Ho Chi Minh City - Lunar New Year - Chuc Mung Nam Moi | Vietnam

Saying goodbye to Cambodia, we headed for Ho Chi Minh City, known in the past as Saigon, in Vietnam. The border process was a bit scary, and it took a long time to get through.

Upon arrival there, we lost Kim. It was a scary moment, losing one of the group. She had just taken her camera out to take photos of some New Year flowers we had passed, and turned around to find us gone. With no Vietnamese money, she somehow made her way back towards our hotel, and Hang (supposed group leader) went to find her.

I was very hungry and had read that the best Pho (soup with rice noodles) is found in the main market, Ben Thanh in HCMC. Myself and Kim went to explore and came across many coffee stalls. Coffee is very popular in Vietnam, and there are so many varieties! It is also served with condensed milk, and so I became addicted.

Kim went off in search of some dried Mango, and I was so hungry I sat down at one of the food stalls in the centre. Two minutes later this delicious bowl of goodness was presented, along with an Iced Vietnamese coffee. In the heat of the market, this combination was most welcome.

Once I had eaten as much as I could, we decided to explore some more of Saigon. Below is the Opera House, and you can see the French influence in the design. We also got conned and paid about $8 for a tiny coconut! Lesson learned, make sure you understand currency conversions when out and about!

We were too late to go inside, but we saw the Vietnamese version of Notre Dame, which is located next to the beautiful old Post Office.

Having bought some cards for our mothers, we entered this beautiful old colonial building. Noticing the envelopes didn't have any sticky bits, there was a section at the side with tubs of glue and paintbrushes. Very old fashioned. Since sending, the card has arrived, and my mother is very happy with her pop up lady on a bike!

Everywhere outside we walked, it was clear the city was gearing up for a party. Lunar New Year also known as Tet was only one day away. This meant that everything we had seen today would be closed for the next week, so thank goodness we were motivated enough to check them all out!

Happy New Year in Vietnamese is Chuc Mung Nam Moi - this phrase came in very handy throughout my trip, as people became friendlier every time I mentioned it! Also, you can see how increasingly busy the city was getting, with thousands of mopeds and motorbikes all over the place.

There were also clear signs that Vietnam is a communist country, and all the way along the coast there are constant reminders in the form of billboards or statues.

Casual motorbike park.

On the eve before Tet, I went along with the Irish group to the Rex Hotel for a cocktail. Traffic was crazy!

On the rooftop, it was far more relaxed and not too busy. This was where many foreign correspondents had met during the war. We listened to a band, and looked down at the craziness below!

The next day, a visit to the Cu Chi tunnels was on the cards. I have to say, I felt very uncomfortable here and was glad not to be American. Our guide was very passionate about his country and was quite rightly upset about what had happened in the past to his family and fellow countrymen. What I found difficult to comprehend was the celebration in his speech about killing American soldiers. He told us with glee in his eyes how the Cu Chi fighters had outwitted the Americans, hurt, maimed and killed them. Showing us the various inhumane traps, he got more and more excited. There was even a communist video which celebrated and gave medals to the citizens who had killed the most Americans. I was horrified. I don't care what side you are on, you should never be laughing or celebrating about killing another human being. I found this really distasteful.

What I found incredible was the ingenuity of these people to survive underground, and in such a close confined space. They had everything from kitchens, to hospitals under there. The tunnels we went through have been made bigger for tourists, and yet I found it difficult to go 20m. I am 6ft and a big girl, so the tunnels were never made for someone my size to fit through. There was hardly any air, and I found myself crawling along the floor. I had to get out at the first exit for air. At least I can say I experienced it.

Below was an entrance to the tunnels. I didn't manage to get through this... Haha!

As it was Tet that evening, Julia had the idea to go to Chinatown and find the celebrations going on there. Unfortunately we went the wrong way, but in the end were greeted with lots of smiles and bewilderment. I don't think many Westerners walk down the streets we went down. In the taxi on the way back to the hotel, we came across the celebrations we had been looking for, so not so much of a loss.

We had a group meeting with our new leader Ha, and two new arrivals. Awesome kiwis Cheryl and Catherine. They adopted me as another member of their family throughout the rest of the trip. Ha also seemed to be more on top of the group, and provided us with lots of information. A stark contrast with our last leader!

We were then treated to a group meal, and came across all the celebrations for the new year. This offering was just outside our hotel.

We decided to head to the river for the fireworks, and followed the crowd. So many people on scooters! Rob picked an excellent spot, and we all watched the spectacle. It was a fantastic experience, and I'm glad we stayed up for it!

After our homestay at the Mekong, we had one more afternoon in HCMC. I went to the War Remnants Museum, which had some fantastic exhibitions on. I was really moved by the photographers exhibition on the top floor, which showcased photos from foreign and local photographers who had died during the war. The images helped to portray what it was like on both sides of the front line and paid hommage those brave souls, who will not be forgotten.

This is where I learned about Agent Orange, and how devastating it has been to Vietnam. It was an eye opener, especially the aftermath and how it is still damaging the population generations later. Lots of images of disfigured children, which are very upsetting. This museum is a must see in HCMC, but be aware it is very biased.