A Stroll around Saigon

[David48atTD]

The Vietcong may have won the battle but the merkins won the war.

Soooooo ... TWO ice creams.

Wot's the story morning glory?

Nice lip prints on the right cone.

Please don't say they are yours

[beerlaodrinker]

I heard it is hot and sweaty but I am up for anything!



You did not mention being half vietnamese - what a delicious fusion recipe![/QUOTE] Damn fine looking mestiza our katie. Give a jellyfish a horn.

[Looper]

Possibly Vietnam's narrowest apartment block i would guess. About 1.6m wide. Probably less internally.

You would have to be Vietnamese to lie down sideways.



A dog day afternoon on the toilet stop on the way to Cu Chi tunnels where the Vietcong bunkered down just north of Saigon.





Opportune moment for a bit of essential tour bus maintenance.



It was christmas at Cu Chi when we arrived.



The MacDonalds westerner test. Plain rice diet for Victor Charlie.



M41 Walker Bulldog again I think. This one in worse shape then the last.



I wanted a go on the 155MM field Howitzer.



But settled for a few rounds on the M60 in the foreground and a photo-op with the Jeep mounted Browning M30. That M60 is a monster and way more powerful than anything I have tried before.



This was the tour guide Mr Bean (Mr Binh?). He fought with the south against the VC and had plenty of stories to tell. He gets quite animated at times.



Crawling through the tunnels. Amazing that these coonts lived down here. I was drenched in sweat after crawling about 50m.



B52 does the job! This whole area was bombed and napalmed to a featureless desert but they still could not flush the VC out of the tunnels.

[Looper]

Mr Bean was complaining that he was going to miss the first half of Vietnam Vs Phills in the semi final of the asian cup.

I got off the bus jut in time to catch the Phils equaliser on the half time whistle.

But Vietnam scored in the second half to win. Cue bedlam being dialled up to the 9s! It is midnight now and all I can hear still is vuvuzelas on the street.



I got dragged in off Bui Vien against my will by another snake charming massage lady who unloosed her bossoms without invitation and performed the entire deal barefoot and topless... that is 1st class service an any fellas book!

I miss the pho and banh mi sold from carts near my aunt's place. Loopy, pls be a dear and post pics of pho (beef noodle soup) and banh mi (baguette sammich).

They were out of Beef Pho Katie so I had to go with beef noodles. I will find the Pho tomorrow!



But I am always happy to show you my baguette

...taken on the 49th floor of Bitexco

[Chittychangchang]

That video is priceless! Hunting dog not AmericanI bet it caught more GI's than dogs. btw nice dog pics

That thin building is far out, wonder how thin the staircase is.

Enjoyable thread Loops, keep them coming.

[david44]

Bui Vinh is a hoot always stay nearby.

Do visit the Delta a full day tripwith ferries hotel pick up under $30 inc lunch , fruit tasting a donkey teide and many other extras which after a few Bia Saigons are all a blur.

At the SW end of that street is the Duc Vuong which has a 2 level rooftop cocktail bar, where you can have a sundowner and enjoy the street life.

Its full of sorta girls who travel with 2 roller trolleys, haircurlers etc but not bad digs for the price I think $40-60ish last time





For a wild session the "sofa " bar

Head right from Duc Voung a block , first traffic street on the left
It leads up to Le Loi the main drag

You'll see many cafes hotels eateries tinkers and near the Mad Dog
and opp green suites 2 Hotel

Both here

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Duc+...10.7669867!3e2

Also nearby if you go left outta Duc Voung to end turn right there is an ole Greek bloke doing the best Greek food this side of Tahens on Melbourne who gave us a complimentary Metaxa for a yasoo

Its all wild and that is the best part of town for nightlife, thanks for great pix

[katie23]

@loopy dahlink - aww, how sweet! And your baguette - it's sooo big! :shocked face: :��

Btw, those tunnels have been widened for Caucasian tourists. The VCs were much smaller then, if you saw the pics and their uniforms. And yes, it was very hot inside those tunnels!

Thanks for the pics, well done!

[cyrille]

And your baguette - it's sooo big!

Did Benny Hill get your password, katie?

[katie23]

^had to Google Benny Hill - not familiar with his work. I'm more familiar with US than with UK actors.

Well, looper's baguette sammich was impressive.

[Chittychangchang]

[SKkin]

Looper...was this an example of one of the local ladies...or a tourist? Either way, very nice.



Those feet however...sketchy.

