A very quick recap of southern Vietnam

I am now in Hanoi, and I have so much to share about my time in southern Vietnam and no time to do it. Our schedule has been jam-packed, and the Wifi at our hotel here has been sporadic. So once again I’ll provide a quick overview and hope to update this with more detail later.

Day One

We spent most of our first day in Saigon outside of Saigon, at the Mekong Delta. OAT calls this trip “Ancient Kingdoms,” but it might easily be called “Following the Mekong.” We’ve encountered this river in every country we visited. We weren’t anywhere close to the source, which is in Tibet, and we didn’t quite make it to the mouth, where river meets sea, but we have spent a lot of time alongside or on top of its waters.

Our visit to the Delta started with a boat ride to an island in the delta, where we met a family who farm there, growing primarily jackfruit and pomelos. We had a tour of the small farm and a taste of the fruit. Pomelo is much like grapefruit, but larger and with a lot more pith. Jackfruit, to me, tasted like bubblegum, with a creamy texture.

Then we continued our boatride to the other side of the river, where we got aboard sampans and had a short ride through a narrow canal. I think if I ever thought about what the Mekong Delta looks like, the reality matched my imagination perfectly.

After the sampan ride, we walked a bit and then rode on Lambros, which are three-wheeled “taxis,” to a lunch restaurant. Then, after a quick lesson on how coconut candy is made, we were back on our bigger boat, back across the river, and back to Saigon.

Here’s my photo album from the Mekong Delta.

Back in Saigon that afternoon, we had a short orientation walk around the neighborhood of our hotel. Then I went to dinner with the other two gay guys in our group, and after dinner we walked to a gay bar. Apparently, we were too early for the crowd, so we had a drink and left.

But the most fun thing was walking there and back. The crowds, the sidewalk restaurants with everyone sitting on tiny benches at tiny tables, the crazy traffic (there are 13 million people living in Saigon and 8 million scooters), and all the bright lights were a feast for the ears, eyes, and nose.

Day Two

We spent our second day in the city, starting with a drive across the Saigon River just to take in the view.

We visited “Book Street,” a popular outdoor shopping street with lots of bookshops. And then we had a tour of Independence Palace, the former Presidential Palace when Saigon was the capital of South Vietnam.

Next we visited one of the secret bunkers where arms were stored in preparation for the failed 1968 Tet Offensive.

The owner of the house where the bunker is located was awarded a Certificate of Recognition in 1989.

In the evening we had one of the most fun activities, a scooter ride and progressive dinner. We each got a driver, and we zoomed around Saigon, stopping first for Bánh Mi sandwiches, then for seafood and a very noisy and fun place, and finally for dessert. We also made a stop in a less-than-affluent neighborhood (our local guide described it as “middle class,” but that’s really difficult for my American brain to wrap around) to see what life is like for average Saigon residents.

Day Three

Our last day in Saigon, we headed to the Cú Chi tunnels. On the way we stopped at a place where lacquer art is made and sold to support victims of Agent Orange (many of whom are the artists and artisans creating the work). I had no idea how meticulous the process is. Some pieces painted, but some are made using broken bits of eggshell or mother of pearl that is cut into intricate shapes using tiny saws. The method sort of resembles paint-by-number, with the artists filling in templates created by other artists. Still, the work is beautiful, and I couldn’t resist buying a piece.

These tunnels were at the terminus of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. There were actually 2,500 kilometers of tunnels where entire villages relocated to hide from US and South Vietnamese armies and for protection from bombing. We learned how the tunnels were kept secret from the enemy, about booby traps that were set, and about how they stole supplies from US bases.

Back in Saigon, we gathered for a farewell dinner. (Hanoi is our post-trip extension, and only five of our group of 16 are here.) It was New Year’s Eve, and the people were out on the street in force. After dinner we had to exit out the back door and weave our way through alleys because the crowdes were blocking the entrance to the restaurant.

That’s all I have time for. But here’s the photo album from Saigon.