On the bus returning from the Mekong Delta …
Today we venture away from the city with a two hour bus ride to the Mekong Delta region. We board a river boat and take a short ride to one of the many islands in the Mekong River.
Our first stop is the Que Dua candy workshop. We sample the delicious handmade coconut candy. And some of us try the snake wine!
Next, we take a horse and carriage ride to a small village on the island. There we sample several kinds of Vietnamese fruit. Local women sing while we eat fruit and sip honey tea. Also, you can have your picture taken with a python. Cara, Mickey, Ron, Georgia, and Greg opt for this experience.
Then we take a short walk along a jungle pathway and climb into small rowboats that take us back to the river boat. On the boat we enjoy coconut milk right from the coconut.
We stop for lunch at the Mekong Rest Stop. It’s better than it sounds. The restaurant is tucked away in the beautiful grounds. Peter picks a great selection of appetizers to share for lunch. The currency here is called the Dong. In the past Vietnam has experienced high inflation, so the denominations are very large. For five people our bill for lunch was 1.25 million Dong – or about $10 each.
Then we’re back on the bus for the two hour return to Ho Chi Minh City. Tomorrow we fly to Cambodia and Angkor Wat – the next stop on our tour of Southeast Asia.
At the Liberty Hotel Saigon Parkview …
After a day and a half of flying and a day to recuperate, we’re jet lag free and on our first day of seeing the sights around Ho Chi Minh City.
On the two hour bus ride to the Cu Chi Tunnels, tour guide Khoi shares the moving about a US vet who came back to visit Vietnam last year. They journeyed together through the country so the former soldier could find the village where he served and greeted a former North Vietnamese soldier who fought against him in the same area.
The Cu Chi Tunnels were used by the North Vietnamese to become a shadow army living almost right underneath US and South Vietnamese forces. We were able to crawl through the same tunnels to see how they lived and fought using the hundreds of kilometers long tunnel system.
Next a visit to the War Remnants Museum to learn about the Vietnam perspective of what is known to the Vietnamese people as the “American War.” The exhibits within the museum capture the atrocities of the war and the use of Agent Orange.
Then we visited the opulent grounds and meeting rooms of Independence Palace, the office and home South Vietnam’s President during the Vietnam War.
After visiting the Ming Phuong Lacquer Workshop and the Post Office, Mickey, Donna, Shannon, and I stopped at a place near our hotel to get foot massages.
The amazing food continues in Vietnam. Dinner at Viet Heritage was great. Beef, pork, and seafood – some of the best food we have had while traveling.
After dinner we sample the Ho Chi Minh City night life at the Bui Vien Walking Street. It’s lined with clubs and full of people, street vendors, and fire eaters.
Tomorrow we visit the Mekong Delta.
Enjoying a beer at the Huong Vy street cafe …
Sin Ciao from Ho Chi Minh City!
Our flight into Hong Kong was delayed by snow as we left Boston, so we arrived in Hong Kong an hour late. But just enough time to board Cathay Pacific flight 767 from Hong Kong to Ho Chi Minh City. We get through immigrations then meet up with Mickey and Donna at baggage claim. Outside of the airport we are greeted by our Vietnamese tour guide – Khoi.
Khoi tells us what the next few days will be like and give us some tips for getting around the city. Most important – how to cross the street. There is very limited traffic control, so pedestrians have to move across the street purposefully, and never backup!
Next we check in at Liberty Hotel Saigon Parkview, have lunch at Ben Thanh market, high octane Vietnamese coffee at Trung Nguyen Legend, afternoon cocktails at the Rex Hotel roof top Saloon, and happy hour at Huong Vy. The best way to beat jet lag is to hang out with your fellow travelers and share travel stories.
Tonight we head out to dinner and tomorrow we see the Ho Chi Minh City landmarks.
Onboard Cathay Pacific flight 811 from Boston to Hong Kong somewhere over the Arctic Circle…
First Greg showed up at Logan. Then Peter and Shannon came after Shannon’s birthday dinner. Soon all 18 members of the group traveling from Boston were ready to go with Mickey and Donna departing from LAX and meeting us in Ho Chi Minh City after a layover in Taiwan. After traveling on my own for the previous 24 hours it’s good to see everyone and reconnect.
At about 1a boarding started for our flight. A soon as we sat down in our seats the captain announced that the light snow that had been falling all evening was now too heavy for take off. A 30 minute delay. Eventually the snowfall eased up, but by the time the de-icing process was completed we didn’t take off until 3a. Not the way you want to start a 15 hour fight.
Now you would think that the plan for this long overnight flight departing at 3a would be to get some sleep, but instead the cabin crew served dinner … at 4a in the morning. Truth be told, I was kind of hungry and really enjoyed the chicken with jasmine rice. After dinner – and a glass of wine – I did manage to get some sleep.
No WiFi on this fight. My plan was to post this update when we got to Hong Kong … but with the really quick layover I’m posting this from baggage claim at the Ho Chi Minh City airport.
At Logan Airport …
A serious winter storm threatened to delay my Wednesday travel plans from Dulles to Logan, so I made a last minute flight change and flew to Boston late Tuesday night.
With a lift to Dulles from Sonia and Rebecca covering our Tuesday night work commitment, I made it to Boston at 11:30p last night and was sound asleep at the nearby Courtyard Marriott by 1a.
It’s really cold in Boston and I didn’t bring clothes suitable for outside cold-weather adventures, so I hung out at the hotel and rested up for the trip ahead. And also watched a couple of Game of Thrones episodes as I work through rewatching the entire series in advance of the final season premiere in April.
Our departure isn’t until 1:30a tonight, so for dinner I grab an Old Fashioned and Cobb Salad at Dine Boston Bar and Grill. Soon my fellow travelers will arrive at Logan. There will be lots of friendly faces. I’ve traveled with each of the 20 people in our group on previous trips.
More tomorrow as we head to Vietnam. But first a 15+ hour flight to Hong Kong!
View from the balcony ...
Michael S. Liberman