Backpacking at Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam. Part 1

Note: Dear all, im using blogger apps on Android Note 8 and I cant insert photos after paragrapgh. It only appear after my blog post! Terrible apps but I still have to use it because I dont have laptop with me! DO scroll down after post for photos!!!  Thank you!!!!

Our 2013 backpacking mission!

With two guys, Jj and Bobby tag along this trip, the more the merrier!

Booked air tickets 1 year earlier with Airasia promo, a return trip (KUL-> HCM -> KUL) only cost us RM180 (about USD60).

Landed at Ho Chi Minh International Airport in the morning, with the arranged airport transfer by hostel (USD20 per way, van) send us direct to Townhouse 50 Saigon.

You know you are in Saigon when the streets packed with motorcycles!!

And no one really follow the rules of traffic lights!! (We found a tee in market which reads out: Green light I can go, Yellow light I can go, Red light I STILL CAN GO! <- I regret I didnt get this!)

Half an hour stuck in the busy streets and we are greeted with cold drinks at Townhouse 50 Saigon by Britney. She is a friendly staff who will take care of everything! Our mixed dorm rooms is 12 beds eith shared male/female bathroom/toilet. 6 of us, so we took the room space by half! Clean hostel and good location for about USD10 per pax/bed.

After we are shown our dorms and locked stuff in locker, we went for a quite Vietnamese bites across the street which recommended by Britney.

I must say that, most menus and road signs in Saigon didn't have English translation, abit hard for us to communicate with locals. Lucky this shop have proper translation!

We ordered sticky rice with Vietnamese steamed pork & braised pork, Vietnamese sticky rice with onion, and of course the must-have Vietnamese Spring rolls! (By the way, they always served cold tea at every cafes/restaurants when they hand out menus!)

Headed back to Townhouse where our shuttle waiting for us to Cu Chi Tunnel! For your information, they have bus tour service to there but we couldnt make it on time as the bus leave around 8am and we only landed after that mentioned time. So thats why we get van shuttle!

Cu Chi Tunnel is about 40km northwest of Ho Chi Minh City, takes about an hour ride. Admission to the tunnel, a guided trip cost us USD5 each.

The guide showed us the tunnels are used to provide refuge & defense the American soldiers. He even showed us the weapons used and bring us to walk in one of the shortest tunnel which is reconstructed to fit a normal size human goinf through! Because those Vietnamese in older days, they are much small sized!

How they survived under the tunnels? We are shown those "breathing holes" on soils and usually either under or next to the trees which is not easy spotted by the Soldiers. 

Such a tough time for Vietnamese to live beneath the soils during the war for about 25 years. They cook, eat, sleep, study, recreating weapons from those used bomb by American and even surgery room down there!

Towards the end of the visit, we went to shooting range! We chose AK47 (which is 35.000VND per bullet, but must buy 10 bullets at least). Oh gawd, the person in charge during our shooting is a short tempered man who always instructed us to "shoot" in his loud voice and strict looking face! Every shoots was rushed and not really having a fun time!

We leaded to hand washing area, spring water from bamboo. And we are served tapiaco (asian potatoes) with combination of peanuts, sugar and salt as dip for the potatoes and pot of pandan tea!

Group photos taken with the tour guide before we headed the exit!

I recommend this place is a must visit, if your want to know more about Vietnamese history. I always love history!

And we had our dinner the Vietnamese way!! We found this little noodles shop flooded with locals. And Bobby said, this must be good! Low tables and chairs, and by the roadside! We shared bowls of beef noodles! And they served herbs vegetables too, add to your liking to the soups or just munch it!

And our next Vietnamese food galore is economic fast food!

How fun to end a day! :)

P/s while im blogging this, im having a cup of Vietnamese coffee! I never like black coffee but I fall in love with them! ♡

Backpacking here we go!!

Everyone stuck In the middle of junction!

Common area at Townhouse50 Saigon

Common area at Townhouse50 Saigon

Townhouse50 Saigon

Welcome drinks!

12 beds mixed dorm

Us at Townhouse50 Saigon entrance!

