While spending almost a week in the Go Vap District we had
ventured to District 1 a few times for dinner but hadn’t done much exploring.
That was all about to change as we moved 10km into the heart of the action,
where a familiar face from home was waiting for us – Karen’s mam Helen! We were
spoiled rotten as Helen put us up in the fabulous Elios Hotel and showered us
with tea bags, biscuits, magazines, face creams and all kinds of lovely stuff!
We only had a day in District 1 but we were determined to
see all of it. So after a breakfast on the rooftop overlooking the city (told
you it was a fancy hotel!) we set out our mission:
12 Hours in Ho Chi Minh City
10am: Cyclo Tour
What better way to get a whistle stop tour of the city than
on a cyclo, a three-wheel bicycle taxi (that kind of makes you feel like a baby
in a buggy). We were nabbed by 3 cyclo drivers outside our hotel and bartered a
deal for a tour. We explored pagodas and temples, sheltered from a rain shower
in a tiny local cafe and got to see loads of the city and the people who call
it home. If traffic seemed scary before, it was nothing compared to going around
a roundabout in a rickshaw!
11.30am: War Remnants Museum
11.30am: War Remnants Museum
Any tour of HCMC must include a stop at the War Remnants
Museum. The war is such a huge part of Vietnam’s history but it doesn’t feel
like “history” when you are there, it’s like the wounds are still fresh. The
museum itself is wholly impressive even if its contents are hard to take at
times with graphic photographs and harrowing stories from survivors. The stories
about Agent Orange really hit a nerve for me, having met children in the orphanage
in the days before who are still suffering from its effects.
12.45pm: Got ripped off by Cyclo Drivers
Despite being very clear when agreeing a price with our
charming Cyclo Drivers at the start, they insisted that the price they gave us
was for 1 hour and we had been gone for almost 3. There was no arguing with them.
Our blood was boiling but they knew they had us because we had a tour to catch
at 1 and had no time to lose, so they wouldn’t drop us back until we paid them.
Lots of people told us about similar scams they fell for but it was the first time we had
been caught out in over 4 months travelling - and we were ragin’!
1pm: Cu Chi Tunnels
Tour
You can book tours to Cu Chi Tunnels everywhere but we got
lucky with An Tours (on Pham Ngu Lao Street) because our guide, Tong, was the
best you could ask for. Tong was 68 years old and had fought in the war from start to finish. He showed us a huge scar on his arm where he had been shot and forced to
live underground for over 3 months while he recovered. His stories were honest
and terrifying.
After crawling through one of the tiny tunnels I asked him if
the soldiers ever panicked down there. He said they were constantly terrified,
they never knew when they were going to die and to keep on fighting was their only
hope. I found it fascinating that he remembered the noises of the different
types of bombs and guns and could mimic them so clearly, but it makes sense
when you realise that they fought in darkness and could only hear their
attackers.
He may have been 68 but there was plenty of life left in
Tong! He spent the day telling stories, singing songs and filling us in on his antic
with his much younger wife and his 6 year old son! I think he was actually a
bit mad, but it suited him.
8pm AO Show / Opera
House
After being dropped back to the city, getting slightly lost
and horsing down some noodles, we found the Opera House just in time to take
our seats for the AO Show. (We had bought our tickets earlier in the War
Remnants Museum as they are much cheaper to buy there. It’s worth it to pay
extra for better seats or you could end up watching a wall).
The AO Show is like Cirque De Soleil with a very Vietnamese
twist as the acrobats use only bamboo sticks and baskets and traditional Vietnamese
music. There was music, there was dancing, there was people flinging themselves
all over the place – I loved it!
9pm Ben Thanh Market
I’m not sure how Helen wasn’t dead on her feet at this
stage, but we still had some energy left for a wander around Ben Thanh Market
on Le Loi Street. It was surprisingly a lot tamer than markets we had been to
in Indonesia but nice for a stroll and some great street food. Same rules apply
though: don’t make eye contact or you’ll buy a handbag!
10pm Elios Hotel
When we returned to the hotel we stood at our huge window overlooking
the city in our fancy robes with a cup of Barry’s tea and gave ourselves a pat
on the back - not too bad for 12 hours in Saigon!
Next Stop: Hoi An, Vietnam
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