Saigon (aka Ho Chi Minh City)

I loved Siagon! It was my favorite part of our Vietnam trip. The city felt very vibrant and alive...you could feel the forward momentum almost. Alot of my love of Saigon has to do with the wonderful spa I went to, L'Apothiquaire. It was GORGEOUS! It was housed in an old French villa in District 3. The inside was all white with dark wood trim and purple accents everywhere. The floors were tiled with mosics and there was a spiral staircase. It was luxurious and wonderful. I paid 60 US dollars for a half day at the spa. This included an hour long facial, an hour long massage, a "spa meal" served on the beautiful patio next to the pool, a manicure and pedicure, and a head massage with shampoo and hair styling. Amazing! After being in Beijing, then driving through the Mekong Delta and frying myself in the sun and staying in a very rustic beach hotel, I needed the spa time!

Matt and I split up for the day. He went to the Cu Chi Tunnels, which were built by the Viet Cong during the war. They lived underneath the city and launched night attacks on the South Vietnamese. Matt had read a book about it during our trip, and it sounds like it was very interesting. He got to go inside the tunnels and fire an M-16. He had to ride on the bumpy Vietnamese roads for 70 kilometers on the back of a guy's motor bike! Sounds horrible...good thing I was at the spa!


Saigon is Motorbike Madness!



Matt at the entrance to the Cu Chi tunnels



Matt on a tank