Vietnam Vacay 2008, Day 3

Second Vietnamese Tour for Day 3!!

We all got up bright and early on our third day in HCMC. Our tour guide picked us up promptly at 7:30am. It was a long way to the Cu chi Tunnels. I bought the trademark Vietnamese hat at the market the day before. I was determined to milk it for all the photo ops.



We were exhausted from all the touring the day before that we slept through most of the car ride. I'm pretty glad the tour that we took was a private tour, so no one could complain about our snoring. Hehe.

Anyway, we arrived a little past ten. First stop was this area where there was a film showing. A docu of sorts about the tunnels.



Then came our luckiest break yet. We piggy backed on one of the walking tours, with this excellent tour guide (better than ours!). He knew quite a lot about the tunnels! AND he even cracked jokes! Hehe.



If our visit in the War Remnants musuem yesterday showed the horrors of war, our Cu chi Tunnels tour showed the ingenuity of the Vietnamese people. For the most part of their modern history, they've been fighting against foreign powers (the French, the Americans). This tour clearly showed us how they used the tools and materials available to them to survive.



This part of the tour's pretty famous. See why the Viets needed to be skinny! So they can snugly fit into this hole in the ground!



Walking around the tunnels, the guide explained how the VCs created booby traps (using American materials from the bombs they dropped in the area (reportedly, ever square foot of land was bombed at least three times a day during the war!)).



We also tried to go through one of the tunnels. We braved the narrow openings and tunnels and emerged victorious!! AND SWEATY!



The parental units of course just stood by the exit, waiting for us to emerge. They had a photo op of their own, which turned out rather nicely!




Our next stop before lunch was the Cao Dai Temple. Cao Dai, we discovered that day, was a religion. A mix of Buddhism, Taoism, and Catholicism. Victor Hugo's somehow involved in the mix. It's a fairly new religion (established 1926).




Fortunately, we arrived just in time for their daily noontime rituals. All of them wore robes. White robes mostly, and some of the more senior ones wore colorful robes.




After a few photos, we happily got back on the bus (we were sweating like pigs on a roast!). Lunch was the next item on the agenda! Just like the day before, the servings for lunch was aplenty and the quality of the food was good! Today, we saw the french influence on Vietnamese cuisine. A baguette with our beef salad!



After lunch, it was a two hour drive back to HCMC. Muymuy Tonton became jologs Tonton, donning his green jersey!! Eww. Haha. But he does look cute with the signature saigon hat.



After Cu Chi, the slightly rested tourists shopped some more. We found Saigon Square, right beside Ben Than market. They sold more of the for-export clothes. It was like a mini-Greenhills.

Dinner time came. Ngoc Suong Restaurant was part Macky's list of must-try restaurants. I must say. Best dinner we've had in this trip!! Love love love everything they served us! From the fresh sweet and sour fish to the grilled prawns. We were at a loss for words.



Thus concluded our third day in HCMC. More shopping tomorrow!