Nov 30 Cuchi tunnels tour

 Another exciting day started at 7 for breakfast then 8 for a tour 75km from Saigon to the famous Cuchi tunnels. On the way we stopped at a factory where victims of the agent orange used during the Vietnam war, work making seashell and egg shell pictures on vases, plaques, jewelry boxes etc. The artistic designs were incredible. Then we ventured on to the Cuchi tunnels where we got to go underground and see where the Vietcong hid and lived during the Vietnam war. There are over 250 km of tunnels but we only went into 3. We had to crouch down to walk through them. It was absolutely amazing, and surreal to think the people lived like this for over 20 years of the war. The tunnels were completely dug out by hand and actually started in the 1940s. There was a hospital, dining area, and an area where they made weapons from the American artillery etc. Besides the obvious entrances, we saw the hidden hatches they used to escape from the enemies. The Vietnamese people were very resourceful when it came to fighting.  A cold beer was had in the jungle after about an  hour of checking out the tunnels, then on to Saigon for lunch at a typical Vietnamese restaurant. It was on a river used by the Vietcong to move along under the water using bamboo pipes for breathing tubes. It was so surreal being exactly where the war took place. Such thick jungle and windy rivers. Back to the center of Saigon to the war museum where we learned the view of the war from the perspective of the Vietnamese.  So sad to see the fall out of the innocent villagers and children. Many people today still have the effects of the agent orange and other chemical warfare used by the Americans. Then back to our hotel around 5 for a relax at Brenda and Garnets room and down for a pizza and burger supper by the pool restaurant. After a dip in the pool I’m back in my room for the evening ready to tour the Mekong delta tomorrow. 

Entry to Cuchi tunnels 

Map of the bomb area near Saigon 

Statues of the Vietnamese soldiers 

Bev entering the tunnels 

Blocked off long tunnels underground 

The tunnel we were crawling through 

Another blocked off passage underground 

Garnet in one of the first rooms we entered 

Brenda after making it through the first tunnel 

Stairs leading out of a tunnel 

The hospital 

The dining room

Brenda making it through 

Statue of a Vietnamese lady sharpening bamboo for weapons 

Sharpened bamboo in a trap 

Example a of a trap used by the Vietcong 

Another trap 

More hand made traps used during the war 

 

Secret entrance to tunnels 

 

Guide going down into a tunnel

Secret tunnel with latch closed

Beers in the jungles of Cuchi 

Garnet and Brenda in the jungle 

Floating vegetation that the Vietcong used to float down the river hidden under breathing through bamboo

The lotus flower

War museum 

Vietnam war museum 

US fighter jet 

Nov 28 Day 1 in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)

 Up early again, after a quick breakfast, Bao picked us up and drove us to the airport for a 1 1/2 hour flight from Danang to Saigon. 40 min drive into the city and we arrived at the Grand Hotel Saigon. Another spectacular hotel with a grand suite room over looking the busy street below with very tall unique buildings surrounding us. Rooms weren’t quite ready so over to the 7-11 for cheap beers at a little table out front. Lol Once our  rooms were ready, we settled in, changed and headed to the 20th floor for another cocktail and stunning views of the famous Saigon river. At 4 pm our new guide for the day, Hau, met us with a group of scooter drivers where we loaded up and took an amazing ride through the busy streets of Saigon. 6 million scooters in Saigon alone, amongst cars, buses, and SUVs. Population of Saigon is 10 million. We rode past a local high school that just let out and Omg you should have seen the scooters. Rush hour with parents picking up their kids.  It was absolutely crazy, but weirdly I didn’t feel unsafe. We visited a monument of a president who sacrificed himself by burning himself to death in order to save the Vietnamese people. Then Hau took us to a Michelin star restaurant for some local Vietnamese cuisine. It was excellent.  After supper we rode the scooters back to our hotel. After a stroll around the hotel to check it out we settled in our rooms for the night.  Tomorrows tour to start at 8 so some much needed relaxation tonight is welcomed.

My corner grand suite room. 

View from the roof top bar 

Beers over looking the famous Saigon river 

Saigon river

Beers near a local market 

Bev all loaded up 

Our wild scooter group 

Saigon scooter rush hour traffic and us experiencing it first hand on the back! 

Scooter traffic 

More scooters than I’ve ever seen. 

Kinda like AMA for scooters ( gas, tire repair, etc)

Supper at the Michelin Star Vietnamese restaurant 

Hau with us at dinner. 

Nov 28 Marble mountain, Bana Hills and Golden bridge tour

 Another amazing day. Started with breakfast at the La Siesta resort. Our driver Bao and Ruby picked us up 9 am. First highlight was marble mountain and a Pagoda cave with original hand carved marble Buddha statues dating back to the 17th century. Then after 45 minutes on the Tour bus we arrived at the base of Bana Hills where we boarded a cable car and travelled for approx 20 min to a height of 1400 metres above sea level. It was absolutely amazing with spectacular views of the valley and city of Danang below. Soon we were as high as the clouds but were so lucky not to have rain. Lots of fog but we were still able to get a great view of the Golden bridge. It was so cool to see the bridge with the huge hands holding it up. It represents hands holding up a strip of silk against the sky. Once to the top of the mountain , we visited the “ French city “ and enjoyed a few free glasses of beer at the Sun craft brew house.  We walked through the beautiful gardens of Bana Hills and then took the cable car back to base. The French city is like a fairy tail world built on top of the mountain. Then on to Danang for another authentic lunch which was actually pretty tasty. On our way back to the hotel we hit scooter rush hour traffic. It was great for a few laughs. I’ve never seen so many scooters in one place. This evening we had a few drinks in Bev and Jerald’s room and then Brenda Garnet and I walked into the city of Hoi An to see the lanterns again and check out a few shops along the way. Now we are back in our rooms, repacked again and ready for our early morning ride to the Danang airport for flight to Ho Chi Ming city better known as Saigon.

View from the top of Marble mountain

17th century pagoda 

Pagoda at Marble mountain

Hand carved original Buddha statue from the 17th century 

Marble mountain Buddha 

Coming down 100 uneven marble staircase 

Man hand carving happy Buddha 

Bana Hills cable car station 

Riding the cable car up 1400 m 

Farther up the cable car with city of Danang at the bottom. 

Up top the Golden bridge 

Foggy 20° but so cool 

Jerald and Bev 

Our group up top. Notice both hands in this pic!

Bana Hills Love Garden 

golden bridge 

Up top in the French City 

More of the French city 

Enjoying sun craft beer 

A little snow charm in Vietnam lol

Cheers to free Sun beer. 

The descent to the base of Bana Hills 

Beautiful waterfall we crossed over below the cable car 

Scooter rush hour traffic. Lol

Portable Aquarium store