G'day!

Cliché ridden opening that, but should give some indication as to where I'm typing this from…but till that's revealed, I outagh fill you in on how we got here following on from Suze's last entry.

As a foursome, we arrived in Saigon…or Ho Chi Minh City, depending on how you want to look at it (the latter name being more a yank thing apparently). Thankfully, it was a much safer coach this time round…verging on "luxury" in fact with an abundance of room…but then it rained. It didn't just rain a little, we're talking full on downpour here! Unfortunately for us, we were slap bang in the middle of it, having decided to chance our accommodation this time round as apposed to book ahead. Like dripping rats (not toilet based ones this time round) we found somewhere on the appropriately named "hotel alley" and set about exploring our new city.

Saigon is a welcome tonic to the mayhem that we encountered on entering Hanoi. The car horns are in abundance, you can't escape them in Vietnam, but the traffic is calmer…and there is a level of respect for those crossing the roads. However, if I had to compare charm between the two then Hanoi would take it hands down. Sal and Rob only had 3 days to spend in Saigon before taking off into Cambodia...so we made the most of our first night….obviously (c'mon, beer is cheaper than soft drinks over here…principal dictates as a backpacker that I take the least expensive option). Having stamped my foot all day, the others finally gave in and agreed to sit through Villa vs Stoke. We were doing well, till they grabbed 2 back in the dying minutes. This is not the beginning of the end, we will take that 4th place spot (and if I'm reading this back in tears over the following months, I'll realize what a foolish statement that is).

Anyhow, less about the beautiful game, we spent the following day picking out what key sights Saigon had to offer. The city was the last standing bastion of the south during the Vietnam War, falling to the armies of the North in the last few days of the conflict at the Independence Palace. Good place to start. The tyre marks across the lawn have had the ground-force treatment now the tanks have departed (they piled through the front gates and, judging by the photos, pulled a few handbrake turns around the fountain) and it's in a much better state than it was back then. Its stuck in the 60's mind. Very much so. Mauve carpets, shag pile of course, and the air of a James Bonds villain's residence are rife. The outgoing president, forced to flea once the Northern Armies had stormed the perimeters, had a peculiar taste in stuffed animals…never seen so many in one place before. He also enjoyed the feeling of faux leather sofas and pink retro telephones by the looks of things. However, everything remains untouched from the day the president had left…though someone has run a vacuum over a couple of rooms (few bombs were dropped to help weed the old regime out), and you leave feeling surprisingly entertained by the place. Round the corner mind is the War Museum, which is a very different experience. Harrowing photos and accounts from the war, from both Vietnamese and US journalists trying to give an impartial view, leave little to the imagination. To be fair, I would find it hard as an American to visit this place as its incredibly upsetting and its clear the long time damage suffered by both sides will take many more years to heal.

With this fresh in our minds, we visited the Cu Chi Tunnels the following day. During the conflict, the Vietcong in the Cu Chi area set out to thwart the Americans forces by constructing a labyrinth of underground tunnels in which to hide themselves and the insurgents living in the province. The tunnels covered three levels, getting narrower the further down you went. We were led through such tunnels, scurrying like rats and having to crouch in order to make it a mere 100 yards, and our insane guide previewed a variety of "traps" used to maim and capture the opposing armies. Insane is a tame word in fact, this fella taking delight in comparing basically everything we saw to sex or some bad taste joke, before turning somber and chronicling the plight of the Vietcong armies during the war. However, he did let me fire off 10 rounds of an AK-47, in which I let some..erm.."pink" target things (hard to describe, looked like bananas) taste some lead and riddled a "cow" and "rabbit" (they were 6ft cutouts, very realistic) with the remaining rounds. I got off on this, like a giddy child, which worried the wife…..bless. It also left me deaf…ironic giving how loud people say I talk (!!!!!)

Following day, Sal and Rob were off. We've had a fantastic time with them, traveling through south east Asia, and look forward to taking them round the bright lights of London on our return. This is subject to us regaining the Ashes and Dannii Minogue finally p*ssing off back to Oz…seems fair.

