Originally it was the plan to cruise Vietnam, but after
much research in 2015 we abandoned this decision. It costs a lot per person to
enter the country, secondly you can only visit three ports maximum, and that is
a big ask when the country has an extensive coastline and lastly there are many
hidden and unofficial charges you may be expected to pay from various
‘officials’ along the way to smooth your path. Given all this we decided the
best course of action would be to leave the boat in Cambodia and backpack
around Vietnam.
So off we went on our backpacking adventure and caught a
minibus to the nearest border crossing. The exit from Cambodia and entry into
Vietnam was quick and painless, on both sides. We were so excited to be in a
new country and after 52 countries visited in our too short 56 years, this
excitement has not dimmed in the least.
This very long and narrow country was a shock at first.
There are approximately 95 million people in Vietnam and its frenetic pace can
at first be overwhelming and confusing. Cars everywhere and from all
directions, bikes driving or parking on the footpath, and many people in close
proximity to your person, make for slow and careful movement, especially for
those on foot. We often hire a car in most countries we visit and drive
ourselves around. However, on this occasion we wisely decided to backpack and use
a variety of different modes of transport – car, minibus, local buses, coach,
motor bike, train, tuk tuk’s and of course foot, to transect the country from
south to north.
After spending a few days in the small southern town of
Ha Tien we were eager to head north to Ho Chi Minh City, or the previously
known Saigon. We had booked a hotel on-line after our great experience in
Cambodia and paid up front for the room. We decided to be a few blocks back from
the main tourist strip so we could get a decent sleep but still enjoy all the
restaurants and bar scene nearby. However, what we booked was not what we got.
On arrival we were told that our room had suddenly developed ‘faulty plumbing’
and we could not stay at our elected hotel as all other rooms were booked out.
We were told “do not worry we have a similar room for you, in another hotel”.
After walking a few blocks, yep it was a similar room with the same cost, but sadly
right on the main tourist street – ground zero. We could not get our money back
without a huge battle with the on-line booking agency, so we decided to tough
it out. How bad can it be? Well it certainly was bad and made for poor sleep as
the door to door bars below stayed open until 4am and then the traffic started
at 8am. We did have industrial strength ear plugs which helped in the morning
with the traffic but not with the thump- thump of blaring music all night. We
were told later by a local that this is a well-known scam. The hotels on the
tourist strip cannot get custom due to the noise, so they give other hotels
commission to get customers by any means possible. We learnt a lesson that day
- always pay for the room on arrival and after you have viewed it, and not
up-front. Even if this option is slightly more expensive you can go to another
hotel of your choosing, if the room ‘suddenly becomes unavailable’ or does not
meet expectations.
 |
| The Reunification Palace - a 1970's time warp. |
Regardless of this experience we really enjoyed Ho Chi
Minh City (HCM City). Walking around
checking out sights by day and indulging in heavenly Vietnamese food or really
good western food, in the evening was pure bliss. Again the Margaritas’ were
cheap and sensational. We walked everywhere during the day and visited the War
Remains Museum, the Reunification Palace, the Notre Dame Cathedral, the grand
Central Post Office and took a tour to the nearby Cu Chi Tunnels.
 |
| The gates stormed by Minh's army. |
The two highlights for us being the Reunification Palace
and the Cu Chi Tunnels, both must see when you visit HCM City. The
Reunification Palace is the former command Centre of the South Vietnamese (ant-communist)
army and the allied forces (USA and Australian) against Ho Chi Minh’s (Communist)
northern army. It was Ho Chi Minh’s (Minh’s) aspiration to reclaim the south, regain
independence, and to unify the country. The majority of Vietnamese citizens
wanted their country back and under their own control after being invaded, controlled
or influenced by numerous other countries for centuries - Chinese, Dutch,
English (with the East India Company), Portuguese, French, and Japanese.
 |
| The rooftop helipad - where people were evacuated from and where Minh's army bombed. |
After WWII the Geneva Accords stated that Vietnam would
unify the north and south and become one country, but sadly this did not
happen. A fraudulent referendum saw the South Vietnamese Prime Minister
proclaim himself as the President, keeping the two entities separate and not
unifying the country as planned. The USA became involved in 1965 convinced that
if Minh won, it would lead the way for further Communist expansion in Asia. The
fall of Saigon on the 30th April, 1975, ended the war with a victory
for Minh’s army.
 |
| HF transmitters and power supplies. |
As we know the re-unification did not bring strict communism
to Vietnam. It was governed by the Communist party but became the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam in 1976. It did not lead to a China driven country and mass
slaughter of the South Vietnamese people, as the Americans once thought. The
senseless loss of life on both sides, up to 3 million, because of conflicting
ideologies, was a high price to pay.
 |
| The basement war room. |
The Reunification Palace was left just as it was in 1975 when
the Palace was evacuated and is a real time capsule. We remember as teenagers seeing
on the newsreel, helicopters landing on the Palace roof, people being evacuated
and the HCM tanks pushing through the gates. The Palace tour is amazing and
totally recommended. Once inside you are plunged back in time to the mid-1970’s
lifestyle and technology. Seeing the technology of the time and knowing the
technological advancements made in following decades, is truly the most
astonishing thing.
 |
| Military radio transceivers - circa 1970. |
The Cu Chi Tunnels were a similar highlight for us and
just as interesting as the Palace. Having heard and read accounts of the North
Vietnamese living, communicating and using these tunnels as a conduit to conduct
war, and then actually seeing and wandering through them, is astonishing. The
tunnels are exceedingly small, cramped, claustrophobic and extremely hot and
humid. How the Vietnamese managed to carry out life and death missions is mind
blowing.
 |
| Inside the tunnels. |
The tunnels are very well camouflaged with jungle all
around them and leaf litter or plants right on top of them, foiling the enemy.
There are also various booby traps set in and around the tunnels so if the
enemy got too close they were often caught in various traps hidden in the
ground. You can also have a go at firing one of the Vietnamese and American
rifles/guns of the time in the nearby shooting range.
 |
| Tunnels are well hidden below the jungle floor. |
 |
| Ground level well camouflaged booby traps. |