[Maanaam]

One thing I remember about Vietnam is that those fuckers make the thais look like amateurs in the scam/rippoff stakes.

Agree 100%. Mind you, dong vs baht, it ends up you're ripped off less

[Maanaam]

It is tiny compared with the world's greatest war museum The Australian War Memorial in Canberra but great fun for an hours wander.

You were obviously only looking at the hardware and not the photo exhibits...they are not fun by any stretch. I walked out once, regained my composure, tried again, and left in tears. It's a very sad story, and good to see the other side's take, not just the US's.

[bsnub]

Green owed! Excellent little read through looper!

[Looper]

Knocked off 2 more museums and a zoo today.

The Ho Chi Minh war museum has more military stuff but more from the VC side.

Russian T-54 successor to the legendary WWII T-34 and you can see the family resemblance.



There was no sign on this SAM but it looks like the legendary S-75 Dvina. The same one that shot down Gary Powers U-2. Any way the NVA managed to bring down a few B-52s with these things.



Wise and benevolent Uncle Ho.



A veritable smorgasbord of AK-47 variants.



On to the Vietnam History Museum

Some gorgeous pieces - most over a 1000 years old.











Viets used to mummify the dead. These lady was discovered under a house during renovations in 1994 and was dated to the mid 19th century.





She looks like she would have had quite attractive feet about 150 years ago.



Tiniest little kitten with no mum was mewing from under a cannon in the yard.





Could hardly bear to leave her there.

[Looper]

On to the zoo.

Wild boar.



This is what a Hyena looks like from underneath.



The tigers were pacing up and down and looking quite impressive. All cat haters (especially Dillinger!) should be lowered into this box on the end of a rope from a crane live-streamed on youtube.





The light was dying but I managed to get a shot of lemurs.



The rest was a night safari.





Finally managed to get a bowl of Katie's legendary Beef Pho inside Ben Thanh market. And legendary it is. Fooking gorgeous with some fresh chilli!



A steal at 50,000 dong

I was thinking of you as I got my lips round those tender beef strips Katie



Look mum. A big nose!



They take Christmas seriously in Saigon.



Well earned rest for the cyclo driver.



The most hideously garish paint-job ever seen on any merc anywhere.



Had the in room massage tonight. And the it was the first lady again. The one who invited me to remove my boxers and locked the door but then did not offer anything spicy. She was a bit cool this time then I remembered halfway through the massage that I had asked her for her phone number and her day off the first time. She gave me her number before but when I called it I realised I only had a data sim and I could not make a call. Anyway I explained all this when I remembered but I am not sure that she believed me.

Quiet last beer on Bui Vien and it is sayonnara Saigon...



Back to the hotel in the Grab uber.

[pseudolus]

I've had worse.

[katie23]

@loopy dahlink - you're showing off your biceps again. I think my heart skipped a beat.


and the beef pho - looks delish! Btw, if you're thinking of what to buy in terms of food souvenirs/ gifts, get the dried jackfruit chips (in purple packaging). Available in Ben Thanh & grocery stores. Very yummy. Thx for the pics!

[Looper]

Btw, if you're thinking of what to buy in terms of food souvenirs/ gifts, get the dried jackfruit chips (in purple packaging). Available in Ben Thanh & grocery stores. Very yummy.

Thanks Miss Katie. I am all set for souvenirs. I have got my NVA hat and my Uncle Ho T done in a mosaic of the Vietnam 1945 declaration of independence!



I will look out for Jackfruit at the airport.

[thaiguzzi]

You were obviously only looking at the hardware and not the photo exhibits...they are not fun by any stretch. I walked out once, regained my composure, tried again, and left in tears. It's a very sad story, and good to see the other side's take, not just the US's.

Concur.
Try the COPE museum in Vientienne for the horrors of the Secret War in Laos.
Watch, read and weep.
The West, & especially the Americans, have got a lot to answer for in the Support of the Fall of the Dominoes.

[Looper]

I also do not have a Douglas A-1 Skyraider. They are enormous. I will have to get one!

Finally got me paws on decent A-1 Skyraider...

...and A-37 Dragonfly to memorialise my last overseas holiday all the way back in 2018

Just a quick flick through the pics of my trip make me yearn for a walk on the steamy wild side of SEA...

Begone damned virus!

[Saint Willy]

Agreed to that mate! Damn virus

[Looper]

I do not have an F5A but I will be getting one after touching this one.

My life is now complete...

...exposed cannon and gun belt pornography