Back to Croatia - Split, a Tourist Mecca

SPLIT - June 25 to 28 Accommodation: Apartment Sunny Split 60 Euros a night Weather: hot and sunny mid to high 30's Highlights: Diocletian's Palace Boat trip and visit to Trogir Beach time Epic meal at Koo Joze Walk to Mountain Park overlooking the city General City Walks Comments: The bus ride was relatively pleasant from Sarajevo to Split. There was one tiny hiccup in our accommodation when we discovered that we booked an apartment which could easily be described as a closet. It was an instant no way are we staying here. Thankfully our host responded and offered us an upgrade that turned out to be one of the best apartments of our entire trip. Split is very popular with tourists and there will be no way of avoiding them in July and August. Diocletian's Palace is interesting but to be honest it is far too commercial so we made short work of it. Instead we enjoyed the beaches, walks around the city and a hike to a beautiful mountain park which includes a zoo and botanical garden. The park offers an excellent overview of the city. We did a very pleasant boat ride to Trogir and we would recommend it to you if you visit Split. You can take many day trips from this location. Put Split on your itinerary if you have the time. Tomorrow we head to Zagreb and catch our flight back to the Netherlands where we will spend the next two months. During that time we will holiday with our family in Slovenia and we will blog from there.

Sarajevo - Put it on your must do list

SARAJEVO - June 21 to 24 Accommodation: Hotel Italian $40 per night and Villa Orient 65Euros per night Weather: sunny mid to high 30's Highlights: Historical Museum National Museum Tour with Adis as recommended by our friend John - Tunnel of Hope, Snipers nest and Mountain overview of the city Visit to the Latin Bridge where the Archduke and his wife were shot thus began WWI Walkabout in historic Old Town area Comments: Our journey to Sarajevo began in Kotor with a bus trip to Podgorica, Montenegro, the capitol. Rumor has it that it is the most boring European Capitol city; our experience would suggest that this is true. This did not pose a problem because it was just a quick stopover to catch a flight to Sarajevo. The flight via Belgrade, Serbia went smoothly and we were picked up and taken to our hotel that was a 30 minute walk from the city centre. We were happy with the accommodation but we would recommend an Old Town location would be better. it is always nice to take a break midday and go to your hotel or apartment for a rest from the heat. The Siege, an exhibition of video and photos, made an indelible impression and it has created a strong desire to learn more about the history of this country. We are finding that there is alot of good literature about the Homeland War and the general history of the country. This reading will no doubt occupy many hours when we get home. Travel really does expand your horizons. There are so many things to say about Bosnis and Herzegovina: the call to prayer that echoes through the streets, the daily routines of the people, and the continual cleanup after the war. It is amazing to see so many buildings displaying the scars of war-bullets holes in walls,some partially destroyed,and some rebuilt. There was no Marshal Plan after the war so there is still much reconstruction to be completed. Like so many Balkan Countries unemployment is high and it is difficult to find a good paying job. Political tensions have subsided for the moment but one has to wonder about the future. A word of caution to nonsmokers visiting in this part of the world-smoking is everywhere. Young and old alike are heavy smokers. We are so pleased that we took the time to see Sarajevo. It is a beautiful city with war scars and all. You must admire the people for their resilience in the face of the oppressive brutality that four years of war brought them.

Kotor - the best place in Montenegro

KOTOR - June 17 to 20 Accommodation: Apartment Cetkovic $44 per night Weather: hot Mid to high 30's Highlights: Walk around the UNESCO preserved Old Town Early morning hike to the top of the mountain overlooking the city Afternoon at Jaz Beach Meeting new friends - John, France and Arielle Enjoying the wonderful hoitality of our host Comments: Thankfully we resisted the prevailing advice to visit Budva. Two bus stops were enough to convince us to go to Kotor for four nights. We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Kotor combining rest with activity. Our accommodation offered us views of the bay and the patio adjacent to our apartment was a perfect place to read and relax. Doug loved his run in the early morning on the day we left. Our next destination is Sarajevo in Bosnia/Herzegovina.

