Good morning Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh city

After much to-ing and fro-ing we decided to get the bus from Phnom Penh into Vietnam as it was the quickest and cheapest route and given the heavy rains we didn't fancy our chances out on the river.

First stop was Ho Chi Minh city, or Saigon as it was formerly known. We were staying in district 1 the heart of the old city and spurred on by our education in Cambodia wanted to use our time here to uncover some of the history of this infamous country and city.

On day one we decided to do our own walking tour of the old city. Armed with a hand-drawn map from our hotel we ventured towards the Re-unification Palace first, the site that marked the end of the Vietnam War and fall of Saigon as communist tanks crashed through its gates. Despite its history we were a little underwhelmed with what felt more like an embassy or office block to that of a grand palace.

From the palace we headed towards the War Remnants Museum just around the corner. The Museum is an interesting visit and it documents that atrocities that took place during the war, with a particular focus on the US use of Agent Orange and other chemical weapons on the local people. While the exhibits are clearly biased focusing upon the Vietnamese victory and heavily anti-American they are successful in conveying the horrors that took place during the war and the effect it had on the general populous. 

Our visit left a number of harrowing images in our mind so I guess had the desired effect. 

On a happier note we spent the rest of the day walking around the city taking in some of the other sights, namely Ben Thanh Market, Notre Dame cathedral, the general post office and the opera house and a local Pagoda - all beautiful buildings and well worth a visit.

The next day we had organised to do a tour of the Cu-Chi Tunnels, an immense network of underground tunnels used for military operations by the Viet Cong soldiers in the South. To our delight we were guided by Jackie (Chan), a real character and an ex soldier who fought in the South Vietnamese army (so alongside the US) during the war.

He was one of the very few guides who had lived through the war, let alone fought in it and as such he attempted to relay some of his experiences as well as help us understand the role of the Viet Cong. The Viet Cong, were those South Vietnamese loyal of Ho Chi Minh and communist forces. They operated in secret, underground in these tunnels where they resisted the US and South Vietnamese forces and ultimately aided North Vietnamese troops in taking the city.

During our visit there we were shown entrances and exits to the tunnels, booby-traps and got to walk through the tunnels themselves. This alone was a daunting prospect. Despite the section you can walk in being made 20 per cent bigger than it originally was, it is still tiny and it is hard to believe that hundreds of men, women and children called them their home.

On our last day we were due to catch the train to Hoi An. Before we left for the station though we spent the morning walking down to the riverside and treated ourselves to a beer at the top of Bitexco Financial Tower. At four pounds a beer it is pretty steep but the view is worth it.

I can't finish this post though without mentioning Ho Chi Minh nightlife. We stayed pretty central in district one, which was abuzz with things to do. Littered with cheap restaurants, bars and clubs the area came alive at night with lights, music and dancing. With a bottle a beer at 30 pence a pop it's not too shabby.

From Ho Chi Minh we caught the train to Hoi An. This was an experience in itself. 17 hours on the top bunk of a six person cabin - hard sleeper. Not sure what got us through - except maybe the boxette of 24 we had just purchased.