Floating Markets

Today we woke up at 6am to take the boat tour of the floating markets on the delta, the largest floating market in Vietnam. The boat ride took about 30 minutes, but even in the 95+ degree weather it was quite relaxing. When we arrived we saw hundreds of boats, carrying pineapples, plums, tomatoes, coconuts you name it. Adrienne and I got a huge delicious fresh pineapple for .50 cents.

Then we boated it to the live fish market where they sold toads, pig ear, coconut worms, rats, and fish of course. Once we headed back to Cantho, where we had stayed, we grabbed some lunch. I got fried rice with beef and veggies and a Saigon .50 cent beer of course.




Again we hopped on the shuttle bus headed 3 hours to a small town called Chau Doc, right by the Cambodian border. We stopped at a temple on our way there, one of the monks came up to Adrienne and he spoke with us shortly in Vietnamese, gave us a paper on “The 14 teachings of the Budha” and then went along on his way. It was pretty awesome.

MeKong Delta

Yesterday we had a late dinner, and figured since it was our last night in Ho Chi Minh City we should ride on the back of a motor bike, so we did that for a mini tour around the city at 1am, then heading back to get some rest.

We woke up around 7am to grab some breakfast, Banh Mi, then headed out for the beginning of our 3 day MeKong Delta tour. After about a 2 hour bus ride we arrived to the delta where we had a boat that took us around to the different docks for about 4 hours.




Here we got to see and eat fresh coconut candy and rice paper being made, I held a huge boa constrictor, then we went to another port where we saw bees making honey and we got to try that as well. After that we had lunch where some local women sang some of their Vietnamese songs right at our table.

Then we took a walk across the monkey bridge which is a bridge made out of bamboo, and the part you walk across is 2 bamboo sticks wide going over the river, slow and steady. After that we took a canoe ride through the river surrounded by bamboo sticks and greens, it was amazing and so relaxing.

We headed back to a hotel in a small town called Cantho right on the water. We had fried red snapper and grilled vegetables for dinner and .25 cent Saigon Green beer.

Cu Chi tunnel

Today we went to the Cu Chi tunnels about an hour from Ho Chi Minh. This was the main ground of the Vietnam war. The Vietnam guerrillas built teeny tiny hidden underground tunnels for miles to hide from the Americans. On the ride out to the tunnels we stopped at a rest stop which was an art shop as well, called hadicraft. The artists who were handicapped, were making the art out of sea shells, egg shells and sand, they were beautiful pieces of art.










The first tunnel we saw was a small hole that you would cover with leaves once the lid was on you couldn’t be spotted by anyone, Adrienne and I were able to try this tunnel but only for a second before the heat and tightness had us climbing right back out.

Then we headed to the shooting range where you could buy bullets to shoot at targets with a machine gun, hand gun or AK47. We both shot the AK47, not a bad place for both of us to shoot our first gun on the fields of the Vietnam war. We worked up an appetite at the shooting range and stopped for some tapioca root which is what the guerrillas ate during the war.

After the range we saw some more tunnels and we were able to go underground and try to crawl in them for different kilometers. They were so small and confined, I tried to do them but felt claustrophobic right away. Some larger people were restricted to go in them because they would get trapped, that's how little room there was in them, Adrienne did it and went 60 km. After more walking around we headed back to the bus and back to Ho Chi Minh where we had a yummy lunch of beef in betel leaves, spring rolls and rice paper rolls.

Volunteering District 12

Today we woke up early, went to breakfast and got Pho with beef then headed out on a local bus to District 12 to volunteer at an orphanage for special needs children. They are about 60 children, ranging in age from 2-20 years old. After a bus ride to a taxi ride we arrived to Thein Phuoc orphanage. It is a great facility with children of all disabilities.

As soon as we arrived they put us to work helping them with their mid day snack. We were then showed upstairs to the children with greater disabilities where none of them could walk or do much of anything on their own. Later we helped feed them, I fed two of the children which took almost an hour to feed them half a bowl of oatmeal, but they loved our company and they were all smiles.




After a few hours upstairs we went back downstairs for playtime with the other children. We played with toys, helped them with walking, took pictures with them, which they loved, danced, and some just wanted to be held and hugged. This was an unbelievable experience that can't even be put into words. As the day came to an end, we realized hours had flown by and it was there bedtime, so we headed back to Ho Chi Minh City for dinner and drinks, getting up bright and early for our Cu Chi tunnel tour.

Exploring Ho Chi Minh

We have been getting by pretty well with the language barrier, but have found not everyone speaks English. I'd rather not be looked at as those typical Americans who know known of the language or at least try to learn/speak it, so I have been trying very hard to pick up on some words and phrases.

Tonight we went to dinner at a local restaurant and sat on the street, drank beers and talked with some local students who spoke English. They explained many things that we were unaware of such as the children who are beggers, that were out so late. Saying they are too poor to go to school, which in Vietnam children of every age, every grade level have to pay for education. If they can't afford schooling they must learn to support themselves and their family at a young age. One of the girls who came around begging was fascinated by my hair. She stayed behind me at played with it and pulled it in amazement, as you can see in the picture.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

After a 15 hour flight from JFK to Shanghai, 2 hour layover in Shanghai, to a 4 hour flight to Ho Chi Minh city, 21 hours later we have arrived. Even at 2am we feel the intensity of the heat and can only imagine what it will be like tomorrow midday. We arrive at our place of stay and immediately are asked to take off our shoes and line them up with the other shoes at the entrance and showed to our room.

Today we woke up around 8:30 am trying to overcome the jet lag. We went to a local breakfast where we ate Pho soup(noodles) with beef, which is different from a typical American breakfast. It was delicious and very filling. Then we are off for our day of exploring Ho Chi Minh City.

We quickly see that crossing the streets in the city are very difficult, motorcars are coming from all directions and there aren't any pedestrian lights. You just weave in and out of the speeding traffic making your way to the other side. We went to the local market and saw them preparing all sorts of seafood, then we went to the Independence Palace. After many hours of walking around we made our way to the Saigon River and relaxed with a nice cup of coffee.

Its so interesting walking around everyone is staring at us and complementing our curly hair. A few local teenage girls asked to get pictures with us and were so excited that we said “yes.” After a long day of walking we went to dinner and got pork rolls, rice noodle salad bowl, rice paper and some Saigon beer (333). We are pretty exhausted after walking around all day, jetlagged and with the extreme change in temperature as well. It was around mid 90s today, tomorrow is to be around 94 degrees.

Punta Cana

I know I know this may be a little crazy, I'm returning from a trip to Punta Cana, DR with my mom and sister and now packing up for my next big adventure with Adrienne. Unpacking to repack, leaving tomorrow, flying into Ho Chi Minh , Vietnam. We then plan to make our way through Cambodia and then flying out of Bangkok, Thailand. Follow me!!