Mekong, Ho Chi Minh City

How would you like to dip your finger into a gooey honeycomb, complete with swarming bees? This chappie did that to me before way before I could say , " holy mother of all bees.."
Well, the good news is that I still have my finger and the bees were too engrossed in their sticky dance to bother about a fat projectile destroying their dancefloor.
Raw, Litchi-scented honey stuck to my fingers and they tasted oh-so-heavenly...The month of May or late April is Litchi-flower bloomin' season and the bees would carry the scent of the flowers to the honey. Hmm, I bought a bottle of this honey later for $2. How could I resist?
Well if this experience appeals to you, go insure your finger first and sign up for a Mekong Delta trip that includes a visit to a bee farm.

For more wierd stories and pictures, visit b'packer's hcmc page

The most interesting thing about HCMC is the contrasts in cultures. One moment you'll see a cyclo rider in a conical peaked hat, in another you'll see a wedding couple, all decked out in their Western finery, posing by the Cathedral.

To see more pictures on HCMC's street scenes, check out b'packer's hcmc page

If you look at the picture carefully, you'll see a baby COBRA grinning at you and swimming in a concoction of yellow wolfberry (chinese herb) wine. Yes, it's drinkable and it's Vietnam's answer to Viagra. And I'll say this for the record, the recipe has not been bought over by Pfizer yet! The locals sip a little of this for after dinner for a little ooh-la-la.
And when the delicious wine runs out , they'll run to the shop together with their preserved pet snake for more juice.
Does this appeal to you?
If it does, you can get a bottle for yourself in Ben Tanh market or during your Mekong Delta excursion. It's guaranteed to bring in a few ooh-la-las.

For more wierd stories and pictures, visit b'packer's hcmc page

I got up and close and personal to a new Vietnamese friend. Yes, all 2 metres of a HELLUVABIG PYTHON SNAKE!

This female python, whom I'll call Penelope was put on my shoulders when I visited a honey bee farm in Mekong Delta. Of course, the first sight of Penelope was shocking. I mean, how often do you encounter a 2m long creature with a slithery tongue in Singapore? The only wildlife we'd encounter in the S'pore heartlands are probably cats in heat and the occasional lost poodle.
Other than staggering around with her weight and knowing darn well I don't have a phobia for snakes anymore, I found out that creatures like Penelope are kept as pets in this region. Mainly for luck and for keeping the rat population down.
If you're keen to share this lurverly experience, go for an excursion to Mekong Delta. Sinh Cafe tours are pretty well - organised

For more wierd stories and pictures, visit b'packer's hcmc page

I've heard of this grand dame even before I went to HCMC, thanks to my hubby's spooked suppliers.

These poor sods were the early investors in VN and the only decent (but expensive) hotel at that time was this 4-star joint.

I guess sacrificing all their children's college funds for the dinghy corridors and the musty carpets must have driven crazy. They reportedly saw strange things at night after checking in.

I won't elaborate what they were but will go on to say that Rex Hotel has a long history. Do you know it was originally a French garage? It later became a hotel and then the BOQ for American soldiers during the Vietnam War . Its conference room was the scene of the daily press briefings to journalists and by 1976, the announcement by the former North Vietnam of the unification with South Vietnam was announced in the same room.

Well, I didn't see anything extraordinary when I was there. How can ghosts remain when there is a crazy onslaught of merry makers at the roof top?

For more wierd stories and pictures, visit b'packer's hcmc page

2 more images

I highly recommend taking a side trip from Saigon down to the Mekong Delta, either My Tho or Chau Doc. Alot of the local travel agencies can book you a one day trip for only a couple of US dollars but you can't beat the experience of riding in a small boat the size of a canoe along the Mekong Delta. It is a bit of a tourist trap how they take you to several of the nearby islands off of Saigon and want you to buy items supposedly native to those specific islands like honey and coconut candy, but the experience is worth it.

1 more image

I experienced the Mekong River when I was in Thailand. So this is the second time going down the Mekong River. We took a day tour of My Tho and Ben Tre to see how the Vietnamese people live along the river. Some parts of the tour was recreated for the tourist, but the experience was still great.

The Mekong river starts from Tibet, before snaking along China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and then to Vietnam. This is definitely an important river for many countries.

After a 2 1/2 hours on board the bus, it was nice to reach the town of My Tho where we started our Mekong River trip.

1 more image

We were brought to the Quoi Son Canal where the boats lay awaiting - Four persons per boat - as we were told. Jac and I got into the boat with a French couple. It's these interesting rides with no where to go that you get to speak to people from various countries. It was interesting to hear from the couple about France and about the history of the lady who shared that she was actually born in Vietnam but left with her parents when she was three months old.

The four of us, together with our boatman, went down the canal for about 30 minutes. Very serene with the only sound coming from the peddle meeting the water.

3 more images

If you go to Saigon, you must travel to the Mekong River just to experience what everyday life is like for the people who live in the Delta. You will see whole families living on houseboats that make you feel so humble that you would never complain ever again about your college dorm room being too small. You will see beautiful tugboats in brilliant shades of blue and red that you have never seen before. You will see boatmen fishing and kids playing in the river. A wonderful cultural experience to be had.

1 more image

As part of the tour, we were taken on a horse cart ride through town. The most interesting thing about this ride was that we got to see in a glimpse how people lived in this small town. There was even a school that we went past, and the students who were hanging around outside were waving and saying "Hello". I waved back and had even wanted to stand up until my wife told me not to rock the cart. Oh boy.