Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Our flight from Da Nang was a smooth 75 minutes, and before we knew it, we landed in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), eager to explore Vietnam's southern hub. We took a taxi to our hostel, dropped off our bags, and began our search for a place to eat. We passed a large market on our cab ride, so we headed there and found some pork and rice.

After eating, we set out to find an ATM to get money for our hotel room and bus fare. The hostel was centrally located in downtown Saigon, just around the corner from Independence Palace, making everything quite walkable. The ATM was next to the old post office in a beautiful old French building. It was also next to a massive cathedral, so within the first 30 minutes of being in the city, we had already seen many major sights.

Once we got the money and paid for our room, we relaxed for a bit while Jamie prepared for an important meeting. Since we were in a larger city, I thought there might be a chance of finding an English-language movie theater, and luckily, there was one just a 10-minute walk away! I booked a ticket combo for 210,000 VND ($8 USD), which included a large 32 oz Coke, popcorn, and a ticket to see Wicked. With so much promotion for the movie and its reminder of my Moo Moo, I had been eager to see it for weeks. It was a perfect opportunity to clear out of the room for Jamie to have privacy on his call and get some time to myself. The movie was incredible and a fun way to feel like a local in the city (plus I couldn't tell you the last time I went to the movie theatre).

War Remnants Museum

We didn't get up to that much in Saigon since we were only in town for 4 nights, but Jamie said our first stop should be the War Remnants Museum to get background on the Vietnam War ahead of our visits to the Cu Chi Tunnels the following day.

This visit was challenging, both emotionally and mentally. The museum starts off detailing the history of Vietnam and its numerous conflicts, before detailing how the US got involved and the aftermath effects of the war. Hearing about the history was interesting, but from there, the museum became extremely difficult. The second exhibit features haunting war photographs which capture the raw and brutal realities of war showcasing the atrocities and injuries suffered by both sides. The photographs illustrated the profound suffering endured by soldiers and civilians alike as lots of the battlegrounds were towns. Many of the images were graphic, showcasing the devastation wrought by violence, and they left a lasting impression on my mind.

The other standout indoor section was dedicated to the effects of Agent Orange, a herbicide used by the Americans during the Vietnam War. This area showed the long-term consequences of chemical warfare, detailing the horrific deformities and health issues that arose as a result of exposure to this toxic substance. It was heart-wrenching to see the photographs of individuals suffering from severe physical deformities, as well as to read about the ongoing struggles faced by survivors and their descendants. Despite having an audio guide that provided invaluable background information and context, I found it difficult to linger in this space. The weight of the stories and the visual evidence of suffering compelled me to move through the exhibits more quickly than I would have preferred, as I grappled with the emotional toll they took on me.

After finishing indoors, we moved to the outdoor portion which featured exhibitions depicting what a prison from that era would have looked like. The cramped cages and confinement cells were particularly tough to endure. In addition to the prison exhibit, the outdoor area showcased leftover tanks and aircraft from the war. These remnants of military machinery stood as silent witnesses to the fierce battles fought and the lives lost. The rusting metal and decaying structures served as a stark visual representation of the conflict, and I couldn't help but reflect on the stories these machines could tell if they could speak.

Cu Chi Tunnels

With the background information on how the war started and why it lasted so long, we went into our half-day Cu Chi tunnels tour well-prepared. While researching tour providers, we saw there were two main options when it came to the tunnels, one to do Ben Dinh and one to do Ben Duoc. We ended up choosing Ben Duoc despite it being the longer drive because it is less crowded and more authentic and true to the original state they were during the war.

The Cu Chi Tunnels stretch for 75 miles (121 kilometers) and were a vital component of the Viet Cong's military strategy. The tunnels are strategically situated approximately 60 kilometers northwest of the bustling metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City, providing both tactical advantages and a degree of concealment from enemy forces. This vast network extends deep into the Vietnamese countryside and reaches toward the Cambodian border, highlighting its significance in the broader context of the conflict. The Cu Chi Tunnels were not merely simple pathways; they were a well-engineered system that included living quarters, storage facilities, command centers, and even hospitals.

While we were on-site, we explored seven areas of the tunnel system. Among the notable locations we visited were a bomb shelter, an operating room, and a command center. I wasn't brave enough to go through all of the tunnel sections, but Jamie bravely ventured through each one having to go in pencil-thin to a vertical drop in the tunnel and crawling through the dark in some sections.

Our tour guide also showed us some of the various traps crafted by the Viet Cong detailing the materials used and the strategic placement within the tunnels to maximize their effectiveness. In addition, he explained how the Viet Cong repurposed unexploded American bombs and salvaged materials from the battlefield to create weapons. Our experience took an unexpected turn that nearly gave us a heart attack when the tour guide pressed a button, activating a series of models that began to move.

I knew Saigon was a large city, but I underestimated its traffic! After finishing our tunnel tour, it took us more than two hours to return to our hotel. The constant stop-and-go in a manual car made me feel very sick, I think Jamie and I almost kissed the ground when we finally made it back.

Thank you, Vietnam!

I was still feeling a bit questionable the next day, so Jamie and I took it easy working from the hotel and doing some souvenir shopping before going out for our last meal in the city. We found the cutest American diner and were transported into the set. From sitting at the diner's counter, we ordered sandwiches as if we were on the East Coast. It was a fun atmosphere and the perfect way to wrap up our time in Saigon.

Jamie and I booked a sleeper bus for the eight-hour trip from Saigon to Phnom Penh, crossing the land border from Vietnam into Cambodia. Due to city regulations, sleeper buses were only permitted into the city during the evening because of the busy traffic. Therefore, we initially boarded a regular bus for the first 45 minutes before transferring to sleeper cabins. This bus featured only single cabins, unlike the double cabins we were used to, making the space a bit more cramped than we were used to. It seems I booked with a non-touristy company, as we were the only white people on the bus, and all announcements were in another language. Fortunately, Jamie is very chatty and made a friend who translated for us; otherwise, we would have been completely lost.

I managed to nap for the first two hours on the sleeper bus, waking up just as we pulled up to the border. I always find it so funny the way land borders work, that you take a few steps and are in a new country. It was pretty quick and easy, and after a few fingerprints, we were officially on Cambodian soil and ready to start our next adventure!