Vietnam

We drove 2 hours to the tunnels. Only 2ft wide and 3ft high you understand what the American troops were up against during the Vietnam war.  It was difficult for us to not feel upset by what we saw. But you have to give it to the Viet cong they were very resourceful.

We went to see a water puppet show in the afternoon. Only in Vietnam does this exist. The puppeteers stand in waist hight water behind a screen and work the puppets. It is something to see. We went behind the stage after the performance to see how it is done wooden puppets on long metal poles. (Very heavy).

Then it was off on a rickshaw ride to the Saigon Culinary Institute. You haven't experienced Saigon until you are in the middle of traffic. The rickshaws are powered by bicycle and carry only one person. There we were in the midst of traffic with buses and hundreds of motor bikes all around us. It is a wonder no one got squished. Did I tell you there don't seem to be any rules for driving. It is every person for themselves. That goes for pedestrians as well. There are a few traffic lights but many don't abide by them.

We had a cooking demonstration at the cooking school. We helped to prepare part of our meal. No I can't tell you what we had but it was all delicious.

Earlier in the day,when we returned from the tunnels we ate at a noodle restaurant. There wasn't a Caucasian face to be found. Big bowls of soup with rice noodles you get to have chicken beef or tofu added. On the table there were plates of hot peppers, fresh basil and cilantro along with various sauces for you to add to the soup. I was challenged using chopped sticks and a spoon to eat the soup. But somehow I managed.

Yesterday we took another long ride to the Mekong Delta region. The region is very fertile and their were rice paddy fields everywhere you looked. We stopped to watch how rice is made into puffed rice and then Carmel coated. It was the largest wok I had ever seen. Over a charcoal fire they heat sand and the throw in the rice. When popped the rice is put through a sieve where the sand is removed. Very interesting

Lunch was at a 19th century home with marvelous antiques. During the various troubl d times since the family owned the home the antiques were buried on the property. Along with parts of the house. There have been 5 generations of the same family who own it. Lunch was outdoors and again another wonderful meal.

We had our farewell dinner last night and said goodbye to 7 of our traveling companions. 8 of us remain as we head back to Thailand for another 8 days of adventures