Day 1 - Arrival Ho Chi Minh City
It was still pretty early when we got to the hotel. Couldn't check in so we just left our bags at the counter and went ahead to explore the city.
First stop : Notre Dame Catheral
Kop-ed this photo of the interior of the church from WeeB. Fantastic.
Next stop : Post Office
Next up : Reunification Palace
This was where the US Army surrendered and fled by getting into helicopters from the roof when the Viet Cong stomp in by their tanks.
After the Reunification Palace, we wanted to head back to the hotel. Alas, we got lost and ended up at Ben Thanh market. So we had our lunch and den went back to the hotel. Hao and WeeB slept all the wae to dinner time leaving HB n I exploring the quaint little alleys.
It started raining in the evening so we pretty much stayed in the hotel. Ample of time to rest and recharge for the day2!
Day 2
Chinatown, Pham Ngu Lao, Huong Sen Hotel, Apocalypse Now & Liquid Bar
Day 2 was by far the most exciting day. Hao got better and shed off the fever, WeeB was less grouchy from the lack of sleep and HB n I were raring to go.
A temple styled catholic church at Cholon (Chinatown)
Chinese temple at Chinatown built and maintained by the Fukien Association in HCMC
We den headed to Pham Ngu Lao, the Backpackers district to check out the shopping and book our day tour to Cu Chi Tunnel.
Lunch at Sinh Cafe
Election van along the main street of Pham Ngu Lao. I think the voting not vv exciting actually. (Communist - style)
We headed back to the hotel as we still had a long nite of partying ahead. The 2 guys snoozed while HB n I went out shopping....again...Haha....
Hotel De Ville
Once a very high class hotel for foreigners, currently taken over by the People's Association to run as their headquarters.
How can u miss a foto with Uncle Ho?
After the shopping of supermarket kopi powder to bring back as souveniers, we met the guys back at the hotel, who apparently were waiting for us to come back coz they had more than enuf sleep. Haha... Upon Hao's suggestion, we headed to the Saigon(g) River for dinner.
On board the TOURIST FLOATING RESTAURANT... on Mother's Day!
It was actually pretty fairly priced, lots of locals and authentic chinese-viet style cooking.
As it was still early after dinner, we proceeded to Huong Sen Hotel for a massage, thinking it was juz gonne be like good ol' thai massage. But damn, we were wrong! The girls were in like tight polo and white mini skirts!!! Well, since we were there, might as well....
It was truly the most 'lesbian' experience i ever had. Imagine having the girl wearing mini skirt SITTING on e back of my thighs, near 'u noe where'.... And the girl was heavier than me. Sheesh...more pain than pleasure. HB n I shared a room so the girls were pretty pissed coz APPARENTLY, they ask the guys whether they wanted 'Special Service'
After laughing it off, WeeB was abt to ask whether their 'Special' was all-the-wae, we visited Apocalypse Now (stated as the MOST happening bar by Lonely Planet, but it wasn't)
We juz had a drink and left for Volcano (supposedly). But through a bloody scam taxi driver, who charged us sky high rates and got us to Liquid Bar instead.
Luckily the bar was happening.
Intoxicated at Liquid Bar
Day 3 - Cao Dai Temple & Cu Chi Tunnel
Long bus ride outta the city and we landed at the Cao Dai Temple. From wad we could barely understand from the local guide, the Cao Dai Religion believes in 1 God and all saints are acting under 1 order. So this smart alec decided to put EVERYTHING in 1 temple. Like the Goddess of Mercy beside Guan Kong, who stood beside Jesus, complete with the All-Seeing Eye and Quran.... Weird or wad lah!
I dunnoe wad style of architecture is this. But in the middle there's the All-Seeing Eye, Left scuplture is the Goddess of Mercy n Right is St Benedict. Must see to believe.
Attending their mid-day prayer session (must pray like 4 times a day). Church like ceiling with stars and clouds supported by dragon laden columns.... Mind Boggling... o_0
All aboard the bus, we stopped by the petrol station for refuelling, with the ENGINE STILL ON!!! and with us ON THE BUS!!! I was in perpectual fear that it might blow up....
Next up: Lunch!
From 1 place to another, it gave us like 1 hr of snoozing. Which is a LOONNNGGG time. Fortunately, before my neck went stiff, we reached the Cu Chi Tunnel.
The Cu Chi Tunnel was used by the Viet Cong who launched guerilla attacks on the invading US Army. It was quite brutal and gross as they showed the injuries and damage to the land and people substained by the Vietnamese War. To deter the US soldiers from getting into the tunnels, the location of the entrances were unmarked and remembered totally by pure memory of the Cu Chi People. The size of the entrance were a mere 30cm x 60cm, as shown below.
Now u see it
Now u dun!
A brand new tank of the US Army was blasted even before entering the forest, destroyed by landmines planted by the Viet Cong. According to Vietnamese folklore, the deceased will stay ard the places they died to figure out their deaths. Creepy~
We also had to chance to crawl a short distance in a slightly enlarged tunnel to experience how it was like. Even though it had been reconstructed, it was still cramped and i felt a slight claustrophobia. It came to a point, in the mid of the tunnel, that it was so dark, I couldn't even see my fingers placed right in front of my face. Needless to say, no fotos were taken...
Before leaving the tunnels, we got a group foto before some horribly mangled and retrieved bombshells (not the blond type)
After wad seem like a forever bus ride, we were back in Pham Ngu Lao, had a lousy dinner and headed to FANNY Ice Cream!!! Finally!!!
We found FANNY!!! (with the help of a map and taxi driver)
Our ice creams and WeeB's Creation which had 10 scoops of wonderfully delicious ice cream with fruits and 3 types of dipping. All these for a mere S$11. I wanna eat FANNY again!!!
Day 4 - Last Day and Last Scam
We went to the Ben Thanh Market to do last min shopping. WeeB and I got our coffee beans. Thinking we could have a cyclo experience before we left the city, we got into a SCAM...
Trust me when i say WeeB's smile was totally wiped off after we alighted
I wanna knock his teeth out and rip his head off. Bloody money-thirsty, foreigners-scampster, cyclo rider. It is these pple who give Saigon a bad reputation.
An advice to anyone who plan to go HCMC: DO NOT! take the cyclo, even if you all have talked and decided on the rates before boarding.
All in all, it was a good trip. It's nice as it is still pretty simple and alot less polluted and noisy compared to Hong Kong or Bangkok. But language is still a little of a barrier. I could go again for sure. Especially for FANNY's. Haha... Hope the fotos din disappoint. =)
