The Last Few Days In Saigon

Not sure the actual reason why I kept delaying writing this post until now: running out of words to write, simply being busy/tired, or refusing to accept that any journey has to end at some points...

 We were surely going with the flow and taking it easy. Knowing we only had few days, we just wanted to soak it all in: the warm climate, the "living in the moment" spirit, the organized chaos...

Breakfast alone in the alley at this age!
(G lined up for a seat :)

Still fascinated by watching the livelihood in the allies, we walked through some nook and cranny ones, found some delicious food for breakfast and lunch, returned to our favourite place for refreshing smoothies, saw some interesting vendors of meat or vegetables who chose no part in any markets, G had a hair cut with a young barber who wished to see us again but we were leaving in couple days, met a lunch vendor who has a gentle soul and just wanted to connect with us: bought G a beer, gave us a big cookie from family altar, shared a zip in a same glass of desert drink and offered us the rest... Somehow, her unconditional and simple acts of kindness had touch our hearts deeply! Definitely we will look her up next time.

We also visited couple friends and relatives on Sunday to have our last simple lunch together (eating on the floor and my "good traveler" just fit right in!), or a dinning feast my two cousins offered...

 On Monday we did the last minute shopping, tried another adventure in food for dinner but weren't successful. Although we took a long walk to search for the right restaurant, G still got the tasteless ostrich steak for the first time, and I ordered a fish dish but ended with "Survivors" fish size that I didn't like...That was  part of adventure---disappointment is expected!

Dinner cruise

Shoes shopping at night market

 The memorable part was the peaceful long walk through the park or the harbour at night time, watching Vietnamese people live their life and being amazed: regardless how busy they are during the days, they surely know how to enjoy life in the evenings and always have close connection with friends and family so often... How different our life is in the western countries!

On Tues morning we just took it easy, of course had breakfast and lunch in the allies for the last time, then it was time to pack. 

Goodbye at the same airport
(1st time was 32 yrs ago)

We left Saigon at 5pm local time (5am Tues in Canada) and didn't arrive home until 3pm Wed!

At the moment we are trying to overcome the jet lag and getting back to the swing of life here.  There will be some reflections on this journey and my Yoga Teachers Training course later. 

Until next journey.....

Củ Chi Tunnels & The War Remnants Museum

Loved the sleeper bus from Mui Ne to Saigon. Wish we have that kind of seating on airplanes, that would be good enough for me without paying extra for business class.

As of Mar 14, we have 6 days in Ho Chi Minh City before going home. We have a few commitments, like visiting friends and relatives, (and big time shopping for Le?) but the rest is our free time!

Entrance into the tunnel

On Sat. we decided to see the Củ Chi Tunnels. There were reasons we put off visiting these two places (+WRM) during our last three trips until now:
- we had many more interesting places to see on the list
- didn't like to see anything or know more about VN war
- would not be able to avoid tourists in these two places (we were right ;)

A ventilation hole

It took 1hr+ to get to Cu Chi on a tour bus. Yes, we gave in and went on the TOUR with another 37 tourists! (can't afford a private tour) The young guide on the bus ran through the war history and how/when/why the tunnels were created...

Tire rubber shoes maker

The place was packed with tourists, 500 to 1000 daily with an entrance fee of $3US/person.  We walked through a designated route to see a weapons gallery, different jungle traps, ventilation holes, places where the soldiers made hand grenades from unexploded US bombs,,,rubber shoes from tires, US tanks...We were also brave enough to crawl through a very narrow and dark tunnel to experience what it was like for VN soldiers doing it daily. Most tourists whose bodies were too big or were claustrophobic could not participate. I was gasping for air after 10 minutes down there! And the darkness...no wonder I loved my iPhone more than my husband. I had an instant flashlight! A truly heroic and anti-American war documentary video ended the tour.

Path to school

On the way back from Cu Chi,  we got off the bus at the War Remnants Museum. To be honest, myself and my family was still there during the war but we lived in Saigon so we didn't have to endure what people in other regions Vietnam had to endure! Seeing the evidence, pictures and reading the stories made us cry: the guillotine machine from French colonialists, the cages, the agent orange children with birth defects, their bravery, endurance of suffering, agony from their losses, zest for life..The Children of War exhibit touched me the most! We then knew why we kept putting off this visit until now.

Individual hiding cave

Well, we didn't know that we would be held up in the museum longer by a downpour rain! When the rain kinda stopped, we walked another 3km to Ben Thanh market for lunch, then bought 2 rain coats to walk back to the hotel as the rain was pouring again.

