March 6 HCMC

March 6: I borrowed Katherine’s bike and went for a ride. Within 2 km I came across a Cao Dai temple. Cao Dai is a religion assembled in Vietnam in 1926. It is a mixture of Buddhism, catholicism, and taoism. I stopped in and was met in the front hall by a tour guide/janitor/apostolate. He was studying a book on Cao Dai all the time I was there. The whole atmosphere of Cao Dai is welcoming. There seem to be no restrictions or taboos. I was invited to take as many pictures as I wanted even during the ceremony and I was free to wander around. My guide took me to the most photographed spots and then left me to wander. He came back to check every 15 min. and at one point asked me to move so the people could pray. Then he tried to explain why they were praying by themselves (newbies practicing). After they finished praying he turned on neon lights on the alter so I could continue with my photography. When I was finished I tipped the guide but I must have tipped too much. I was invited downstairs for tea (and I never refuse a cup of tea). After 2 cups of tea and a piece of cake wrapped in banana leaves I was finally on my way.

Travel to Vietnam

March 2nd and 3rd: Travel to Vietnam. We made 3 hops to Ho Chi Minh City: Montreal to Toronto, Toronto to Tokyo, and Tokyo to Ho Chi Minh City. Last year we followed the airlines recommendation and got to the airport 3 hours before our flight only to find we had to wait 45 min for check-in to open. This year we were there 2 hours early and still had time for a coffee and newspaper. The 1 hour flight to Toronto was a breeze, the 15 hour flight to Tokyo was long, and the 6 hour flight to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) was painful. The seats seemed to get smaller and harder as the long day progressed. But there were no problems, we arrived on time, and we were in bed 2 hours after landing.

March 4: We had a quiet day in HCMC. In the morning we wandered the local market and had tea on the street as we watched the people. In the afternoon we took the bus to Chinatown and visited one of the bigger markets in HCMC. There is no doubt that one of the attractions of HCMC is the hustle and bustle in the streets. This city may not be pretty but it is alive and interesting.

Vietnam Here we come again

We are almost packed, almost ready and eager to be in Vietnam. We fly from Montreal at 8 AM tomorrow and stop in Toronto, Tokyo and arrive in Ho Chi Minh City 26 hours later. We must be a little more experienced since we are down to one bag each plus a box form Katherine. Not bad for 8 weeks clothes. We will miss winter.