Tay Ninh

When we were last here, we heard a bit about the Cao Dai religion, unique to Vietnam (but with a small community in California, too) Too complex to explain here, I'll simply add this link where you can learn all you wanted to know about it. Suffice to say that believers incorporate aspects of several religions and venerated figures include Buddha, Confucius, and Jesus Christ - somehow Victor Hugo fits in there amongst others as well!

So, off we went to Tay Ninh, the Holy See this morning, some two and a half hours away from Saigon by car. Not really sure what we were going to see, the minute we stepped inside the main church we knew that the drive had been worthwhile. We left our shoes outside and appreciated the cool, smooth tiled floor after the heat outside.

 

What greeted us was a riot of colour, somewhere between Michaelangelo and Mary Englebreit. Not only were we warmly welcomed, we were actively encouraged to take photographs and observe the service which was about to commence.

We climbed the stairs to a viewing balcony along with other tourists and watched as groups of followers assembled at different levels of the stepped nave according to their level of achievement towards Nirvana.

One lone gentleman of advancing years had made it the furthest and sat on level five or thereabouts.

Throughout the service, the followers were overshadowed by the all-seeing eye symbol, there in a triangle on every window and on a large earth-like sphere above the altar.

After around half an hour of chanting accompanied by drums and a reedy wind instrument of some kind, the followers got to their feet and processed out of the hall. We did the same and went outside to find a small crisis

Whilst we had been inside, a heavy rainstorm had caused a flood outside and all the shoes had floated away! Many were searching for their flipflops in vain - and what about ours?

Fortunately, Vinh, our guide had foreseen the potential problem and had rushed outside and rescued them. Who knew that he'd be able to recognise our shoes amongst the many? Good man!!

Dripping

It was actually quite a nice day when we set out this morning, headed for the Mekong Delta. Mark spent the day with Tra and the orchestra at the rehearsal for tonight's concert, so Edward and I took the opportunity to drive out into the country and do a similar trip to the one we did last year. As the ladies in the paddy fields stopped for a breather, we knew from the expression on their faces that this is indeed back breaking work.

Jumping on a small boat in Ben Tre, we enjoyed the ride over the river and were immediately struck by those typically Vietnamese colours of emerald green, cobalt blue, white and scarlet.

Fruit at the fruit farm was delicious though the recommended salt and peppery "Ying" to the sweet fruit "Yang" took us both by surprise..perhaps we shouldn't have been quite so eager to dunk that piece of pineapple!

As for the elephant fish for lunch...well, we enjoyed watching the making of the spring roll, anyway!

As we rode back over the river on the longtail boat the heavens opened and oh my goodness, did we get wet. To The Skin.

It was still raining when we arrived back in Saigon. Never mind. We are British. We can Do Rain.

Xin Chao!

Bangkok was so rainy that it felt quite like home...

Our flight to Ho Chi Minh was hardly busy - you might say we had plenty of room!

It was a tiring day, though, and the travelling companions felt totally whacked.

It's good to be back!

Several hours later

A brief stop in Bangkok where the Thai welcome is as warm as ever! We'll be back next week sometime. Till then...

 

 

Nadine, I made some of those cookies a couple of days before we left...took some to Maggie for the Dodger meet on Thursday. They are absolutely yummy!!

Ready?

We're off on our travels again. See you in Saigon tomorrow.