We arrived in the bustling city of Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) after another overnight train. After sitting in the hotel lobby from 5 am to 9 am waiting for our rooms, we hopped on a minibus to go visit the Cu Chi Tunnels. These tunnels were used by the the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. There were over 250km of tunnels built and had sleeping quarters, hospitals and schools. The tunnels were only 80cm high but there was a section that was expanded so that westerners can crawl through. There were lots of displays showing everything from the traps the Viet Cong used to how they made weapons from unexploded US bombs. There was even the option of buying some ammo and shooting an AK47 but it was really expensive. It was very touristy but still pretty neat to see and very eye opening.
We came back to the city in the afternoon and walked to the War Remnants Museum. There were a number of US military vehicles (tanks, planes, and helicopters) on display as well as a number of photo exhibits. The pictures were very graphic, especially the ones showing the victims of exposure to Agent Orange. It is hard to believe some of the war tactics the US used on the Vietnamese. It is also amazing that despite everything that happened over here during the Vietnam War, the people are still very warm and welcoming to westerners.
The next day we headed out to the Mekong Delta for an overnight homestay. We took a boat out on the river and stopped at a small village to see how they make a living here. We visited a tile maker, a thatch roof weaver, a blacksmith, and a coffin maker. It was pretty interesting to see how they still use very traditional skills and methods to make items to sell in local markets. We even got to help out! We had a wonderful lunch of fresh fish from the Mekong Delta and then stopped at a garden nursery. After that we stopped at a home where they grew bonsai trees. We got to sample some cinnamon rice wine and snake wine. When I say wine, I use the term loosely as it was pretty much hooch with a picked cobra (minus the head) in it. While we were there we got to hold the family pet...a 2m long Mekong python. We stopped at one more house and got to hold an even bigger python before getting in a canoe and were paddled to our homestay. Our homestay was actually more like a dormitory building that was on stilts in the water. Once we got settled in we headed out for a bike ride through the village which was a neat way to see the place. A few people had brake and steering problems and one of the ladies in our group had a small accident. Luckily there was a shrub in the ditch to catch her fall. We came back and had a few drinks before another wonderful meal of fresh fish. A few too many shots of wine were poured so needless to say there were a few headaches the next day. The following morning we headed out on the river again and stopped to see the floating markets. Locals sell their wares from their boats and they display what they are selling (onions, pumpkins, etc.) by tying it to a pole on their boat. Our final stop was at a place where they make coconut and popped rice candy.
We made our way back to Ho Chi Minh and had a relaxing afternoon. That night we went out for dinner with the group and said goodbye to the 4 people who were leaving the tour and hello to the 4 new people. This was our last day in Vietnam and we are a little sad to say goodbye...this is definitely a place we will visit again. However, we are very excited about seeing our next country...Cambodia!