Dubrovnik - Crown Jewel of Croatia

Dubrovnik - June 12-16 Accommodation: Adriana Apartments - 75 Euros per night for three people Weather: hot but perfect mid 30's shade most always available HIGHLIGHTS: Best swimming ever both in and around the city and at Lokrum Island City Wall Walk offered outstanding views of the city and the ocean Visits to churches, a monastery, cathedral Best Museum ever - Art Gallery of Dubrovnik Steve McCreery Exhibition Cable Car ride Some good restaurants especially the vegetarian on Nishta COMMENTS: They ( everyone we talked to) we're right; this is a place of beauty and character. We were very fortunate to be here before the crowds. As we understand that in July and August the narrow streets are jammed with tourists. Throughout our trip we have rented apartments which allows you to cook your own food and keeps you out of restaurants except for special occasions. It gives you an opportunity to shop at the markets with the local people. The European Cup was on while in Dubrovnik so we witnessed the joy of a virtual win (tie) for Croatia. Our host at Adriana was very involved in environmental issues in Dubrovnik and gave us insights the political struggles that are ongoing. She was great fun to be with. It never ceases to amaze us that each day in Croatia seems better than the last day. There has not been any downside to our visit in Croatia.

CROATIA - Magnificent Makarska

Makarska June 7-11 Accommodation: private accommodation arranged through Robert and Marko Puharich Weather: high 20's to low 30's mostly sunny HIGHLIGHTS: Scenery on the bus ride to Makarska was spectacular; this is also true for the entire Croatian coastline Full day boat excursion to Hvar and Brac Marko's personalized tour which included meeting his Grandmother, a mountaintop view overlooking Makarska and a visit to a religious sanctuary set in the mountains. This is really a beautiful outdoor church. Beach experience and walks along the promenade Last but not least the incredible hospitality of our hosts COMMENT: We did not include in the highlights our trip to Medugorge and Mostar. One day in Makarska we rented a car to see these two places. The scenery to. And from these areas was outstanding and there was very little traffic. The destination to the religious shrine - Medugorge - was a bit disappointing due to the crowds and commercialization. Mostar is worthy of your time and should be included in your itinerary; it is a UNESCO site with an ethnic mix of Christians and Muslims. The scars from the 1990's war are still very evident and it will probably take generations to heal these wounds. We loved everything about Makarska: the beaches, the walks and the general hospitality of the people you met.

CROATIA CONTINUED

ZADAR June 4-6 Accommodation: Vila Lipa -$83 per night Weather: excellent HIGHLIGHTS: Visits to historic old town Seaside Promenade Sea Organ - architectural masterpiece by Nikolas Bacic - organ music and light display activated by wave action Excursion to Nin ancient Capitol Lovely beaches COMMENTS: The drive to Zadar was made really interesting by our guide Marko. He knew so much about the area. We received a warm welcome upon our arrival at Vila Lipa from our host. This is a wonderful location for any travelers itinerary.

CROATIA CONTINUED

RAB ISLAND May 30- June 3 Accommodation: Yila Banjol - $100 Weather: mid to high 20's and sunny HIGHLIGHTS: Walks around the historic village from our centrally located apartment Day of cycling along the coast and a delightful swim Boat ride to remote beaches Attended Sunday Church Service Local markets COMMENTS: We stayed on Rab Island for five days which allowed us to do things at a leisurely pace. We did our own cooking and enjoyed wonderful facilities offered at our apartment. The local wines are great and inexpensive. Whether we are at home or traveling it is the celebration of the ordinary that makes life worthwhile. Nothing beats getting up early, walking along the seashore and having coffee and a croissant with the locals. We organized a drive to Zadar, our nest destination with driver and tour guide, Marko Kac. We highly recommend that you contact him for tours and accommodation on Rab Island. He speaks excellent English and is a great guy. Check www.rab-tours.com for more information.

