60 Days in Mainland Vietnam - Part 1

60 Days in Mainland Vietnam: From South to North

Part 1: Kicking Off the Vietnam Vibes - Ho Chi Minh City

Alright, buckle up, friends! We’re diving into a 60-day romp through Vietnam that’ll take us from the sweaty, buzzing streets of Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon) to the chill mountain vibes of Da Lat and beyond. It’s a mix of history lessons, “what did I just eat?” food moments, and locals so friendly you’ll wonder if they’ve secretly adopted you. Let’s roll! ✈️🌍

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) – Chaos, Cobra Wine, and Cassava

First stop: Ho Chi Minh City. We crashed at Van Hung Hostel—perfect spot, walking distance to everything, including our sanity after a flight.  

Alley to our hostel decorated for TET

Cu Chi Tunnels: Ever crawled through a tunnel so tight you’re basically a human sandwich? Eric’s shoulders were scraping both sides, and the entry was like squeezing into skinny jeans after Thanksgiving. These tunnels were widened by 40% for tourists, and STILL—claustrophobia central. Above ground, we checked out some grim war traps (yikes) and snacked on boiled cassava with peanuts and sugar. Imagine half-cooked potatoes with a sweet twist—weirdly good!

Mekong Delta: From tunnels to murky waters, we floated through a river maze, sipped pollen tea at a honey farm, nibbled coconut candy, rode a sampan boat and braved cobra wine—imagine cheap vodka that’s been lost in the back of a VW bus all summer, plus regret. 🐍🍷 

           

rượu rắn

For lunch we ate elephant ear fish, which we thought was silently judging us from the plate. It was delicious, though! Bonus: Vinh Trang Pagoda 🏯and a roadside fish-filleting show on the way back.

Lunch anyone?

Statue of Budai

Just another day in Vietnam...

War Remnants Museum & Independence Palace: The museum hit hard—dark, brutal, and a must-see. Then, Independence Palace took us back to the ‘70s—bunkers and war rooms frozen in time. Bonus: TET prep meant glam squads of teens in ao dai snapping senior pics out front—history meets Instagram.

Bunker Communications Room in Independence Palance

TET Preparations:
Speaking of TET—talk about a floral frenzy. We wandered through markets filled with more flowers than a wedding photographer’s dream! 🌸🌼 The city was in full swing preparing for their biggest celebration of the year, and it was hard not to get caught up in the excitement.

Binh Tay Night Market:And then there was the night market. Picture this: aisles so tight you could barely turn, the smell of street food wafting through the air, and the opportunity to buy knockoff North Face, Patagonia and Louis Vuitton bags to name a few. (Hey, we were just checking out the bargains... and trying not to get owned by the aggressive vendors. 😅)

Saigon was a whirlwind of history, hustle, and haggling. Next up? A sleeper bus adventure to Da Lat. Spoiler: Eric’s too tall for this.

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