Got our "luxury" bus to Vietnam..turns out it was no different to the cheap one we had the other day but they did give us breakfast and a bottle of water. Suppose one difference was that it did actually take 6 hours instead of 8. Got off the bus at the Vietnam border finger print scan picture visa check and carried on through to Ho Chi Minh city.
What a difference it's crazy busy for a start...I've actually never seen so many scooters in my life..no wonder everyone wears the surgical masks. Crossing the road is a fine art but we seem to have that down now.
I'd read so much stuff about the different ways tourists are ripped off and things to watch out for mart told me I was scaring myself. Got off the bus and first thing we did was jump into a taxi..one of those dodgey meters that goes up ridiculously quick. I even pointed it out an that I knew he was taking us the long way. Anyway the meter said one price but we refused and said we only had 100,000 dong (£3) so he took it saw the police who shouted something at him and ran off. Didn't get a taxi again.
Where he dropped us off my face kind of dropped had to walk through a back alley but the hotel Ono Saigon turned out to be delightful. Still playing the engagement card to everyone and they keep upgrading us..by upgrade I'm talking a nicer shower but still for £15 a night you can't complain.
Armed with a map and changed we headed on out to the main backpacker street phan nga Lao..had a few drinks mart was furious it was £1.50. Turns out we just hadn't found the cheap places yet later on we found the 45p drinks.
Another scam id read about was the booking of tours and buses and how there will be dodgey shops selling them. So we'd asked for a recommendation from our hotel an they directed us to the sinh tourist company..checked out a few different places but they we're also the cheapest.
Travelling through Vietnam takes a lot longer than first though every bus is 10-12 hours plus.
Original plan was to head up to hoi an but with a 20 hour bus we decided to break it up abit. After the craziness of the city we're heading to nha trang a beach kind of place. Keen to see some of the more traditional and typical Vietnam we've also considered sapa for a trek in the north but haven't quite planned that far ahead.
Anyway with the bus booked (just the 8 hours) we also booked a half day tour to cu chi tunnels. Both came to just £17 for both of us. Saying this we've still spent a lot of money in the last few days we're just not sure what on..
Went for dinner after a walk around. Picked this restaurant which didn't look good haha..was 4 stories high and abit shabby. However the food was immense. Traditional Vietnamese the biggest portions a beer and a coke for £4. Also created a new rule..meals are only to be eaten with chopsticks from now on..we've both improved considerably. I ate a whole rice meals with chopsticks the other day!
Early night an quite liking the fact they have the star movie channel- I hadn't been feeling too we'll and had convinced myself that I'd probably got malaria (I haven't by the way mom and dad) told mart to watch out if I develop a fever. Anyway even though you don't really need the tablets until the north we've started taking them already better to be safe than sorry. Just hope we don't develop the nightmares/Terrors and screaming in our sleep most backpackers get..would be a little awkward on a bus. Using so much mosquito spray however we're not really getting bit.

Next morning awoke early and walked down to be picked up for our tour. Was quite a while away as everything is here but was a nice big clean bus and we both slept most the way. Both thoroughly enjoyed the trip..taught us all about the tunnels and (I know mart didn't know a lot about it) but was really interesting to hear a bit about the war from the Vietnamese perspective instead of the American one you always get (interesting propaganda).
We got to crouch through some of the tunnels and then 90% of people didn't do the last one as it was a hands and knees on your belly kind of job and the tunnel was literally just big enough to fit you through. Managed to convince mart in the hope he didn't get stuck and we adopted an older lady to come with us. Was so hot in the tunnels and although we did such a tiny section we all came out sweating and out of breath. Insane to think they had a whole village living under there for 20 years in pitch black. We we're shown the air holes they had how they disguised their cooking-even got to sample the root of tree they ate for 10 years..tasted like potato. Saw the horrendous traps they laid for the Americans. Then came the hiding holes..Vietnamese people are tiny small so they recommended just the women volunteer. I got in the hole which was just big enough for me put the lid on my head - you are very we'll hidden- then my lack of upper body strength strikes again and I couldn't get back out. I tried and failed and a tiny Vietnamese man had to lift me out.
Best bit about the trip was the shooting range was on site so it sounded so authentic with the sounds of guns going off all the time- although from time to time it did make you jump. After mart climbed on a tank we went to the shooting range..shot an m16 which was a lot of fun! Also brought myself a traditional Vietnamese wooden hat just to join in. The whole trip cost £6 each which was well worth it!

Headed back and found the Ben thran markets..so. Much. Stuff. We didn't really know where to start..ended up with a patch pin and vest for mart though..the usuals! Spent ages in there. Showed how much you have to haggle too..saw a Vietnam vest at the beginning for 53000vnd..thought we'd keep browsing found one exactly the same she wanted 220000vnd. Told her 50000vnd. Took her a while to go down but mart didn't like the colours as we we're trying to walk off she was holding onto his arm pretty tight.crazy lady..we went back to the first shop.more drinks. More food. Bed.
Up early ready for our longggg cramped journey to nha trang.