We have embarked on a trip to Vietnam and Cambodia with AmaWaterways. The adventure starts in Ho Chi Minh City (aka Saigon) and ends in Hanoi with a Mekong River cruise into Cambodia in between.
We're now in Saigon after leaving Los Angeles on Wednesday night and arriving here Friday morning. The flights, with a change of plane in Hong Kong, were smooth and we seemed to be well rested on Friday. We arranged for visas on arrival and it went quite smoothly and fast. The airport was very quiet inside but when we stepped outside there was a throng of mostly young people waiting. The mam who met us explained that a Korean pop group was arriving and the fans were there to greet them. As we waited for our ride, the band came out and the screaming started. Apparently Korean culture is big here.
The ride to the hotel reintroduced us to the chaos of Saigon traffic. Motor bikes everywhere. After cleaning up, we went for a nice Vietnamese lunch and for a couple of walks around the city.
Today, Saturday, we arranged for a tour that included a trip to the Ben Tranh Market and a cooking class where we prepared and ate 3 courses. Our guide and instructor, Chef Ly, was adorable and a great teacher. Wonderful!
Tomorrow the AmaWaterways part of the trip begins.
