Crossing the border into Vietnam was like being in film. Menacing-eyed officials clad in green uniforms with the yellow star checked us out and spent what seemed like an eternity looking at C's unglued passport before letting us in. The minute we got back on the bus we knew we had changed countries. The wooden stilt houses were replaced by concrete blocks, the road lacked pot-holes, the people were no longer riding buffaloes. In contrast to Phenom Penh, Saigon is packed with buildings and there are no unpaved streets. Smiles are rarer and you hear the raindrops more than the laughter. Still, Vietnam looks promising. After getting caught in the monsoon several times, we picked an ok day to visit the Cu Chi tunnels, where the Viet Congs hid and fought during the war. Scary stuff. Thankfully our guide elaborated a theory on the size of Western bottoms and their role in the conflict to lighten the atmosphere. He even talked more than Cristian (a first).
The Mekong delta trip was comparable to the Fraser Island tour as we were shown the toilets on every possible occasion - maybe because our bladders were over-stimulated by excessive amounts of tea?
Paddling down the Thames (aka Mekong Delta).
People live down there.
Saigon post office by Eiffel, with Uncle Ho in the background.
School parade in Reunification Park, Saigon.
Riffles at Cu Chi tunnels.
Getting into the tunnels.
Cobra and scorpion firewater.
C smilling before the python tried to kiss him - check the video link below.
Cristian and the terrible python (246Kb WindowsMediaPlayer) VideoClip
The candy machine used for wrapping (301Kb WindowsMediaPlayer) VideoClip