Hue to Ho Chi Minh (Saigon)

What a shock when the wake up call came at 4.15am this morning. The early flight meant we had to be on the road by 5.45 to get to the airport.

We arrived in Saigon and were greeted with 35 degree heat. On our way to the hotel, we stopped at the war museum. I have posted some pictures below.

 

 

Us soldiers dragging Vietnamese behind tanks. 

After our visit to the War Museum, we attended a cooking class where we had to find our food at the market and then prepare a dish for us to eat. We created three courses in one hour.

Hard to believe that tomorrow will be our last day and my last blog entry. If someone at home could warm the weather up please. We are all getting used to the 30s now.

Orphanage

We did lots today, visited the Imperial Palace, took a cruise on the Perfume River, however, the highlight of the day was visiting the Orphanage. We got to interact with the kids for approximately 90 minutes. We played football, drew pictures and played various other games. There were approximately 160 children at the Orphanage including those that had been affected by Agent Orange. I will leave you with pictures as they tell you everything.

Hoi An to Hue

Yesterday we travelled from Hoi An to Hue. Firstly we did a walking tour around Hoi An looking at some of the historic buildings. We then went and watched a show with traditional Vietnamese music while some students got their suits and dresses fitted.

We then jumped in the buses and left Hoi An. Our first stop was visiting the Marble mountains where some got the lift to the top while others walked. From there we travelled over Cloudy pass to Hue.

Stairs up to Marble Mountain

One of the caves

Lift to the top of the mountain.

We got to see the beach.

View from the top of Cloudy Pass.

When we arrived in Hue, we checked I to the Romance Hotel before heading across the road for a tradition banquet where we all had to dress up.

My Lai Massacre

Yesterday was a very powerful day. We travelled for 2.5 hours to the site of the My Lao Massacre which happened on the 16th of March 1968. American soldiers who were part of Charlie company marched into the region on Son My and massacred 503 women, children and old people. The orders given were to kill anything that moved. The images I took are too shocking to put on this blog. They depict people being shot, beaten and tortured by the American soldiers.

We were extremely lucky to meet a lady named Mrs Number 6 who was in the NLF at the time of the war. She lost her family in the massacre.

If anyone wants to know more about this then I am happy to share my notes and photos with you.

Names of those who were killed in the massacre.

An American soldier invading a Vietnamese hut.

Statue recognising those who were killed.

Drainage ditch where victims were forced to lie before they were shot.

Replica path created which shows the footprints of victims and American soldiers.

Holly and me with Mrs Number 6. 

When we returned to Hoi An, the day got brighter when we came across these cute wee kids below.