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| Tan Son Nhat International Airport |
SOJOURN noun \ˈsō-ˌjərn, sō-ˈ\ a temporary stay (a definition from Merriam Webster).
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| Beautiful Saigon III Hotel |
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| Saigon Opera House |
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| Notre Dame Cathedral |
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| Reunification Palace |
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| Ben Than Market |
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| Building Edifice in Ho Chi Minh |
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| Traditional Vietnamese Bike with Strawberries |
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| Fishermen in Vung Tau |
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| Bridge along Saigon River |
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| Calachuchi Flowers |
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| Temple in Vung Tau |
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| Buddha |
Day
2 was another day spent walking and trudging along the quiet life of
the province...Sure, I'm not complaining because it was a sweat breaking
adventure---Vung Tau, an island province in Viet Nam offered a mixture
of culture, arts, religion and nature. We took the hydrofoil ferry from
Saigon to Vung Tau. Clueless where the Statute of Jesus was (they call
it Jesu in Vietnamese), we wandered around the streets of Vung Tau...We
happened to stumble on a Buddhist Monk Temple (all monks there were
women)...While we were busy taking snapshots of the Temple, a Vietnamese
lady offered us memorabilia of the province...10 pieces of Ref Magnet
for 100, 000 dong was not bad...So we bought some of our "pasalubongs"
there. Afterwards, we took a taxi to Mount Nho where we are about to
hurdle the insurmountable 1,000 steps up the sky and have a view of the
entire province. At first, we thought it was a short walk up the
mountains but truth to be told, it was not a "so-so" walk...Arduous, as I
may describe it, we took at least 5 to 6 stops before we eventually
emerged at the top of the mountain. We arrived there on top roughly
around lunch time so we were unfortunate enough to enter the insides of
the statue and climb the 120-130 steps up on its peak... We cooled down
with a bottle of refreshment and took a half an hour of rest before we
decided to go down and have a late lunch... We were scheduled to be back
in Saigon at around quarter before six so we killed time by having the
famous Vietnamese Coffee (well-ground coffee beans and you have to press
it down so you can extract the juice and enjoy its dark flavor). When
we arrived at the hotel, we just took a quick freshen up and walked the
busy streets of Saigon to shop for pasalubongs. We ended the night at
around 1 or 2 o'clock in the morning and hoping a 4 hour sleep will
rejuvenate us in time for a more adventure-filled day at the Cu Chi
Tunnels.
Day 3 was what I call "Crunch Time, Crawling Time Baby"
We had a hearty breakfast at the hotel (Freshly Baked French Bread,
Sunny Side up Eggs, Fresh fruits and Coffee/Orange Juice). I had to
chunk in all the food served since Day 3 requires strength to surpass
the day's activity. We boarded the coaster bus en route to the Temples
of Cao Dai. We arrived there shortly before they start their mid-day
routinary service in honor of their Gods. What we witnessed there was a
fusion of three different religions - Buddhism, Catholicism,
and Confucianism (correct me if I'm wrong---hindi kasi ako masyado
nakinig sa Tour Guide) After wrapping it up at the temple, we went on to
have lunch and a short break. At around past 1 in the afternoon we
headed to the infamous Cu Chi Tunnels where we were presented with the
ingenuity and bravery of the Viet Congs. In there, we saw the many traps
they used during the war with the Americans; we also get to experience
what it's like to be inside the tunnel...I thought at first we had to
crawl our way out --- but crawling seemed not to be the right word to
use...We had to trudge the 20 meter tunnel and had to walk like a duck
to experience what life is inside...It was probably one of the best
experience I had in relation to culture. Right after emerging from the
tunnels, we went on to have a taste of tapioca and tea (their tea is
made up of dried calachuchi and tapioca is "balanghoy" in Bisaya)... On
the way home, I had to take a power nap as I was hopelessly longing for a
decent sleep... We had dinner at the hotel restaurant again before
heading back to the airport...
In summation, the experience I had while in Viet Nam was a re-awakening
--- Viet Nam is nonetheless one of the most culturally rich countries
in Southeast Asia ; a country bordered by neighboring Thailand, Laos and
Cambodia; a country where you can be a Millionaire for three days...
If I am given the chance, I will definitely be coming back but this
time I will fly to Hanoi and be enthralled and awed by the beauty of the
Halong Bay...