Our 1st Vietnamese eat out!

Cold refreshing tea!

Sticky rice with spring onion

The must have, Vietnamese steam spring rolls

Sticky rice with mixed pork

At the ticketing booth Cu Chi Tunnel

Our guide showing us the hidden tunnel.

The tunnel entry!

Breathing hole! For those living under the soils!

Modified entrance for tourist purposes!

Us on the destroyed tank!

Their slippers made from tyres. Durable and thick!

Shooting range bullet pricing!

For shooters only!

Us!

Have a crawl to experience Vietnamese Living under tunnels!

Complimentary Potatoes served with crushed peanut&sugar&salt and pandan tea! this is what they had under the soils during war!

Girls and the guide.

Boys and the guide!

Our 1st round dinner! Low tables & chairs by the roadside and pho!

Pho!

The busy centre of Saigon when night falls!

Our 2nd round dinner of the day! With Vietnamese economic fast food!

Bbq 3 layer pork!

Our 2nd round dinner: Vietnamese economic fast food!!

Full of bikes at Saigon city!

P/s Sipping a cup of Vietnamese coffee :)

Backpacking holiday @ Phnom Penh, Cambodia | Part II

Long overdue post!

Continued from the first post: Backpacking Cambodia

Our next destination is Choeung Ek Killing Fields.

We took tuk-tuk from our Hotel to there which is about 17km south of Phnom Penh, at least 30 minutes drive.

Dusty ride & we didn't have any mask on. Oops. And along the way...

We finally arrived!

This is one of my long anticipated MUST-DO for Cambodia trip. I heard it from Hubby that there's a tree inside which they use it as weapon to kill the babies. So, I want to see it myself. Mum been there too on a Company trip but she chose not to enter because of negative energy. Since my kids days, I'm more interested with supernatural stuff. No, I don't want to see those. I just want to know the history.

Enough said.

This is a well-known Killing Fields in Cambodia. Many people killed and burried here during Khmer Rouge regime (1975-1979). Even until today, after heavy downpour, there is still rags clothes surfaced from the mass graves. This is also part of the reason why you don't see old aged people around because they executed almost everyone. 

Admission fee is USD3 per pax include audio device (your tour guide) for the memorial site. Audio device come with selection of many international language too.

The Choeung Ek Genocidal Centre Entrance

Our maps & tickets.

Group pic before we take on the routes of history.

The Memorial Stupa

This place become a Memorial site with a Buddhist Stupa. Thousand of skulls & bones of victims filled up the tall glass.

The skulls section. Show most of the cracked skulls.

The skulls

The tower of Skulls

Just imagine they filled up the whole tall Stupa.

It's heartbreaking to see all this remaining of the victims. May they rest in Peace.


We then move on with the Audio device for get more in dept history of the Killing Fields during Pol Pot regime.

Audio device set with map.

Informative audio set which brings the history of the whole place. They also include some of the victim story. And at every stop, there is an information board and Audio list number that you should tune to.

The truck stop where they transport all the victims here.

Information board.

This is the 1st stop. Tune in the audio & follow the routes.

This is the Mass grave. As you walk along, you will see fragments of bones and clothes on your feet. They advice to give respect to the victims and stay on the path. Most importantly, don't pick up anything from the ground.

The paddy fields

As you walk along the path. To the left is the lake. To the right is the paddy fields. The lake is one of the grave which some are burried underwater.

This is also a Mass grave with victims without heads are burried.

The Killing Tree.

 This is the famous Killing Tree which I mentioned earlier. In those days, soldiers grabbed the babies and smashed their heads against it and tossed them into the pit. Its disturbingly sad.

The pit graves.

The Magic Tree

It is named the "Magic" Tree because the loudspeakers hung in the branches which broadcast the revolutionary songs across Choeung Ek. The music was to drawn out the screams of people being killed. This is also known as the last song victims ever heard.

Though not much to be seen here, with the helpful audio and stories told, I think its worth visiting Cambodia. Chilling history for us to know more about the Khmer. 

And everytime I looked back at there photos, it always give me sudden chill.