Walking under the rain bought back my childhood memories as VN has 6-month of rainy season.

Days of Just Being

Over the last four days in Mui Ne, we had no specific plan or destination, and decided to go with the flow. I was able to do some yoga practice: meditation, sun salutations, and Head Stand (yah! I still got it!) and ventured in to the country side by motorcycle with G.

Saturday was almost a "do-nothing" day: waking up late (after 6am is late here!), sitting around, observing life and the surroundings...taking walks to here and there and to the beach...

City of still life

On Sunday, we rented a motorcycle but had no destination. G said just drive to see where the road will take us. We always unintentionally managed to stay away from the tourist crowd. Stopped here and there in the countryside to see how people live... Plus we went to see a cemetery of vast proportions, the size of a small city! Hmmm, the morning just flew by. But when the sun was pounding down on us and the temp went to 35C, it was time to go back for lunch and a siesta in AC room for the afternoon. We took a short walk back to the Fairy Stream before the sunset (never get tired of this place) then rode the motorbike to a beachside restaurant for a somewhat disappointing dinner.

Perseverance paid off. On early Monday we returned to the harbor. This time it was buzzing with activity! We were completely in awe with all the going ons at the shore, snapping pics, taking video and just observing what seemed to be an organized chaos. I bought some fresh scallops right from a fisherman (missed the crabs though :() , and had a coffee shop near by grill them for me. I stuffed myself with fresh seafood for lunch at 10am! Breakfast was at 7am. Is it too late for any weight loss advice???

Tuesday was the last day in Mui Ne, of course we wanted to return to the Fairy Stream to do some yoga poses and soak under the waterfall to embrace the memories there.

Today we will get on the bus heading back to Ho Chi Minh City after spending 11 days in Mui Ne (can you tell we love this place?)

Until the next return, we will re-live the memories of Mui Ne by watching our videos or pics.

At the time of posting, we are in Saigon at a beautiful hotel, no bed bugs of course.

Six more days before we return to Canada. How time flies!

Day Trip To Takou Mountain

Friday was adventure and a lots of laughter.

We took the first local bus that came by which was not the right one but still arrived at our destination as planned. This bus was old and decrepit and was used mostly for transporting goods from the countryside to the city markets. It was loaded with bethel leave bags and other produce, and didn't stop frequently at the bus stops. We gave it a nickname "express bus" and agreed that the unexpected is more adventurous. Everything about this bus made us laugh!

We had to change bus in Phan Thiet to get to Takou Mountain about 30km away, passing true mostly dragon fruit farms. The ticket seller tried not to give me back the change but didn't succeed; and she forgot to tell the driver to stop for us when/where we were supposed to get off. Luckily, we only had to walk back a short distance.

Tà Cú (or Takou) Mountain in Bình Thuận Province has a picturesque scenery of the mountain’s rainforest and the largest statue of a reclining Buddha in Vietnam.

We took a cable car up to see the white stone statue of Thich Ca Nhap Niet Ban (Buddha entering Nirvana) just below the summit of the almost-700-meter-high mountain. This statue is 49 meters long and 18 meters high surrounded by wild vegetation and lots of birds. It was erected in 1962 and the pagodas were built in the late 19th century. There were also other statues of different Buddhas on lower levels.

I am glad we visited this mountain even though we couldn't say "wow, but we had a change of scenery and a peaceful time up there, not to mention we had a cardiovascular workout as we tstill had to climb 100 plus steps each of 2 levels. It was too hot and humid to even consider trekking.

Watching the locals who came to have family picnics there; being up high, hiding in quiet shady spots, listening to the birds, the wind whispered through the bamboo patches, the gong and chanting sounds from temples afar helped us experience "nirvana".

The bus rides home were also pleasant. The bus driver had to add water to the radiator while the bus was in motion, quite an accomplishment. In between two rides, we stopped at a 3-level Western style mall.  The grocery department had some interesting sections that catered to the local cultural needs.  What a zoo there!

Our willingness to mix with the locals and explore the unknown gave us excitement and awe.

Comfort Zone or Adventure?

Or a little of both. Comfort zone because we returned to a familiar place. Adventure because "God laughs as we plan" How true!

Fit right in a local bus

On Thurs morning we woke up at 5am, planned to return to the fishing village to see more of the harbor action. Missed the 5:30am bus, the 6am bus was full so we were ignored, augh!  After one hour standing at the bus stop, we finally got picked up and arrived at the harbor.

Six on a bucket boat!