CROATIA

Croatia Zagreb May 23-25 Accommodation - Apt. Water - $100 a night Weather - mixed conditions but most pleasant low 20's HIGHLIGHTS: Authentic Market Plitvice National Park Old Town Museum of Broken Relationships Museum of Modern Art COMMENTS: Zagreb was our introduction to Croatia; it is a lovely old city with wrinkles and all. This is a great city for wandering around at a leisure pace and everything was in walking distance of our apartment. We enjoyed a cappacino at the historic Regent Hotel where at one time the German Command established its headquarters. The best highlight of our time in Zagreb was a tour of Plitvice National Park, a UNESCO heritage site. Another very interesting activity was a visit to the Museum of Broken Relationships. Here on display were love letters and artifacts that had explanations of the part it played in the breakdown of a special relationship. The museum was cleverly done. Our best meal of the entire nine months that we have been traveling was at the Trilogija Restaurant; it was so wonderful that we will return on June 29 before returning to the Netherlands. Rovinj May 26-29 Accommodation - Casa Bella - $100 Weather - perfect - mid to high 20's HIGHLIGHTS: Delightful walks around the city Coastal and Island Boat Excursion Car rental to the Hilltop Villages Special Hospitality offered by our hosts Market Outdoor Cafe Culture COMMENTS| If you are considering a trip to Croatia we strongly recommend that you put this town on your itinerary. It can be used as a gateway from Venice to Croatia or you can exit Croatia to Venice should that work with your travel plans. You can see from the highlight list that there are many things to do but you can also relax and hang out. If you want to stay at the Casa Bella Apartment you can contact us. They book up quickly so it has to be done well in advance of your visit.

Our Second Home - The Netherlands

We spent the month of April and most of May with Tonya, Patrick, Sam and Jake in Delft, Netherlands which included a quick five day trip to Barcelona. It is always great fun to visit Delft and we feel at home there. Yes, we do some tourist activities but most of the time it is about family. We particularly enjoy taking the kids to school and participating in after school activities like Tae Kwon Do, swimming, tennis and soccer. We share these responsibilities with their wonderful au pair, Lara. I have loved learning how to cook some new dinners with Lara. She comes from Sao Paulo, Brazil. We feel very lucky to have family in such a beautiful place in Europe and no doubt we will spend more time there now that we are both retired. Barcelona Our family is really interested in tennis and have been following the career of Milo's Raonic from Canada. Since he was playing in the Barcelona Open we decided a trip to that city was in order. You cannot go wrong with Barcelona tennis or no tennis. It is a world class city made famous by Gaudi's architecture. We walked all around the city and were at the Barcelona Open for 3 days. The five days that we were there were busy - 12 to 14 hours each day. There is so much to see and there was so much left undone so we will return someday. Back to the Netherlands After our return we looked forward to the arrival of Doug's sister, Jane. She came on May 19 and we loved giving her an orientation on her first visit here. We all left for Croatia on May 23 and our next entry will be from there.

Home Break in March 2012

We anticipated after five months of travel that it would be a good idea to spend time in White Rock, Surrey and Vancouver with friends and family. We have never been away for this long and we were eager to see everyone. It was great to touch base and embrace some of our routines. One of the highlights was a belated Christmas Dinner organized by our son, Aaron and his wife, Leah. Our month at home was a celebration of the small but important things that make life worthwhile. Even during our travels we have found that life is about the little things and during the time at home we found this to be true. We thoroughly enjoyed reconnecting with friends, working in the yard and of course, going to the gym. Carolyn loved her visit at Guildford Park and Doug certainly enjoyed time spent with his running friends. One of the highlights of being in Canada was our trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia to visit Doug's Mom, his sister, Jane and brother Frank and sister in law, Marie. It was the occasion of Doug's Mom,s 92nd birthday which we celebrated at the Saege Restaurant. We strongly believe family ties are vital to our happiness and in retirement nurturing them will be our priority. Another highlight was spending time with my sisters, Mary and Jean and their families. They all made the trip to Halifax for a weekend so we could have time together. This was really appreciated. During our stay we were at Doug sister Jane's place and we also had the opportunity to stay at Doug's brother Frank's place. We thank Jane, Frank and Marie for sharing their homes with us. The eight days we spent in Halifax went quickly and we were off to the Netherlands to see our daughter and family on April 4.

Swan Song to SE Asia

Five Months gone and plenty done; enough memories to last a lifetime!

Our last major stop in Southern Thailand was Koh Phangan. Our decision to go there was a result of a poolside chat at the Samui Reef View Resort. We stayed at the Milky Bay Resort that is highly rated by trip advisor. This was a perfect place where we met new friends from Calgary and Regina. It was a destination resort so you did not need to leave to go anywhere else. The food was the best we ate in SE Asia. The mere mention of Koh Phangan brings up its reputation as party central (full, half and quarter moon parties!) but we avoided these large gatherings and spent a wonderful week there: cycling, motorbiking, snorkeling and swimming. We had hoped to get to Koh Tao, however due to getting too much sun on a snorkeling trip we unfortunately elected to spend a day in the shade.

