In case you are wondering, the HCM visit was a
working trip! REALLY!!! The second day started with a seminar which took the entire morning, followed by a light lunch before afternoon activities began. During lunch, found out that some of the other trip members really did wake up early and visited the Ben Thanh market at 6:00am! So, no, I didn’t drag myself out of bed to go shopping so early in the morning.
Was told that the food or wet market section was opened, but not the main stores, which were the main target for most of us. These opened only around 7:30am to 8:00am. So no early morning shopping trips for me, although I did contemplate getting up early to see activities at a small park located next to the hotel we stayed. Am sure there would be people doing their bits of exercise, be it a jog around the park, badminton games, or just people taking a leisurely walk to enjoy bits and pieces of the greenery in the city. Can also see males and females alike kicking and trying to keep this rubbery thing with feathers attached in the air.
Ok, back to topic. We were given a choice of three activities; play golf, own free time (SHOPPING!), or make a trip to the Cu Chi tunnels. Hard choice to pick one, with many opting to have their own free time, and trying to persuade those who initially opted to go to Cu Chi tunnels to go shopping instead.
For me, I chose to go and experience the Cu Chi tunnels (incidentally, it is pronounced as “Ku Chee” as opposed to “Choo Chee” as many are wont to do. Have read about the VietCong tunnels whilst still studying for my A’levels so many years ago, and remembered being fascinated somewhat by the idea of a city underground.
The part of the Cu Chi tunnel we went (in the end, only one third ventured forth to the tunnels, and a pitiful three played golf. No prizes to guess where the others went) was only a small part of the entire network of tunnels. Took us about one hour and fifteen minutes drive to get there.
We saw a hideout, and some went into the “minute” hole. Me? Nah! Don’t think I would fit!
Part of the tunnel was widened for tourist to experience, and yes, most of us did try it out. I did not have to crawl, but had to squat and move slowly forward, with my thighs aching like mad after that. Some others, who were larger sized than me had to crawl. Now normally, I am not prone to claustrophobia, but at the point where we stopped for a moment (only 40 metres, but it felt like forever) while someone had to readjust their movement, the darkness got to me a bit (despite having a torch light), with the tunnel getting narrower and narrower amidst encountering difficulty in breathing (lack of oxygen, underground muh!), as well as sweating like mad in the heat. Now we know why most Vietnamese people are so skinny, because of the better than sauna experience!
For this experience alone, it was definitely worth the trip to the Cu Chi tunnel, but once is enough. I cannot comprehend the actual tunnels itself which are smaller and narrower than the ones we went through, and I really salute the VietCongs who fought a war for a good number of years living underground, laying deadly traps in wait for the unwary. It’s hard to find the tunnels, and just looking at the area, would not have imagined there was a whole network of tunnels underground where people cooked, slept, and fought for their idealism.
After the trip, we had a dinner cruise along the Saigon river, with entertainment in the form of life music, some traditional Vietnamese dancing, and even a magic show. I did try the Vietnamese Coffee, and had two white and one black cups of coffee, and still managed to sleep after that! Also sampled the Vietnamese Laksa, but had to add extra dollops of their version of belacan to give it the extra kick! I also managed to catch up with an ex-colleague from a bank I used to work for. Have not seen her in more than seven years!
After the cruise, some of us opted to go for a bit of night shopping near the Ben Thanh market. I didn’t get back to the hotel until after midnight, with plans to go sight-seeing the next day before the flight home. Thus, ended the second day.
What can I say, but "WOW!"...
We decided earlier on to walk the city and began with the nearby park (No.1 on the map), to take in the sight and sounds, and even the many smells of the place, amidst the usual honking of the many motorbikes wheezing pass us especially when we were crossing the hazardous roads. This walking trip is hard to summarise in just so many words, so instead, will let the pictures (catch it in the next post!) do the talking and will just highlight some points along the journey. We followed the route as shown by the red lines on the map.
Was told that the food or wet market section was opened, but not the main stores, which were the main target for most of us. These opened only around 7:30am to 8:00am. So no early morning shopping trips for me, although I did contemplate getting up early to see activities at a small park located next to the hotel we stayed. Am sure there would be people doing their bits of exercise, be it a jog around the park, badminton games, or just people taking a leisurely walk to enjoy bits and pieces of the greenery in the city. Can also see males and females alike kicking and trying to keep this rubbery thing with feathers attached in the air.