Xin Chao! As early as March, our group already booked our Vietnam trip. We arrived past midnight at Tan Son Nhat International Airport. When told by security that we could not stay in the arrival area, we decided to proceed to our hotel and checked in using an extra room.
Day 1 morning was spent arranging our tours with the hotel's agent and exploring the route going to Ben Thanh Market. After a quick lunch (I had spring rolls), we returned to the hotel for our 1 p.m. Cu Chi Tunnel Tour.
After a short briefing from our tour guide, we watched a documentary video about the history of the place. We were then guided to the different features of the tunnel system. I was impressed by the hard work and persistence of the Vietnamese people in constructing the 3-layer tunnels. It is an "underground city with kitchens, living areas, weapon factories, storage and more". We saw the traps, entrances, and hidden air vents and got the chance to explore a portion of the tunnel. Going back to the city, we dropped by a government-owned lacquerware factory. Most of the workers were all physically challenged. More likely, they were victims of the chemical weapons (remember Agent Orange?) used during the war.
At night, we took the 2-hour dinner cruise at the Saigon River. We enjoyed the 7-course meal served while listening to instrumental music. It was surprising to note that rice was served just before the dessert. In a way, it was good to decline additional carbs.
Day 2 was spent on our Mekong Delta Tour. The take-off point for our boat ride along the river was 130 km from our hotel. We saw how spring roll wrappers are made. We visited other small-scale industries like salt and soy sauce making, candy making, rice wine and rice paper production, and more souvenir shops. Lunch was at Mr. Kiet's house which was built in 1838. We enjoyed preparing and eating our own fresh spring rolls.
On our way back to the city, we dropped by a Cao Dai temple but it was closed. We just went straight to the water puppet show in the city. The show featured history, rural life, and culture in Vietnam. What makes it unique is that the puppets were dancing/acting on water resembling the Mekong River.
For our dinner, we all trooped to the Lemongrass Restaurant, one of the top ten in the city. Most of the customers that night were Caucasians. Most likely, they also read the reviews about the place. And true enough, the food we ordered was yummy! I had my favorite seafood noodles and after dinner, all of us were in shopping mode again at Saigon Square.
Day 3 was for our city tour and shopping. We toured famous landmarks on foot - the Opera House, Notre Dame Cathedral, Post Office, Reunification Palace, and War Remnants Museum. I was touched to see the photos and read statements about the war, especially the impacts of the chemical weapons used at that time. I felt so sorry for them.
After checking out from our hotel at noon, we decided to stroll around the city for the last time because our flight back to Manila would be at 11 p.m. In the end, we spent time in a coffee shop and picked up our luggage from the hotel for the airport.
We all survived crossing the streets of Saigon which are always full of motorbikers. Our guide advised us to close our eyes, walk not too fast or slow, and keep walking. Indeed, Vietnam is the Kingdom of Motorbikes.
Two important things I learned from Vietnam: living simply and eating healthy.
