KOH SAMUI

DAY 4:

We checked in at Koh Samui airport (which was lovely) but wouldn't issue us our boarding passes for the connecting flight as we đin't have a visa, therefore instructing us to pay airport at at Bangkok. We arrived at Bangkok at 11am and headed straight to an internet cafe, praying the approval letter would be in our email...but it wasn't! Our flight was due to leave at 1:15pm and our approval letter came through just as Mr F was gonna contact the visa website at 12:15pm! We both agreed that God tends to leave things to the very last minute as a test of faith. We checked in showing our approval letter and boarded the plane, dodging the airport tax as no questions were asked about the visa....result!

         Koh Samui airport....

VERDICT OF KOH SAMUI:
Mr F: Koh Samui is in danger of destroying itself in the name of tourism. Although there are some pretty parts, they are few and far between.
Mrs F: Was glad we only booked in to stay for 3 nights - far too touristy, more of a place to go if you just wanna get drunk each night. Would liked to have gone to a different Thai island but all taken up by yet more party animals for the full moon party. 


VIETNAM - 
HO CHI MINH CITY: (HCMC)

We got to HCMC airport...with our rucksacks....and headed straight for the 'arrival visa booth where waited for our approval letter to be turned into a stamped visa. 45mins and 30 pounds later, we were free to roam Saigon - now called HCMC. After a hard haggle for a taxi, we were eventually taken to our hotel, driving through the city's infamous traffic. Hundreds of mopeds along with a few cars surround and dominate the roads - it's the busiest, craziest traffic either of us have ever seen. We were pleased to see that our room had a  bath. However it was clearly made for the average sized asian person, so if either one of us wanted a bath, we had to perform a contortionist act in order to fit in! That night we ate in the Goldfish restaurant just over the road from the hotel.

Mr F examining the city map as per usual routine

                                      Mrs F practicing eating with chopsticks

Mr F demonstrating the small bath!

                                                       










The crazy roads of HCMC

                                             This is a theatre...they were showing Oliver

HCMC
DAY 1:

As the roads are far too manic to hire a moped, we set out on foot with our map in hand. We walked a fair way around the city taking in the culture and seeing what HCMC had to offer. Our first point of interest was 'Notre Dame Cathedral'. The architecture inside and out was very impressive. Mrs F went and sat on the pews and said some prayers. Just over the road was a big post office where some students asked us to do a survey about Saigon and a couple were having their wedding pictures.

Mrs F by our marker building by our hotel

We quickly learned the safest and best way to cross a road, the Vietnamese way. But we called it 'The HCMC Shuffle'. To instinctively run across will almost certainly get you run over. The way across is to walk really slowly without stopping - that way it gives the drivers enough time to negotiate their way around you and other drivers. You hold your breath literally the whole way across! We also noticed that all women wear hoodies with masks, gloves and socks in the sweltering heat. We found out this is because having dark skin, you are seen as a country girl, basically a person of low standing, so they completely cover up from the sun. We stopped for lunch at 'Pho 24' where we had traditional Vietnamese noodles and chicken, eaten like pro's with chopsticks. Mrs F was convinced that the so called chicken wasn't chicken and in the fear of eating dog or snake, chose not to eat the meat. Mr F however didn't care what it was!
After fueling up we walked through a park and went to The Reunification Palace, which is basically the presidents residence and only 40p each entrance fee :-) The decor inside hasn't changed since 1975 and had very majestic looking rooms that were used for world leaders to congregate and discuss the American war. We walked around on our own for a bit then somehow became part of a tour group, which was good to know all the info and history.

We found this notice quite funny that you should leave all ya explosives behind!!

                                   
The room with maps of Vietnam and plans of fighting action

                                  
                                 











                     These were gifts for the president....much to our disgust.

                                            










 Our tour guide in traditional Vietnamese dress

 We then walked to The War Remnants Museum which was also only 40p each entrance fee. As we both never learned about the war in Vietnam at school, it was a shock to the system to learn about it in just 1 hour of walking around the museum. Lots of graphic photos of injured and dead people, including young children and babies that was really upsetting to see. There was also a section showing photos of severely deformed Vietnamese people due to the orange agent bomb, which were used to destroy the jungle but caused genetic deformities throughout 3 generations.

After a long day of walking for 6 hours,Mrs F's feet were aching, justifying a 1 hour foot and leg massage with hot stones a complimentary neck, shoulder and back massage....all for 9 pounds!