I loved Vietnam! It was noisy, dirtier than the Japan or China that we has seen, very hot and humid, full of the most amazing contrasts, and I loved it.
From the ship there was a shuttle bus service to a big central hotel in the city, This was more than a Godsend. It meant we could walk to places reasonably easily, and believe me, walking in that heat was something you wanted to keep to a minimum.
So day 1, Audrey and I took the said, shuttle bus into the city and found an ATM machine where wee could get some money. I NEVER became easy with the Vietnamese money. One US dollar is approximately 20,000 dong. All those zeros did it for me. It all seemed verey easy, 100,00 dong = $5, 50c = 10,000. You finish up with a wallet full of paper bills all sporting a vast and varying number of zeros. They all carry the head of the same gent, they all are roughly similar shades of greyish green! Never mind we managed. Although, we never allowed ourselves to take a taxi. We heard some nasty stories of taxi drivers overcharging, short-changing their fares, and becoming very aggressive. So in Ho Chi Min City, other than riding in the shuttle bus, we walked! After having got the money we walked along one of the main streets where there were more motor bikes, I should say motor scooters than I have ever seen!
I have sent postcards of this traffic to some of you and passed on the advice we were given by locals. don’t tryu and dodge the traffic. Walk slowly and confidently forward and the traffic will dodge you’ AND IT WORKS! Any way we are still alive! And I bought a hat – a Vietnamese hat for $2 US ! Here is a picture of Audrey and I sitting waiting for the shuttle bus – note my hat.
On the second day we went again by shuttle bus and a hot, hot walk to the post-office. What a fabulous place – air-conditioned, huge, and with a huge photo of Hi Chi Min on the wall. There were little shops attached to the post office, so without even facing the heat we did a lot of shopping fir ‘little’ things, Vietnam is by far the most inexpensiove place we have visited so far so that made the shopping even more fun and gave ua the energy to make ouyr way back to the shuttle bus.
Day 3 was magic. We took tour to the Mekong Delta. We left the city drove through rice fields visited a temple by a seated Buddah, took a boat ride on the river , were given coconut milk to drink, saw beautiful women making coconut candy,took a ride on a tiny rickety horse and cart, had lunch in a fabulous open air restaurant, saw a water buffalo, and then had a canoe trip along canals through the jungle. I think it was here I fell in love with the country. The people are SO KIND, SO FRIENDLY, AND THE PLACE IS SO BEAUTIFUL.!!
I’m going to send this off to you now. I will send some mouth watering pictures tomorrow.
LOVE TO YOU ALL – WISH YOU WERE HERE.
LIZ, MUM, GRANNY.
I have just read the world's best blog. You have excelled yourself. It is so good that I find myself speechless and totally unable to write anything adequate in reply. Except, perhaps, to mutter that I am vivid green from head to foot with seething jealousy! And your hat! No, that deserves capitals, YOUR HAT!!! Apparel unparalleled is the only adequate way to describe it. Unquestionably the eighth wonder of the world. It would obviously be ludicrous to ask whether you are enjoying yourself. Your smile tells all (as, of course, does your hat). I simply can't find words to tell you how happy I am that this is so. Your photographs are quite wonderful. They render the Oscars - which, I am ashamed to admit, I watched from beginning to end last night - totally moribund. No, I know what you have just said to yourself, but I am NOT overstating the case. I really think your blogs are terrific. And the pictures make them - and me - come alive. I miss you a lot. David.
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