The trip home began as we departed from Koh Phangan on the ferry to Koh Samui and a flight to Phuket. We spent two days at Patong which lived up to the definition of a zoo. The beach is end to end beack chairs and the water is dirty. We had stayed at Karon Beach a neighboring beach and it is much more civilized. The Patong Beach area is a sleazy tourist area with sex shows, massage parlors - you name it is in Patong.

The trip ended as it began at the Legacy Suites Hotel. It was such a lovely, central and convenient place close to restaurants, shopping and attractions. Our final three days were filled with a visit to the Grand Palace, last minute shopping and relaxing by the pool.

We were accommodated in about 36 different hotels and guesthouses. We used a variety of transportation - 11 flights, 1 overnight train trip, 17 bus trips, 5 ferry rides, 3 motorbike rides and numerous taxi and Tuk Tuk rides. Phew! What a great journey!

The next phase of the journey is a short stay at home in South Surrey with our son and daughter-in-law who have been looking after our house. We are very grateful to them for doing this. We resume travel at the end of March to Halifax and Holland.

Southern Thailand - Koh Samui

Back in October at a cooking class in Hanoi we had the good fortune of meeting a young couple from Scotland. They suggested that a bookend to our five month holiday in SE Asia might be a stay at the Samui Reef View Resort in Koh Samui.Beginnings and endings are important and in view of the fact that we had not planned every minute of our trip. We were open to this idea from fellow travelers. We were not disappointed and we had a wonderful time. Our hosts, Angus and Hom, went out of their way to make sure we had a fabulous time. Their resort was the perfect venue perched on the hillside offering lovely vistas of landscape and sea. They even offered free drives to Lamai Beach as well as giving us insiders tips on how to enjoy the Island. Against our better judgement we rented a motorbike and toured the Island and thankfully avoided any accidents. Following our jaunt we were informed later that one person a day is killed on the Island. This is not in the newspapers.

Driving on the wrong side of the road and without caution are two reasons for this statistic. That said we had a successful trip and avoided the usual tourist traps. Our experience in Chiang Maiat the Elephant Nature Park taut us to be sensitive to how animals are being abused in the tourist industry. We did visit Phuket on the way to Koh Samui and we enjoyed it but would not recommend it for a long stay. The highlight of our Koh Samui was a tour ($120 for two)to the Anthong National Parkwhere we hiked, kayaked and swam. These kinds of offerings can round out your experience and take you to places you would not normally see. It has been true wherever we have gone and stayed the icing on the cake has always been the people you meet. Here we met folks from Ireland, Austria, New Bruswick and even one of Doug's running buddies from the Semiahmoo Sunrunners. The eleven days we spent in Koh Samui were memorable and should you come to this part of the world make sure you get in touch with Angus and Hom at Samui Reef View Resort.

Financial Summary for 4 months

Accommodation - we have stayed in 33 hotels and guesthouses up to Feb. 6 with 3 more to go. The average per night cost is $ 41.00. Our lowest was $18 a night and our highest was $ 110. The $41 figure may come down slightly by the end of our trip.

Restaurants - most breakfasts were included in the accommodation price. Meals per day for two of us are approximately $30.

We will give a transportation estimate at the end of our trip.

Average cost per day with everything in is $134.40 for four months.

Chiang Mai - the Star of Northern Thailand

You would be making a big mistake if you were making a trip to Thailand and did not include Chiang Mai. We spent 8 days in this charming city and we used the Chang Thai House as our base for exploring the area and it's surroundings. It makes good sense to have a comfortable hotel when you are staying in a place for a period of time. The time was filled with activity. Here are the things we did: Thai massages, night bazaar, Sunday Market, Walking Street, the Doi Inthanon National Park, Mountain Villages, Doi Sthep Temple and the most exciting of all zip lining through the jungle on the jungle Flight. The morning of our departure we had the good fortune of viewing the Flower Parade opening the Flower Festival. We also enjoyed a dinner cruise on the Ping River and many fine eateries. A week in Chiang Mai is well worth your time.

An Unforgetable Week with the Elephants

Kudos to Michele, Alexis and Mike for recommending this experience!

