The highlight of the entire trip for me…The Cu chi tunnels..the labyrinth designed by the vietcong to fight, initially the french, then later in the vietnam war, the americans. The tunnels were tiny, so small that the united states had to recruit the smallest soldiers to fit and then fight in them..those GI’s became known as the tunnel rats, trying to ferret out the enemy. The design of the tunnels and bunkers with air pockets and kitchens and meeting rooms and arms assembly bunkers all completely underground, was astonishing. The ingenuity of the boobie traps to maim and kill was inspirational, horrible, but fascinating.
The city of Saigon, which is what the locals still call Ho Chi Minh, is ridiculously fabulous. I loved it. While there was so much more traffic than Hanoi, there were at least a few road rules and for the most part people stayed on the right side of the road. It’s clean and cosmopolitian and yet still developing and simple at the same time. The markets have fixed price tags, but after buying the same things in other vietnamese cities, the haggle still reigns supreme. I would definitely return and explore more of Saigon. Mum celebrated her 66th birthday there and we did so in style with lunch at the Inter Continental Saigon. Anne was able to withdraw a few more dollars and buy a few more things she didn’t really need or particularly like that much, but sure had fun doing it. Greeting me at the airport, my beautiful daughter just returned from 5 weeks camp and her 2 younger sisters. Not to mention a gorgeous husband..happy to be home..