Cao Dai Temple and Cu Chi Tunnels, Vietnam

From Ho Chi Minh City we took a day tour to the Cao Dai Temple and the Cu Chi Tunnels.  We were driven by mini-bus with a guide and it took us about three hours to get there (it took a while due to the bad traffic).  This was definitely the highlight of our trip.  

Cao Dai Temple

Also known as The Great Holy See Temple, it was built in 1926 and is home to the unique Cao Dai sect, a religion with a hybrid of Buddhism, Christianity and Confucianism.  We arrived in time to attend and witness the daily midday mass and it was quite the extravaganza.  Most of the congregation was dressed in white, but there were some people dressed in yellow, blue and red.  These colour are used to distinguish the different religions.  This was a great experience and so unique to anything we have seen before.

Cu Chi Tunnel Complex

The Cu Chi Tunnel Complex is situated about 70 kilometres north-west of Ho Chi Minh City.  These tunnels were dug during the Vietnamese War and they are a unique architectural structure.  It is basically a system of deep underground tunnels having several floors, alleys and branches that are more than 250 kilometres long with places for eating, living, meeting and fighting.  In fact they were functioning underground cities.  

This tunnel system was used by the Viet Cong to hide from the Americans during the war and it is a symbol of revolutionary heroism of the Vietnamese people.  It was really interesting to learn how the Vietnamese dug and then conducted their lives in these tunnels.  It is quite remarkable how they survived.  As visitors, we were allowed to climb inside and squeeze through some of the tunnels, and while David and Robin went through one tunnel, Ruth and I did not.  Good thing for us, because it was apparently dark, narrow in places and a little claustrophobic.  

Family Visiting Singapore

David's parents, Ruth and Robin arrived in the middle of April for a visit.  During their time here they did some sightseeing and visited some of their favourite places in Singapore.  It was nice to have them here for a visit.

The Cheese and Chocolate Buffet at Marina Bay Sands

We took Ruth and Robin to The Club at Marina Bay Sands for the cheese and chocolate buffet that is available in the evenings.  The Club is situated on the 55th floor and offers great views of the city.  The buffet had a nice selection of chocolate desserts and a good variety of cheeses. 

St. John's Island

We took a ferry ride to St. John's Island with Ruth and Robin.  St. John's Island is situated about 6.5 kilometres from Singapore and is one of the Southern Islands in Singapore.  It was a nice afternoon getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Our Elephants

In February we travelled to Chiang Mai in Thailand and we visited Elephant Parade House.

We have been huge fans and supporters of Elephant Parade ever since the parade was held in Singapore in 2011 (for more on this parade, please see our blog post - http://www.samanddavidinsingapore-3.blogspot.sg/2011/11/elephant-parade-singapore.html).

Elephant Parade is the world's largest art exhibition of decorated elephant statues and the first parade was held in Rotterdam, Netherlands in 2007.  These elephants are created by artists and celebrities and each is a unique piece of art.  The life-size baby elephant statues are exhibited in international cities and after each exhibition, some of the parade statues are auctioned.  

Limited edition hand-crafted replicas are created from the exhibition elephants and these range in size from 15cm to 75 cm.  Net auction proceeds of the exhibition elephants and 20% of the Elephant Parade's net profits are donated to The Asian Elephant Foundation.   The Asian Elephant Foundation works to save these magnificent, but endangered animals.

Elephant Parade was founded by father and son Mike and Marc Spits in 2006.  It was while they were on holiday in Thailand that Marc met a baby elephant named Mosha.  Mosha had lost her leg after stepping on a landmine and Marc was so touched by her story that he and his father created Elephant Parade.  Today, Mosha lives at the "Friends of the Asian Elephant Hospital" in Lampang and this hospital continues to receive funds from Elephant Parade to take care of Mosha.  Mosha was the first baby elephant in the world to receive a prosthetic leg.  

We especially wanted to go to Elephant Parade House to paint our own elephant.  After spending hours at Elephant Parade House, we finally finished painting our elephant.  We brought her home and gave her a spray of lacquer and now she stands alongside our other elephants.  In keeping with the tradition of Elephant Parade, we have given her a name and it is "Daisy".