March 20, 2024
We were met at 7:00 and taken by speedboat, which saved 2 hours travel time to the tunnels. The people on the boat were so helpful and informative. They hustled out drinks, fruit and even breakfast. We had eaten breakfast already since the hotel told us that they didn’t serve anything on the boat except maybe fruit. They did serve breakfast and those that had it said it was good. It was an enjoyable ride, and we felt the transition from city buildings to lush jungle along the riverbanks. They were quick to explain everything along the way. Pointing out the “million dollar houses” along the way. What appeared to be plain buildings were multi-million dollar making Swiftlet houses built to attract them by playing a recording of actual Swiftlet sounds. Swiftlets craft nests entirely from its own spit. These birds weave gummy strands from their salivary glands, which solidify when they encounter air. These white, cup-shaped filaments are attached high on the walls of caves, safely away from the reach of predators below. Since it was so dangerous to harvest the nests from steep cliff walls, these houses make it super easy to collect the nests.
When soaked overnight and boiled in water, these nests turn
into a hearty soup. The dish was favored by generations of ancient Chinese
royalty dating all the way back to the Tang Dynasty some 1,200 years ago. It
has been a staple in the diet of emperors and is sometimes served with shredded
chicken or duck. So, the Vietnamese are profiting dearly by this method of nest
collection.
Many birds were seen along the way and Greg spent most of the ride outside taking photos.
We had a fabulous guide, Kha. He was very informative without being boring. He told a lot of personal stories of his family from the Civil War (not American or Vietnam War) as well as showing us the tunnels.
It was very interesting to explore the intricate network of
underground passages, chambers, rooms, and booby traps used by the Viet Cong. These
tunnels allowed them to appear suddenly, launch lightning-fast ambushes and
retreat just as quickly.
We did a few of the photo ops. I knew I wouldn’t get myself out, but I did the one where you drop down into the hole that has a cover when put on, it is undetectable, despite my recent rotator cuff surgery. Two guys pulled me up and out which I
was grateful for. We duck-walked or walked hunched over a short distance in one
of the tunnels. Awesome!
They offer an opportunity to shoot a variety of weapons. I really wanted to do the AK-47, but I was worried about hurting my shoulder and the cost was steep as well.
There was an included
lunch with 7 different dishes including crispy spring rolls, chicken soup with
dumplings, cashew chicken, fish and more! I failed to get photos of the food before we all dived in.
After lunch we returned by speedboat and were driven back to our hotel.
The tour went long so we didn’t get any down time to relax before going to the Reunification Palace since it closed at 3:00. Greg ordered a Grab (like Uber) and was really cheap to get from place to place. ($1.75 for the 4 of us)
Independence Palace during the Vietnam War served as the
residence and office of South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu. It was
designated as a historical monument for having witnessed significant changes in
Saigon's history and keeping the essence of Eastern culture. It was the site of
the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, when a North Vietnamese Army tank crashed
through the gates.
Note, that while we in the States call it the Vietnam War, it is sometimes referred to here as the American War, but our guide today explained it now is more commonly called the Civil War since it was the South against the North. Last time we were here we visited the War Remnants Museum which I highly recommend.
After that we walked to the Rex for iced coffee. Last time,
the coffee was like candy and this time for me it was undrinkable. So, will
retain the memories of 2013.
I think Cathy has the photos of the 4 of us with the coffee, as the server took them with her camera. If so, I will include those later.
We then walked Nguyen Hue Street which is a wide pedestrian-only area that runs directly in front of the People’s Committee, all the way to the river and it was decorated with dragons. We got a bit lost trying to find the market, so we didn’t stay long, and I bought some peanut candies.
We wandered back towards the hotel and the Krill’s went back to the hotel and we went for more local food. We lucked into a place that was very good. I had the Beef Satay Rice and Greg had their special Chicken with Rice and the server brought us free chicken soup as an appetizer. The soup alone could have been a meal. Crossing streets there was almost like suicide. Compared to 10 years ago, there were way less scooters and more cars. Progress for them, but not as charming to us.
We went to buy water and ice cream and then went up to the rooftop bar for drinks.
Tomorrow, we get picked up for our transfer to the Mekong Princess River Boat.
For larger photos: https://photos.app.goo.gl/sYe4PuvcMkmkgtha9
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