Ho Ci Min City aka Saigon

This morning we flew from Danong down to Ho Chi Min City also known as Saigon. It is the largest city in Vietnam with over 10 million residents. It is a much more developed city than Hanoi with quite a western feeling and many high rise buildings. However the roads are just as chaotic and congested, possibly a bit worse the Hanoi as the are far more cars.

After lunch in a noodle bar we had a tour of the Unification Palace, a 1960's building used by the leaders of south Vietnam during the war. We then moved on to the War Remnants Museum, a quite sobering and difficult to look at exhibition featuring the war atrocities during the Vietnam American war. 

We also visited the catholic cathedral and the Saigon Post Ofice.

The Nam Hai

Today was billed as a leisure day on our busy itinerary, but we decided to use the time to do a cooking demonstration with one of the chefs at The Nam Hai. After an early breakfast we were taken to the local market and shown around by the chef and saw all the many and varied ingredients available from fruit vegetables meat fish herbs and spices. We the returned to The Nam Hai and were shown around the extensive herb and vegetable gardens where the hotel is able to grow many of the ingredients that they use in the kitchen. After a short break we went to the Beach Restaurant kitchen where we helped prepare three dishes; fresh spring rolls, banana flower salad and my quang, a hot chicken prawn and noodle dish. We were then able to sit in the restaurant and eat our own prepared meals.

This afternoon we went into Hoi An for a final fitting for our tailored clothes. Then time for a lazy afternoon and a swim in the 50 metre olympic size pool.

My Son and Hoi An

A much better day today with only slight drizzle in the morning but warm and sunny this afternoon.

In the morning we drove to My Son (pronounced Me Sun and meaning beautiful mountain) the site of the 6th to 12th centuary Cham temples. Only a few remain and have been recently partially restored, but many are ruins, destroyed by a combination of time weather and war.

We returned to Hoi An for lunch and then a walking tour of the old town, with many picturesque streets old wooden houses a Japanese Bridge and Chinese temples.

We went back to the taylors for our first fitting of our new clothes before heading back to he hotel for a dip in the fabulous pool, although Lindsay seems quite relaxed on the outdoor sofas by our villa!

Hue to Hoi An

A very wet day in Hue today but we had a full days sightseeing. Firstly we visited the local indoor but leaky market, where you could buy anything and everything and eat street food.

We were then taken and shown around two mausoleums where past Emperors are buried. There are extensive and elaborate decorations all around.

After lunch we visited the Cham sculpture museum where there are many Hindu statues rescued from temples at My Son where we are to visit tomorrow.

After a four hour drive we arrived in Hoi An, and visited a taylors where we have both been measured up for clothing to be made up for us tomorrow.

We re now in the rathur fantastic Nam Hai resort, although its still raining heavily with no sign of a let up.

Hue

We are now in Hue central Vietnam, staying at La Residence hotel, the splendedly maintained art deco style ex French Colonial Governor's residence which overlooks the Perfume river and beautifully maintained gardens.

We  met our new guide who took for a tour of another Pagoda before visiting the Citadel which is the heart of Hue. The citadel was constructed in the early 19th centuary for the last Emperors, who were eventually deposed in 1945 by the new communist government. The buildings were damaged and some destroyed during earlier periods of French colonisation and later during the American Vietnam war in the 1970's. Much restoration work is underway to regain its former glory.

After leaving the citadel we took a rickshaw ride though the heavy late afternoon traffic back to our hotel.