Ho Chi Minh (in pictures)

Ho Chi Minh

Our final journey through Vietnam on a sleeper bus. After our last bug-filled experience, we decided that we'd take the day sleeper option. We'd not got very far before the bus turns down a very winding, small, pot-holed road and turns into a bus depot. Visions of bus trips through Malaysia returned, thinking we were going to have to change buses again, but thankfully not. Instead, the driver gets out and there's much gesticulating by around four or five guys and a table and a few chairs appear. Although the bus isn't full at this stage, we have seen individual chairs placed in the aisles of these buses before - but the table! So, these guys seriously consider and attempt to get the table on through the side door, we kid you not, but before David can grab his camera, they do decide that after a couple of minutes that it won't squeeze on without some serious reconstruction to either the table, or the bus. Plan B comes into action and they attempt, and are eventually successful at putting the table in the luggage hold below. Gladly, this wasn't at the expense of our suit cases.
The journey is fairly uneventful, the scenery stunning, but the coach does stall once on a very steep ascent up a very winding mountain climb. The bus driver tries to move forward four or five times, the engine stalling and the bus lurching backwards rather than in the right direction, but eventually we are back on our way.
Whilst in HCM, we did a good amount of sightseeing, visiting some local galleries and museums. Unsurprisingly, there was a fair amount of both art and history relating to the conflicts of the twentieth century. Some of the images in the gallery and exhibits in the museum were stark, direct, immensely powerful and harrowing.

We also visited Notre Dame Cathedral and saw one of a number of illuminated Mary's witnessed across the city.

We even visited the Post Office!

There was also a trip out of the city where we visited the site of much of the fighting between the Viet Cong and the Americans. We saw examples of some of the traps set by the Viet Cong, including this swinging floor, with a spiked man trap awaiting in the bottom, that would swing completely shut again when it had taken it's victim.

We also saw the tunnels carved out by the Viet Cong and some of the trap doors like the one below where the VC could hide in an instant below ground.

But enough has been written about the historical war in Vietnam and no doubt more will be written from many view points.
Today's battles seem to be those of wits on the roads (and pavements) as the traffic in HCM in particular has to be witnessed to be believed with vehicles, but particularly mopeds coming at you from all directions, but thankfully we managed to survive.

Even the guy below survived! He's replacing some cabling going across a busy line of traffic and is holding onto the cables whilst the bloke at the bottom of the ladder calmly moves it across the seething lanes of traffic.

After Vietnam, we have returned to Malaysia and preparing for our flight home. We hope you've enjoyed some of our missives and we may have made you chuckle, or just smile on the odd occasion.
Whist this wont be our final posting to the blog, they will be less regular than previous, so keep checking from time to time.
There's a trip to Ireland for us we'll cover on the blog in June where we'll be completing a 48km sponsored walkathon to support a local Community Radio Station, so we'll be asking you all for your kind donations. All contributions big or small are welcome.
David is also walking from Carlisle on the East Coast to the West Coast in July, but no specific sponsorship for that, but probably a blog entry or two along the way.
Hope you've enjoyed it nearly a small bit as much as we have living it and we look forward to seeing you personally soon (get you wallets and purses at the ready, ha, ha)