NOT QUITE FINISHED - FLIGHT CALLING
While we were in Saigon we got to talk to lovely sissy Ginny on the web!! Fantastic, we talked about all sorts of things without mentioning deep fried spiders once! We also visited Gayle (Sissy Ginny's friend) and spent time in her English class - but as we've never said before - that was in a previous blog!
Saigon - or to be politically correct Ho Chi Minh City is a massive city but fortunately has a fairly concentrated centre.
Straight out and about - this is only an hour after getting of the bus, we're in the War Museum.
This is reunification palace where on the morning of 30th April 1975, the soviet made tanks drew up in front - marking the capture of Saigon.
This is Notre Dame Cathedral. That's in Paris I hear you say. Well, yes there's one there too!!
This is the opera house.
We loved Saigon - it has loads more cafes and interesting places to see - we liked it much more than Hanoi. I think Saigon should be the capital - it's much more cosmopolitan - but don't tell Uncle Ho Minh cos it apparently upsets him. He doesn't like it called Saigon either!
This is an arts factory for war victims. Most people here have been effected by agent orange or lost limbs from mines and UX bombs.
They make some fantastic stuff and we picked up a little something for home to help them and remind us of Saigon - oops - sorry I mean HCMC!
Elvis getting crafty!
This is Mr Binh - a real war veteran and we're getting 'de briefed' at the Cu Chi tunnels. This is where the Viet Cong dug tunnels under the ground to escape bombing and to raid and snipe at the American and South Vietnam bases.
Mr Binh was a really interesting guide. He never stopped talking!!
This is a snipers den. I could get my a*** in - but not the shoulders. As Mr Binh explained - Vietnamese are small people with small ass's too!
Just to show there's no bad feeling, me and my VC mates enjoying a little shade together!
This is tank commander Elvis about to unload a barrel full!
This is the opening to the tunnel, which has been widened to allow the Westerners in!
Inside the tunnel. Not for the faint hearted, it's hot, cramped and very stuffy. Some of the tunnels go as far as 9 meters underground.
No cups of tea for guessing what this is!
This is the rivers around Cu Chi, if it looks familiar, you've probably seen this in a Vietnam film, probably Apocalypse Now.
This is Conrad and I discussing the finer points of how it all happened. A couple of cans of beer can do that!
These are scenes from along the Mekong Delta.
Elvis and I with the war veteran guide 'Mr Bean'! (His name was Binh but he said "just call me Mr Bean". According to Mr Bean, during the war he was very handsome, a playboy and had lots of women. Looking now a lot of imagination is required! (sorry Mr Bean)
Can anyone spot a major design flaw in this bridge?
A slithery reptile.... holding a snake I hear you all say. This dropped out of the tree and attacked me during the tour, fortunately I was on my guard and controlled the wild and savage creature in seconds.
More views of the once war torn river. Mr Binh was stationed here to try and prevent the VC from re-supplying using the river.
This is along the beautiful Mekong Delta or is it a scene from The African Queen?
Only a couple of minutes after this photo was taken Elvis nearly overturned the boat by stepping out onto the side whilst getting out - yes, mam and dad Elves she's still like Calamity Jane! Anyone recognise the crew - yes that's the fantastic Perthites in the back there - Conrad and Bethne.
3 comments:
great snap of boat in reeds it reminded me of the african queen xx mam
I like the pic of Keith's bracket with the snake around his neck. Priceless.
I wouldn't like to be washing his smalls that night, put it that way.
Just noticed one pic as I was scanning through again. That's a lovely man-bag young Keith. I really like it. I wish I had a man-bag just like it. Man-bags should be sported at all times when you return home.
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