Ho Chi Minh City

We spent the last four nights of our trip in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). The hotel was certainly a come down from our Cambodia hotel. The room was small and spartan.

We got to HCM in the afternoon and after registering at the hotel we went on a boat trip on the Saigon river where we were served supper. The girl in the picture is serenading us with oriental music during supper.
New Years entertainment was presented on the corner of our hotel while we were waiting for our bus -

complete with oriental dragons and . . . .


We had a tour of the museum which used to be the president of South Vietnam's residence and the government offices. It was gorgeous.


I don't know what building this is.
We visited the Cuchi Underground tunnel, a battle field in the Vietnam War. We saw the bamboo traps and other traps that the Viet Cong used against the Americans. They have enlarged the entry way to some of the tunnel so that tourists can fit in. Bob went through part of a tunnel.

The entry way to the tunnel!

Glad I wasn't a soldier in Vietnam

We also visited the MeKong Delta with yet another boat ride

and a ride through the jungle.

We stopped at an island, toured a coconut candy enterprise and had lunch. The water buffalo below never moved the whole time we were there. Only his head is visible.

We spent some time at the War Museum in Saigon and had one free day. I had come down with a very bad cold, so I spent the day in the hotel room.

Vietnam is a land of scooters.