21/01/2019 – Ho Chi Minh City to Ben Tre (32km riding)

Today the trip started in earnest. We met our two remaining group mates and left the city by bus at 7am. Traffic was insane! SO many motorbikes. EVERYWHERE!

Once we were a bit out of Saigon, we were introduced to our bikes for the Vietnamese portion of the trip. They were some very solid mountain bikes and so it looked like some off road riding would be arriving sooner rather than later. The bike already was perfectly sized which was some nice comfort to start. Looking at the whole group it looked as though we had an ace squad… everyone was a pretty experienced cyclist and all looked to have some good fitness. Looked like it might even be me letting the team down!

Off we went, starting with an initial leg of 15km or so. Rode through countryside, some woods (with rubber trees), some rice and other things. It was a combination of some paved roads, but then into the woods it was on some dirt trails which was great.

In not too long we got to Chu Chi tunnels. We were actually at a set of lesser known and quieter ones. Apparently most tourists visit a different set of tunnels a bit easier to get to, but we were fortunate to have the bikes and advice to head to the different set. We had a local guide there to tell us all about them. What still existed was a series of tunnels, at a number of different depths below the ground, that were used during the war. Some we were permitted to go through so off to explore!

They were quite squeezy, but in many respects there was more space than I thought. Once you were in, some crouching was all that was really needed to make your way through. The entrance to one tunnel was VERY tight. Only two of us ventured down! Once in, it was actually not really any different to the others, but I could see how the tiny hole to get in would give people second thoughts about dropping in. Also in the tunnel area was examples of all the other aspects, including the traps that were used to catch people unawares that should not have been in there. For example, step in the wrong spot and you may fall into a pit of spikes. Ouch.

After the tunnels it was off for lunch. I elected to have a pork dish that had morning glory in it. This seemed to be like a water spinach of some kind, and as we would find out was everywhere. Quite tasty.

It was then more riding for the afternoon before joining our bus and taking it to our first stop, Ben Tre, nicely placed in the Mekong delta. Was quite a nice hotel and the town seemed quite fun too. Right on the water, and with local markets setting themselves up as the sun started to go down, it had a nice vibe to it. At dinner time, Cham took us to a local place where we plonked down on the outside tables and settled in for my first bowl of Pho. Delicious!

Some of us then spent some of the evening wandering the markets, before I settled in to watch Australia play in their Asian cup match. While it was a win, sadly it was a pretty lacklustre performance. Oh well, a win is a win. Then off to sleep for another 7am start.

20/01/2019 – Ho Chi Minh City

Xin chào! I’m in Vietnam!

Well, I *was* in Vietnam. Here is the first in a series of month-late catch up posts about my recent trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. I really had very little time to do this while I was away (and in all actuality I didn’t really take the technology to be able to do it anyway) as it was wall-to-wall cycling and exploring and eating and drinking. So these posts will be a little light on the detail, but hopefully you will get the idea!

After a brief stopover in Kuala Lumpur airport, I arrived in Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon) around 10am. Typical South East Asian craziness greeted me at the airport, as did bedlam on the roads as I got my cab to the hotel in the centre of the city. I would be meeting with a group that evening, but the day was mine to explore.

I only had a rough plan… a couple of historical places to see along with markets and some French architecture. Otherwise the idea was to just get out there and explore.

First stop was the Ben Thanh market. To be honest it wasn’t super interesting given I wasn’t looking for cheap t-shirts or knock off goods. The food did look good though, and I had my first of what would be several Banh Mi through the day. Mmmm… fresh baguette. The meat was typical luncheon meat and I was maybe expecting something a little different there (I am used to my roast pork at home) but the rest of the ingredients were nice and fresh. Just what I wanted after the airline food.

I found myself at the Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon. If the French history of the city was not obvious before, it was now. The renovations made things a little difficult, but it was quite impressive, especially given it was somewhat at odds with the rest of the city.

Keeping the French theme, right across the road was the Gustav Eiffel designed Post Office. It was quite cool, although smaller than I thought it would be. Inside now it is really just home to some souvenir stalls…although you can still post a postcard there!

Next it was a casual wander through the streets. There was quite a great laneway housing many bookstores, just near the post office which was a delight. It also gave me time for a second banh mi! I my travels I also got to see some of the set up happening for upcoming lunar new year. This pig looked suspiciously like Pikachu I thought 🙂

In a little bit I arrived at my destination, the Independence Palace. This was the home of the South Vietnamese president during the war, as well as his place of work. I wasn’t sure what to expect really, but I LOVED this place. It was the most perfect 70’s time capsule. All the rooms, both those for work and those for living, were immaculate with 70’s furniture and decor. Symmetry at its finest! It was great to head deep into the basement to see all the tiny workrooms, and then up to the roof to see the helipad, in case he had to make a fast getaway. My highlight of the city.

A visit to the War Remnants museum was next. Outside was a collection of vehicles which was quite cool, but also there was the evidence of the tiger cages and various torture devices. Some of that part was a little confronting, especially the accompanying photography. Indoors upped the ante though. Comprising mostly of photography, it was quite a horrific journey through the war and its impact. I can’t say it’s a great idea when you are a bit tired and jetlagged. The importance was without question, but not sure I really wanted to see quite a bit of it.

It was now late in the afternoon and so back to the hotel for an hour rest before meeting the group. On the way I had to contend with the Saigon traffic. As it turns out, the sidewalks are really for motorbikes, not pedestrians!

After some rest at the hotel it was time to meet up with the G Adventures tour group. Turned out to be a group of 7 on our Indochina Cycling adventure, although only 5 of us could make the initial meetup. An eclectic group of myself, 2 American gents, a Dane, a German, and then 2 British gals yet to join us. Chamnan was our Cambodian guide and as I expect from G Adventures, a delight to meet.

Dinner was casual, off to the nearby food market. TOO MANY OPTIONS!!! Had a Hanoi dish, Bun Cha, which was pork and noodles. Yuuuummm.

The rest of the evening was great fun, as we watched Vietnam in the football Asian Cup. They got a win in penalties. Exciting!