(no subject)
We're still in Saigon. It's been a couple busy days. Yesterday, we took a city tour and saw most of the highlights. We started things off at a big temple, which I enjoyed. After that, we went to the Reunification Palace. Before the fall of Saigon, it was the president's palace, and it was really neat. I have pictures of everything. After that, we went to this big open air market. I'd already been there earlier in the day with Caroline and her dad, so I was looking for some more athletic shirts. In Vietnam, they come in handy since it's really, really, really hot in here. Anyways, while I was there, this guy shoves this pair of jeans in my hand. Apparently, in Vietnam, you can't really window shop, and once you have it in your hand, they expect you to buy it. The jeans were a really expensive brand in America, so I decided to ask what they wanted. They said about 42 dollars. I don't really like paying 42 bucks for jeans in the US, let alone jeans that might not even be actual brand name (they probably are the same jeans, just making it to that market by...other means). I tried to leave, but they weren't too intent on letting a sale go, so they asked me how much I'd be willing to pay. I figured I'd give them a ridiculously low number, and they'd let me go out of disgust. That didn't work. They kept bargaining trying to get me to buy them. Finally, they got down to my offer of 300,000 Viet Dong, which is about 18 bucks, and for that, I'll take them. In America, they'd probably set me back 150. And they look good. I could use a pair of jeans for the return flight anyway.
Next, we went on a ride in a cyclo (a one-seat bike taxi thing), and it was probably one of the most intense things I've ever done. Traffic in Saigon is insane in a car, but to be IN the traffic where you can feel motorbikes whoosh by is another experience altogether. I'm not quite sure I'd want to do it again, but it was certainly something I'll never forget.
We ended up the tour by going to an embroidery shop. It's amazing what they can do, and, like everything else in Vietnam, they are not expensive. The biggest one we could find was around 450 dollars. Before they told me, I had it pegged at over two grand. The thing was gorgeous, and I have no doubt that we'll eventually hang one in our house. Honestly, I couldn't frame one for what it would cost me to buy it and ship it to the US. They practically give the things away.
Today we took another tour, this time to the Cu Chi tunnels. Considering dad was in the war, I wanted to see the tunnels the Viet Cong used in the war. I learned a LOT about how the other side fought the war, and I honestly didn't expect the tunnels to be as small as they were. Most of the entrances were tiny, and I barely fit in one, and even then, I got stuck at my chest. Perhaps if I went head first like I did with the hole in the temple with the giant Buddha in Japan, I could fit, but I wasn't getting above my arms otherwise. Caroline fit, although snugly. Then we saw some of the other tunnels that were meant for more people. Even then, they were just barely big enough for a person to crawl through. Altogether, there were about 150 miles of tiny tunnels in this region. I went through about 30 meters of one. It was really interesting for me to see what they did in the war, and I can see why it was so hard to fight the Viet Cong. I definitely came out of the trip with a better understanding, and it helped having Caroline tell me more about the war from the Vietnamese peoples' point of view.
Next, we went on a ride in a cyclo (a one-seat bike taxi thing), and it was probably one of the most intense things I've ever done. Traffic in Saigon is insane in a car, but to be IN the traffic where you can feel motorbikes whoosh by is another experience altogether. I'm not quite sure I'd want to do it again, but it was certainly something I'll never forget.
We ended up the tour by going to an embroidery shop. It's amazing what they can do, and, like everything else in Vietnam, they are not expensive. The biggest one we could find was around 450 dollars. Before they told me, I had it pegged at over two grand. The thing was gorgeous, and I have no doubt that we'll eventually hang one in our house. Honestly, I couldn't frame one for what it would cost me to buy it and ship it to the US. They practically give the things away.
Today we took another tour, this time to the Cu Chi tunnels. Considering dad was in the war, I wanted to see the tunnels the Viet Cong used in the war. I learned a LOT about how the other side fought the war, and I honestly didn't expect the tunnels to be as small as they were. Most of the entrances were tiny, and I barely fit in one, and even then, I got stuck at my chest. Perhaps if I went head first like I did with the hole in the temple with the giant Buddha in Japan, I could fit, but I wasn't getting above my arms otherwise. Caroline fit, although snugly. Then we saw some of the other tunnels that were meant for more people. Even then, they were just barely big enough for a person to crawl through. Altogether, there were about 150 miles of tiny tunnels in this region. I went through about 30 meters of one. It was really interesting for me to see what they did in the war, and I can see why it was so hard to fight the Viet Cong. I definitely came out of the trip with a better understanding, and it helped having Caroline tell me more about the war from the Vietnamese peoples' point of view.