February 5 Saigon Area
An exhausting day, mostly on the bus. Traffic in Saigon is almost indescribable. Think of an invasion of locusts or a swarming of lemmings or the inexorable rush of the incoming tide ands perhaps you will have an inkling of the roads as the multitudes of scooters and motorcycles flow along the roads. Everyone seems to drive by a somehow workable combination of skill, intuition, anticipation and common courtesy. Obviously a combination that is non existent in North America. Even at that it is amazing that there aren't more accidents. It is both amazing and dizzying to watch. I took a few photos but am sure they will not convey the seeming chaos. I may try tomorrow to get a shot from the front of a cyclo (basically a small seat on the front of a bicycle).
The first stop, after more than two hours on the bus (took more than an hour just to get out of Saigon) was a brick making facility but when we arrived everyone was at lunch so we didn't see anything other than the kilns in which they cure the bricks. Then we proceeded to a temple that is different than any I have ever seen. Unfortunately I couldn't understand the guide when he told us the name of the religion and I will have to do some research later. Suffice it to say that it is a very complex religion and a combinations of Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and others. It has about 4,000,000 followers out of the total population of 83,000,000 people in Vietnam. The temple is colourful and complex almost in the extreme. Twice each day they hold some sort of ceremony, much like a church service or a mass I suppose. Its purpose and components were not explained to us.
After the temple we stopped for lunch. I debated ordering a la carte again but finally gave in and agreed to the set menu. That turned out to be a good idea on my part as I enjoyed every aspect of the meal: rice noodle soup (a bit weak but tasty), spring rolls (though a little greasy) and one deep fried shrimp, fried noodles with beef.
Back on the bus for another two hours to the Cu Chi tunnels where the Viet Cong based their resistance to the US forces and in preparation for their attack on Saigon 70 kilometers away. Through various levels and a maze of tunnels running for 250 kilometers and laced with booby traps they hid during the day and tended their crops during the night all the while being on the watch for US troops and bombers. I watched an old, brainy, terrible video but did not venture into the tunnels. My decision not to go in was based on the fact that they had been enlarged to accommodate tourists so were no longer authentic and also because they involved crawling through narrow spaces in which the guide said I might get stuck. I waited above ground for the group to return. Of those who went in I think most stopped after the first level.
From the tunnels it was another two and a half hours back to Saigon. Most of that time was spent dodging traffic in Saigon where it was worse than it had been in the morning. I was so tired from the bus ride that when I got into the room I dropped my pack, lay on the bed, watched the Animal Planet channel, ate a few snacks and went to sleep before 9:00. Yes, the music from another wedding woke me at 11:00 but I had little trouble getting back to sleep until 5:30 am.