As for us, we packed and departed for Singapore..our final stop in Asia. From the point we touched down, we were kindly informed at every turn that we were "budget", and shouldn't forget it! Having taking the "budget" bus from the "Budget Terminal" (not joking, that was its name), we stepped out into the unbelievably humid air of Singapore. Now, Singapore is not traditional Asia…in that the dollar, being the Singapore dollar, rules and western urbanization is fully developed. This is basically London in the tropics, and so we've downsized from the double room/private bathroom/satellite TV to something more befitting a "backpacker". For the first time on our travels, we stayed at a hostel. Well…not quite hostel conditions...we took the private double room with the shared bathroom...that is shared between the only other private double room. We've got standards damn it…!

Suze loves Singapore. For me, I found it a little bit sterile. Singapore is overrun with strict laws...no eating or drinking on the air-conditioned-spotless-and-ruthlessly-effecient-transport system...no chewing gum...no jaywalking…no littering...all subject to trial and death! (well, eye watering fines, but the death penalty is still there for drug offences).The result is the cleanest city I have ever encountered, void of graffiti, prostitution, crime but also charm. We stayed in the Little India quarter, the name pretty much sums up the inhabitants with the Arab quarter being just round the corner. Having visited the Chinatown district, it's obvious that Singapore's makeup is that of ethnic conurbations surrounding a central business district with its towering skyscrapers and colonial architecture. It all looks pleasant, but for me it's missing the buzz of Hanoi or the grime of Bangkok. I wasn't particularly crazy about these places, but they kept you entertained and enthralled…and were far from boring.

Thankfully, bartering is still rife in Singapore when you're talking dirt-cheap electronics. I snapped up a new Suzie-Proof camera (the last one died a death in the Vang Vieng tubing escapade, having sat in her back pocket whilst her arse was submerged in the river) which is not only waterproof, but also shockproof and freeze proof (not sure how useful the last benefit will be). A mere $100 cheaper than what I'd pay back home, but the Singapore trader is no fool..and I was verging on nervous breakdown by the time I left the Sim Tower Electronics emporium. I guarantee more "exciting" photos from this day forth…mine being boring apparently (cheers the wife!).

Other than soaking up the marvelous shopping malls (lots) that the city has to offer, which Suze was loving though I confess it was I who was forced to spend the pennies on new smarter flip-flops..the last pair finally dying a death, its recommended you spend a day at the zoo. Singapore Zoo is renowned as the best in the world..and is fully justified to carry that title. The animals are housed in natural enclosures, with only a moat to separate you from them. The orangutans literally live in the trees above the entire park, happily swinging above your head whilst you mooch around the various sites. Suze was hoping a baby one would fall from the trees into her lap to take home…to join the baby elephant, monkey, puppy, deer, goat, Noah's ark….but was disappointed. Its incredible to look up and see them going about their business a few meters above you. Sometimes, nature does get too close and at one point I was attacked by a parrot in the rainforest enclosure who decided he wanted to eat my ear/invade my rucksack and make a bid for freedom. Thankful it wasn't the baboons!

So, having tucked into our 2nd curry of the trip (outstanding, but the rat running along the kitchen top when we'd finished was nice…swear these animals are plaguing me! I'm like the Pied Piper), we packed out bags for Sydney..and here we are. Luckily for us, we are enjoying the unbelievable hospitality of Annette and John, and according to them the rain has finally moved on so more sun to brighten up Suze's new photos (taken to the manual quicker than I have, knows what she's doing). They've already taken us down to the harbour fish market to enjoy squid and barramundi grilled on the waters edge whilst supping chilled aussie wines, and I'm developing a taste for Carlton Draught…by the "schooner" of course. We're going explore Sydney and around over the next couple of days before posting a blog to chronicle our adventures, and knock back a couple more schooners with John in numerous pubs that litter the harbour! But,we've already made plans to move down to Melbourne over the coming weeks for the Grand Prix (yyyeessss,come on Lewis!!!)…so it'll be posted quicker than you realize (we admit, we've been a little slack in keeping this updated, soz).

So till then, ta ra cobblers (I can't talk aussie and will stop now cause disgracing myself).

Love to all

Mike & Suze xxxxx