It has turned out to be one of the most memorable weeks of our journey. We had no idea what was in store for us when we signed up for the program. To briefly summarize we joined 30 other volunteers from 9 to 71 (Doug) and the large group was divided into 4 smaller groups. Each group had a turn at all of the following: cleaning up elephant poo, preparing elephant food, cutting grass and corn with machetes for the elephants,organizing the mud pit, bathing, feeding, working with the Vet Program, collecting wood for fires and generally getting to know the magnificent elephants. Every elephant has been rescued from logging camps, circuses, elephant camps for tourists or begging on the streets of Bangkok. Two of the elephants were blinded by their mahouts. One of the first things you notice at the park is that no one rides on these elephants. The mahouts here use love and caring rather than violent methods to control the elephants. Unfortunately while we were there RC, one of the older elephants died. This gave us the rare opportunity to see an elephant funeral officiated by a Buddhist Monk. It was a solemn occasion and very respectfully done.

Volunteers are vitally important to the success of the Park. It is hard to imagine the park operating without them. We paid $400 each but this provided us with good accommodation and excellent Thai cuisine. You would spend far more and gain much less doing the normal tourist things in Thailand. We could go on and on about this but suffice it to say that we left the Elephant Nature Park with a deepened awareness of the challenges facing the elephants, the important work being done by Lek, Derek and their staff and the real need for dedicated volunteers to support them in their work. The new friendships we made were icing on the cake and we hope to see many of them in Vancouver over the next few years.

Our Farewell to Vietnam - Wow!

Traveling in SE Asia has been an exciting and uplifting experience and we would highly recommend it to our readers. We have had the luxury of time so that we were able to be more spontaneous with our plans. This has allowed us to spend more time in places that appeal to us: Hanoi - 11 nights, Luang Prabang,Laos - 10 nights, Siem Reap, Cambodia - 8 nights and Ho Chi Minh City - 9 nights. This creates of feeling of stability and avoids the tedium of hopping from one place to another. Spontaneity came to our rescue on our visit to Hoi An, Vietnam recently when it became clear that the 2 days we had allotted to it was not enough.

Hoi An

This UNESCO World Heritage Site stands out as our number one choice of all the places we have visited so far. What makes it so appealing is its small town charm. We selected a hotel that turned out to be a real gem and offered us the luxury of being close to the market, the historic sites, river walks, excellent restaurants and great cycling opportunities.Hoi An is a good base to do excursions which are very affordable. Perhaps the main reason why people come here is for its reputation as the tailoring capital of the world. We met one lady from Australia who comes here once a year to update her wardrobe. The money she saves on clothes pays for her trip. The city has grown so much since Doug visited in 1998 when the city had a population of 10,000. Now the population is 100,000 and growing.

Nha Trang

We made a bus connection from Hoi An to Nha Trang and 16 hours later we finally arrived at Nha Trang. It was a poorly maintained sleeper bus with questionable standard of cleanliness. That is now behind us. Nha Trang is a beach community with a reputation as party central. We both had colds so the partying did not happen for us and that is our excuse. We loved the beach and we enjoyed some good meals for two days.You could spend more time if you wanted a beach experience. It does not have the same cultural aspects as many other places in Vietnam.

Dalat

The next bus ride - not as onerous and even enjoyable for only 5 hours - took us to the Paris of Vietnam, Dalat. We stayed here for 3 nights and this allowed us ample opportunity to explore this area of outstanding beauty. The high altitude gives travelers a break from the tropical heat. It was so comfortable that we did a 20 km hike. We chose a hotel recommended to us by a fellow traveler in October and he said be sure to stay at the Pink House and we did.
The hotel offers a motorbike tour that is only available to its clients. Needless to say I did not ride on the back of Doug's bike and yes it was not without incident. The leader's instructions were not too clear and guess what happened. Doug motored off all by himself and within 20 minutes ran out of gas. Meanwhile 3 people went looking for him and he was nowhere to be found. Three hours later Doug found the group and we continued on to have an amazing tour. We explored coffee plantations, a silk centre, a market, a cricket farm and the centerpiece of the tour was a visit to our leader's mountain village where we met some extraordinary people. Returning was a scary experience since the roads were poorly lit and people were burning garbage along the way which made visibility difficult. There was no buddy system so people did not ride together. There was a sign of relief when Doug got in last because the traffic on the narrow streets was heavy and made it easy to get lost. All said it was a great day and a great adventure. We found out at the end that the previous day there had been an accident and one person was injured. We left Dalat with good memories and after an 8 hour bus ride we arrived for the last hurrah in Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh City. Tomorrow we leave for Chiang Mai, Thailand and a week with the elephants. More on that in a week's time.

