had very grand and opulent colonial building built by the French, but most of them were nothing special, just another building. If they were in Sydney they would be the town hall or something more prominent.

On the way into town I noticed that Harry Potter was due on sale on Saturdaty 21st and could not wait to get my hands on it!

I went into a they History Museum which looked great from the outside, they had a F5 Jet, a Chopper, and some other stuff outside. However when I went in it seemed as though it was devoid of any human touch and felt empty. The exhibits were quite ordinary or maybe I just wasn’t that interested.

It didn’t take long to become very board so it was off to the reunification palace. The palace it very big overlooking a large lawn but it does not look palatial, it is more like a big building. Inside the palace is a different story, there are some very grand rooms intricately decorated with amazing furniture. They had the official reception rooms for the President, as well as cabinet rooms, banquet rooms and the residence. It did feel pretty empty though as all the rooms were empty, I am not sure if they are still used officially.

Then I went to the War remnants museum which was great. This was largely a photographic museum that portrayed the brutality of war, I really recommend this to anyone in town, it really makes it hit home how rough it was. They also had examples of different weapons and artillery. There was one amazing piece that could fire 32kms, and where it landed left a 100m creator. The damage radius was 3.2km which is just insane. You should have seen how big this was. They also had example tanks, planes, ammunition and guns.

Then I was a little tired of walking so I sat down in a park and saw people kicking things like ‘Haky Sacks’ but it turned out it was more like a modified shuttle cock. They were amazing at it, I could see how it would really improve your soccer skills. Then I decided to get out of the heat and go and see a movie. Die Hard 4 was playing so I rocked up, it was good much like the others but more of a guys flick.

After this I met a girl Whitney, who was teaching English in Ho Chi Min city and she took me out and around town. She finally got me to get on a motorbike taxi or Xe om, to get around, I love them. We really need them in Sydney they just carve up the roads are really fast and you get a good look around town! Just sit on the back and let them take care of it, bloody cheap as well.

Well I woke early and a little dazed from the late night, I was feeling a little worse for wear and not quite sure what was going on! I didn’t have any water so I grabbed some out of the fridge and started the day. I knew roughly where their hotel was and started my walk. The amount of motor bikes and scooters on the road was amazing, and when you look to cross all you see is a wall of traffic rushing towards you. I learnt that you just have to start walking and then keep going, they will go around you, but be more weary about cars, they don’t seem to worry about anyone else.

Upon finding the hotel I was early so decided to get some breaky, on the street corner they were serving some food so I hit them up and they gave me some Pho (noodle soup) which was pretty tasty, then I went to meet the girls. The rest of their tout was there and they were all really nice. It was about a 90min bus ride to Chu Ci and I had a little doze on the way, over hearing people arguing about the difference between communism and socialism, does it really matter?

When we started looking around it became very obvious of how proud they are of their war effort, and fighting off the Americans (not that they shouldn’t be). It was a very biased point of view but then when I thought about it Australians see everything the Australian Army does in the same light. Every digger is brave and stands up in the face of adversity. The tunnel complex was amazing, there is over 250kms of tunnels between 3m and 10m underground. They had hundreds of people living there, and could sustain soldiers as well. They had ammunition making facilities, kitchens, they made equipment all underground. They showed how they used to use American bombs and other ordinance to make their own bombs and ammunition, it was extremely resourceful. The entrance and exits of these tunnels were amazing, they would have been about 30cm wide by 20cm long and the few that hopped in struggled to make it(bulky westerners).

They showed the various booby traps that they used and they were horrific, some would have been so painful it makes you shudder just thinking about them. One had two I suppose rolling pins with long spikes coming out and where at the top of a deep pit. When you tread in the middle you fall down the pit being stabbed hundreds of times on the way down. Another than really made me shudder was like an upside down stool. There was a spike heading up in the center say 45cm under ground that you would tread/fall on, then there were spikes angling in facing down do if you pull your leg up they would really dig into and cause a lot of pain.

They had a rifle range there and you could fire about 10 different guns, I decided to have a go at an M16 5 shots about $8. I can’t believe how loud these shots were, they were deafening, can’t imagine having to fire one of these day in day out at war.

Then we had a chance to get into the tunnels they had widened an 80m length for westerners so you could go through pretty much a very low squat. It was extremely tight and surprisingly stuffy. There were sections where we had to crawl so that we could fit. I assume that they would have been crawling the whole way. It was very claustrophobic.

After the bus home we organised to meet up for dinner, so I went back had a nap then went to meet for dinner. We were going to a very popular local BBQ place where they BBQ literally anything that can move. There was Rat, Frog, Cricket, Scorpion etc etc. We decided to get one normal dish each and one crazy one, so I ordered Scorpion. I also tried some Rat, Crickets and Bulls Penis they all tasted more of the BBQ cooking than actually having much taste.

After this we went out and had a great night out plenty of drinking and dancing had by all. 

I had a very late night trying to finish packing and storing the rest of my stuff so mum and dad didn’t get to worried. I woke about 7:30 after getting to bed about 3am, but it was good the day had finally arrived. I found it very hard to wait two weeks to leave.

Mum gave me a lift to the airport which was great, then I checked in my bags and we had coffee for about an hour. I changed some money from my wallet and had over a million Dong . The rate was 11600, but when I arrived in Vietnam it was 13400 so I would wait until you get here.

Then I wen through customs and boarded my cheap flight. The flight attendants were really nice but you really notice the service difference, but no I didn’t notice $300 difference so it was good. If you take Jetstar and they ask if you want a video player don’t get it, there was nothing on it, and you can barely hear them.

When we landed at Ho Chi Min city I was very excited, and when I walked out the door that pungent smell that I was longing for was there in full force, a mixture between heat, lots of people and something else. It immediately takes you out of your Australian thoughts and the adventure had started. Customs seemed to take forever, but I suppose I am normally in the express queue in Australia.

I asked someone from a tourist booth where the backpacker area was and they said Phong Ngu Lau, so 80000 Dong later I arrived. Found a pretty good hotel to start a base then went to get some food. This part was daunting, starting in the middle of no where not knowing anyone and eating alone. I ordered some Pho(Noodle Soup) Bo(with Beef) and had a great beer that went down a treat!

Wanting to actually talk to someone, I went to a bar and met three girls from the UK, they were good value and we kept going until about 3am. They were on the end of a tour around Asia, and were heading to Chu Ci tunnels the next day and asked me to come. I had to meet at their hotel at 8am so I hit the sack pretty soon after that.