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.