Saigon

Would you believe we arrived early - before 4am! Just our luck as our blanket was ripped off our beds as we pulled into Saigon Station. Bus to the motel where we sat like zombies in the foyer for two hours as our rooms were (not unreasonably) not ready.


At 6:30 we left to go on a day trip to Mekong Delta. Breakfast at the roadside restaurant with performing gibbon. Saw CaoDai pagoda. Got to the Mekong River and on to a boat for a cruise up the river to Coconut Island. Walked through the village and had morning tea with a local folk group performing. Saw how they made rice wine then on to see how they make coconut toffee. Boarded 'boom boom' bikes to go to the next village with pythons where we had honey tea. Walked to the river and boarded canoes and donned coolie hats to glide down the river back to the boat. Back across the Mekong to the bus and back to the motel. Checked in and rested. Then a long walk into town and down to the river. Saw the Opera house, presidents and vice presidents palaces, Notre Dame Cathedral and the market.


Back for 6:30 group meeting to welcome new group of five replacing Holly, Alexis, Sive, Marcello and Jacinta. Restaurant number 19 for tea with a large group -- both ways by taxi. Then walked back into town and found a really good cappuccino on the sidewalk. Today we saw a motorbike rider with two mattresses balanced on the back of his bike.