My one million dong (all emblazoned with Ho Chi Minh, of course - and only amounting to $57US). I felt very rich!
Monica's shot of the choked Saigon streets, taken from our taxi coming in from the airport. We were horrified and convinced we would never be able to cross a street
Saigon traffic - it really is as crazy as they say
Walking about it constantly feels like you're in the middle of a motorcycle rally
Reunification Palace, formerly the Presidential Palace before the fall of South Vietnam on April 30, 1975 (the park the palace is in is called 30/4 in commemoration of the date)
Red banners with either a yellow star (the flag of Vietnam) or a yellow hammer & sickle line some streets
Pho, the traditional Vietnamese beef stew/noodle dish
Monica thought it was hilarious to take a photo of me eating salad with chopsticks. They didn't give me a fork!
Monica in the cyclo! The motorcycles just zipped all around us
Riding a cyclo through the streets of Saigon. The motorcycles just zipped around us
I made a new friend. This little boy followed me around the block, across the street, and through this mini park trying to sell me postcards. We finally just had to run away
East German poster supporting the North Vietnamese against the Americans from the War Remnants Museum
Saigon's City Hall
I cannot stop taking photos of the traffic. I think there was some kind of show/demonstration going on on the sidewalk behind
Our tour to Cao Dai and Cu Chi had a surprise stop at a lacquerware factory - I fulfilled their tourist hopes and bought a small vase
We were able to see the factory employees at work - this man was crushing eggshells into intricate designs
The Holy See of the Cao Dai religion, with a monk in yellow
The women's entrance to the Cao Dai temple - the ladies, all in traditional white ao dai, left their shoes and hats outside
Cao Dai service inside the temple. Men are on the right, women on the left
Monica in the temple!
I loved all the little pagodas scattered about, guarded by china dogs
Street scene some ways outside the temple - I just love how many people are wearing the conical hats
The Cu Chi tunnels - this soldier demonstrated how the Viet Cong guerillas could duck down into their tunnels and utterly disappear
First entryway into the Cu Chi tunnels - and that was a BIG section of the tunnels! It was already terrifying and we hadn't even gotten to the lower level yet
Mon coming out the emergency exit of the tunnels. We bailed after like the first 10 meters
The Cu Chi guerilla mannequins
Monica on the motorcycle! We drove around for an hour and a half, visiting two Vietnamese pagodas and the Ben Thanh Market
Motorists just criss-cross all over the place, wherever they can find an opening, even if it means heading directly into oncoming traffic
At points we were utterly surrounded by other motorcyclists, bicyclists, cyclos, cars, buses, taxis, even pedestrians...and this was a Sunday, when traffic was supposed to be light!
Mon in front of Notre Dame cathedral, built by the French
We went on a boat on the Mekong Delta! It was pouring rain.
Workers stirring the coconut oils into taffy to make coconut candy - my new favorite treat
Ladies in traditional dress paddled us up a narrow creek; at times we had to duck from overhanging palm fronds
At our final stop in the Delta we drank honey tea made from Vietnamese bees - the tea was 40% honey and 60% tea; incredibly sweet!
Monica's shot of the Ben Thanh market. We bought lots of souvenirs here