Motorcycle Diary - Hue to Hoi An - January 3 and 4, 2012

So often on our trip we have come in contact with people who have influenced our decisions and such is the case with this motorbike trip from Hue to Hoi An. Last October we met a young woman who told us about her upcoming trip and this is where the idea camr from for our trip. It has turned out to be a trip highlight. Although it must be said it was not Club Med experience. After all you are sitting on a motorbike for 6-8 hours a day for two days.

Day One

I was nervous and concerned about safety when I saw the small 125cc Motorbikes pull up next to our luggage. Doug had assured me that these were large motorcycles so much for his credibility. However, after meeting the two upbeat, charming and funny drivers we were off and what turned out to be an incredible excursion. Luckily the sun shone dor most of our first day which made a favorable impression on the countryside. Our first stop was on the outskirts of Hue at one of the elaborate burial tombs of the last king of Vietnam. Most of the day and indeed the trip wa spent on the Ho Chi Minh Trail that is really a roadway not a dirt trail. You are either climbing or descending and it is dangerous with many rock and land slides along the way. Since it is a remote area we had the road to ourselves. The bookend of the day was a wonderful stop at a mountain village and school. We purchased some pencils and books that we gave to the children. Day one ended at a very basic hotel in another small mountain village. We ate with the family who prepared a very tasty meal.

Day Two

Unlike day one it began with a heavy overcast that soon became a steady rain that printed our drivers with many challenges and for us an exhilarating, exciting and for me a scary scenario. You can well imagine how dirt roads can quickly become a quagmire but the drivers were skilled at manouvering through the mud. Throughout the trip our safety was their priority. In spite of the weather especially when it stopped raining we were able to ride out into the rice paddies and backroads to witness rural Vietnam as it really is. It was an exceptional education for us. One of the outstanding tourist destinations in central Vietnam is the World UNESCO Site - My Son; it is often compared to Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia but My Son is on a much smaller scale. This site is located in the jungle and the misty rain added to the enjoyment of the day. Our trip ended late afternoon when we arrived in historis Hoi An where we will be for the next nine days. Next blog - Hoi An



Trip at a glance

Weather - last 7 days only one day of sun -mix of rain and clouds - average 22 Celsius

Easy Rider Tour costs - 2 days/2people - $240 including overnight accommodation - meals extra

Hue - The Imperial City

Hue lived up to it's reputation as one of the must dos on a trip to Vietnam. For us the climatic change was dramatic and most welcome from daytime highs of mid 30s to the high teens and low 20s with a misty rain. This allowed us to put in 2 - 5 hour walking days in this pedestrian oriented city. It is a city with lots of atmosphere reflected in its buildings which are mostly low rise. The highlight of our time here was a tour of the Citadel and Imperial Palace which we did on our own without a guide and it worked well for us. Sometimes guides are important but not always. The palace covers acres of land where architecturally stunning buildings were created to blend with the landscape. We will never forget Hue if for no other reason than that we arrived just prior to midnight New Years Eve and had the good fortune to find a lively French Restaurant where we tipped our glasses to the New Year. Hue is noted for it's excellent cuisine and we will never argue with that claim. Our hotel was great and it was here that we had a meeting with our motorcycle guide representing Easy Riders. We will have more to say about our trip with them in our next blog.

HCMC Revisited

If ever there was a time to visit HCMC, it is the festive season Christmas and New Years. The excitement is contagious as the streets become alive with holiday merriment. For example, across from our hotel there is a park that extends for several blocks and this became a center for music,art, displays and performances also there was no shortage of foods representing the tastes of SE Asia. One of the things we enjoy about all the places we visit is the time on our own to observe the comings and goings of people. We often comment when we are home about how quiet our streets are but that is not true here. Perhaps it is because of the warm climate or that people do not have large living spaces. The focus of our return was a tour of the Cao Dai Temple and the Cu Chi Tunnels. The temple was an amazing site and the fast growing religion is fascinating as it represents a fusion of Buddhism, Daoism, Confusianism, Catholicism and Islam. We had the pleasure of attending a service that has given us a lasting memory. We capped off the day with incredible Cu Chi Tunnels. There are over 200 km of tunnels that served as homes, hospitals, school,and military camps. We were introduced to an array of booby traps and various defensive techniques to defeat the Americans. We highly recommend the tunnels visit to anyone coming to HCMC.