Our first day in Saigon was only a short one as we arrived at 6 in the evening. We have over the last couple of months managed to hone our bargaining for rooms, and managed to save ourselves a grand total of five dollars a night and still got a room with air conditioning, which is a must in this heat.

After arranging our transport to Cambodia we decided to go and visit the War Remnants Museum (formerly known as the War Crimes Museum). This was a sombering experience, as it documents all of the atrocities committed during the American War. These are pictures from the war, including the My Son massacre (known as the Mai Lai massacre). The images of the effects of Agent Orange (dioxine), from the effects on the actual person there and there offspring, wre even more disturbing. Even more so as just this year the American Supreme court have denied any wrong doing in dropping this stuff on VILLAGES!! The final exhibition was showing how the people captured were tortured (prisoners of war and civilians) which was truely horrific. I have ended up asking this question repeatedly throughout our trip through Vietnam, but WHAT WAS THE POINT? The war was one of the largest abuse of human rights in history yet the Americans and there colaboraters have not been held account for it. No wonder they are hated in this part of the world!

After the sombering day looking at the War Remnants Museum we decided, or should I say I decided, that a day at the water park would lighten the mood. We got there and Sarah stated that she would not go on any of the water slides, but only the lazy river and the wave pool. This meant we spent most of the day on these two rides, with me getting told off repeatedly by the lifegaurds for trying cover Sarah with rubber rings (well she should have gone on a slide), although I did go on most of the slides. This included a zip wire with a stopper on it so it threw you off into the water. Needless to say this did my back wonders (I walked lke John Wayne for a few days).

Our next couple of days in Saigon were 'very' uneventful so there is not much to say other than (as usual) we did nothing and relaxed.

On the 15th we were up and out of the hotel by 8 so tht we could take a trip down the Mekong river, with a few stops, to a town called Chau Doc, on the Cambodian border. This actually turned out to be three hours on a bus followed by two hours on a boat touring the river followed by a further three hours on the bus again. All the time the guide was trying to sell us upgrades for the hotel for the night at the border and an upgrade to the fast boat to get to Phnom Penh, we semed to annoy him greatly by refusing both. The boat went through a floating market, all this was was a load of boats with bags on the roof and people sleeping in hammocks at the back. We then got off at a place that made coconut candy, which as I hate cocnut was surprisingly quite nice, and also made rice popcorn. It was definately an odd day and the hotel on the border was the worse we have stayed at so far. It was full of bugs and we were kept up by two lizards fighting over who got to eat them!

The next morning we were up at 6 to go and see a floating fishing village and a Cham village (a local Muslim ethnic minority) and I wish we hadn't. The floating fishing village was a house on the water with a net underneath it with 3000 fish in ti. Nobody looked impressed at the early start for this! The Cham village was a litle more interesting as it had the flood levels for the recent years marked on the stilts the houses were on. It must have raised by two metres at times. There were a couple of bridges from the boat to the village that were rickerty to say the least, one practically gave way as I walked across it.

After the guide had told us that the slow boat had no seats and you have to sit on your bag all the way (as part of his sale pitch for the fast boat) we got on the boat and all 8 of us (who had held out and not paid the $10) had a double bench each. It was probably the most scenic journey so far and everybody arrived at the border incredibly relaxed. We bumped into the fast boat that was just leaving and they looked stressed and jealous.

I feel that I should say something to sum up Vietnam but I don't think I'd do it justice (but I'm going to try anyway!). It is such a diverse country that has been through so much over the last century (and mor!) and is still only just getting back on it's feet, yet the children are always smiling and shouting "hello" and the people are friendly (unless they are tryng to sell you something). I think it'll always stick in my memory. The scenery also was stunning (to say the least). I have never seen anything like it and yet it always has the ability to astound. The other point I feel should make (if only so I remember) is the North-South divide, which is so obvious in so many ways (I couldn't even begin to list). Although the scars of th war are evident everywhere, from bomb holes to the peoplemissing limbs and phosperus burns. It is clear to see why Americans have a difficult time here! All in all I think that our time in Vietnam was incredible (note I didn't say "it's alright") and I've plenty of memories to take with me.

Once over the border (on the Cambodia side there was a guy outside at a big table, topless and sat under a sign saying"visa's", a great image but thought customs might arrest me if I took a picture!) we were put on a different boat and went up the river for a peaceful 4 hours. I think I might have been the only person on the Mekong listening to Cypress Hill! We arrived at a harbour (if you can call it that) which was just a large narrow plank of wood (30 cm wide if that) which we had to climb down (!) on to with our backpacks. Needlss to say it was quite precarious. Aftr another hour on the bus we arrived in Phnom Penh but thats another story.