Still a bit drunk this morning. Spent last night at a bia hoi again. Dinner was a table-top barbecue - tasty meat, but the hottest I've ever been to outside of a sauna. Sweated a disgusting amount - went back to the hostel to change my top. Few cheap beers, then thought about going to a 'happy hour' bar, but with a bewildering array of special offers, and terms and conditions, as well as annoying busboys wheeling and dealing, and pushing and touching, we soon abandoned that plan and went to another bia hoi. Stumbled back to the hostel many beers later. James, the Manxman from my dorm, was with us for the evening as well.
HCMC has a great vibe, such energy! Cheap, cheerful, I can see why it's a backpacker haven.
For a war zone, the Cu Chi tunnels are bizarrely removed from the realities of war. Now they're a tourist's playground. Our guide, self-named 'John Wayne', was a right character, playful but informative. Showed us a tiny tunnel entrance in the jungle floor - I was the first to get in, and he demonstrated various traps filled with pointy bamboo.
Fired off ten rounds on a fixed mount AK47, bit of a disappointment really. No recoil, and no idea how accurate my shooting was. 350,000VND for the pleasure - €13.
Going through the tunnels wasn't as claustrophobic for me as it was for others, but I can only imagine what it would be like in pitch black, with a bombardment overhead. The shooting gallery provided an authentic soundtrack to the day though.
Got chatting to two girls then - Crystal (IT & writer, Chinese) and Jeany (model, Indonesian). Exchanged smalltalk and stories, and had lunch together. Meeting for drinks later, and Jeany is coming to Mui Ne with us tomorrow. Spontaneous company!
Cu Chi visit ended with an old "documentary" film, blatant anti-American propaganda from the 70s, featuring 'hero American-killers', and 'evil devils' (US troops).
HCMC has a great vibe, such energy! Cheap, cheerful, I can see why it's a backpacker haven.
***
For a war zone, the Cu Chi tunnels are bizarrely removed from the realities of war. Now they're a tourist's playground. Our guide, self-named 'John Wayne', was a right character, playful but informative. Showed us a tiny tunnel entrance in the jungle floor - I was the first to get in, and he demonstrated various traps filled with pointy bamboo.
Fired off ten rounds on a fixed mount AK47, bit of a disappointment really. No recoil, and no idea how accurate my shooting was. 350,000VND for the pleasure - €13.
Going through the tunnels wasn't as claustrophobic for me as it was for others, but I can only imagine what it would be like in pitch black, with a bombardment overhead. The shooting gallery provided an authentic soundtrack to the day though.
Got chatting to two girls then - Crystal (IT & writer, Chinese) and Jeany (model, Indonesian). Exchanged smalltalk and stories, and had lunch together. Meeting for drinks later, and Jeany is coming to Mui Ne with us tomorrow. Spontaneous company!
Cu Chi visit ended with an old "documentary" film, blatant anti-American propaganda from the 70s, featuring 'hero American-killers', and 'evil devils' (US troops).
No comments:
Post a Comment