To our surprise, there was not much activity. At first we thought we were too late. Then I asked around and found out that due to the strong winds the night before, the fishermen got an unexpected day off.

Disappointment didn't last long. We strolled along the harbor shore, met and chatted with locals, watched them catching up with things they would do on their day off: maintenance work on their boats, family gathering, male friends having rooster fights, playing cards... Someone let G climb in their boat for picture taking. We did some beach combing and collected some very beautiful and unusual seashells.

CONNECTIVITY is what we were having and enjoyed every minute of it. Somehow we didn't get bored staying there until high noon!

The adorable twin--Carrot & Chou-Chou

Bliss (Ananda)

One day on the motorbike, the next day should be on foot. So we walked back to our favorite memory lane: the Fairy Stream (Suối Tiên). A small and shallow river that separates a lush and green area from giant sand dunes and sand stones. There are no roads to get there, so one has to walk in the river to see this majestic landscape.



The minute my feet touched the soft red sand and the cool water at ankle height, I knew we would have a wonderful day!  We never got tired of looking at the surrounding, emerged with nature, enjoying and feeling each moment...

The highlight was when we reached a small waterfall that feeds the river! After a long but pleasant walk under the hot sun, I was a child again once standing and soaking myself under the waterfall. Luckily, there were few tourists there and none wanted to stay long so we had the waterfall for ourselves for awhile. My spirit was soaring! I surely felt a state of bliss.

Close by was a small house where they sold snacks and a cool drink (beer for G ;) and let us use a hammock (my birthday gift hint for G). On the way back we took a walking pad along the river between rice fields and palm trees.

After a siesta time, we borrowed a motorbike from the motel owner to visit the Ponashu Chăm Towers,  temples from the Champa Kingdom, built in the late 8th century. We had 1hour to tour the place and that was enough. It was a peaceful place but not impressive as we had already seen the best--Angkor Watt.

The day after was a beach day--going nowhere, just hanging around the beach, did nothing but just BEING ;)

As food is usually good here, we completed each day with a delicious dinner. Does that sound like a great vacation so far to you?

We were tempted to move on to Hoi An (another favorite place) but we didn't want to travel for 20 hours plus to get there; why bother as everything is great here, so we decided Mui Ne would be the last leg before returning to Ho Chi Minh city to fly home.

Twelve days and counting....time flies when you have a good time!

Joy Ride

We are still in Mui Ne, Vietnam...

On Monday we drove about 100km along the coastline on a motorcycle and viewed the most amazing scenery. During the last few days, it was really hot and windy by noon and the breeze from riding the bike was most welcomed.

Starting the day near the local market, G's new habit is Vietnamese soup for breakfast; mine is ice coffee! (I rarely drunk coffee or tea before.)

We headed down to the village harbor, took lots of time to observe and interacted with the locals. It was so fascinating to watch their morning activity!  We plan to go back again one very early morning, 6 am,  to see more action. 

The harbor activity is almost indescribable. There are hundreds of boats, big and small, that are anchored about a 100 feet from shore. Mostly women then unload the boats catch and transfer it to smaller Basket Boats and bring it to shore. Most of the catch are Scallops, Squids and Shrimps as well as smelts Anchovy Fish that are used to make Vietnamese Fish sauce. After being there 3 times, this was the first time we learned about scallop processing, my favorite seafood. Did not know what scallop shells look like?

Women along the shore were doing piece work extracting the scallops, 50 cents/kg to open and discard the shells which form "mountains" on the beach.  Then the dealers weigh their buckets of scallop flesh that gets sold to restaurants and frozen food plants. There are others cleaning all sizes of squids and fish and sell it by weight.  There were women carrying 2 containers of gasoline, about 15 liters each, from the road to the shore,  50 cents/trip/2 jugs on their shoulders (I checked but there were no shoulder pads!) Then from the shore, the men would carry those big jugs out to the boat to deliver gasoline to bigger boats that anchored further out. Probably needless to mention that the smell at the harbor is not for the faint hearted.

After another lengthy bike ride we reached Hon Rom, had lunch at a beach resort for locals, not one tourist in sight. Le ordered about 40 Scallops for less than $4, BBQ'd in the shell by an old lady walking the beach; plus 5 giant shrimps. To make it short, after beer, ice coffee, boiled peanuts, sweets and more we had a swim.

We continued our trip to giant white sand dunes next to a lotus lake. The white sand is odd as most everywhere else the sand is red. The drive back was hard as we were tired and full of sand as we encountered several mini sandstorms.

Another wonderful ride in Mui Ne!