Up rather bleary eyed after a bad nights sleep due to a party next door which went on until the early hours. Even though we are seasoned S.E Asian travellers and came prepared with ear plugs the music was so loud that we were kept awake.

Breakfast then off to Cholon (Chinatown) by taxi - it's about 7kms away so too far to walk. Busy busy.. as all these Chinatowns are - there is so much trade and commerce taking place all around us. It is quite different from more touristy areas. Lots of Chinese food, herbal shops selling God knows what, and a huge market plus...if it's possible - even more motorbike traffic.

Our senses are all agog whilst we visit some important Chinese Pagodas; one of them had a statue of a tiger where people had placed raw bacon in it's mouth and giving it water as offerings ???

After an hour we were Pagoderd-out so went for lunch and thought we'd try the Pho pronounced Foe.

Well I can tell you Bill Clinton choose a canteen style restaurant in Pho 2000 to visit and the Pho is a friend not a foe. It's a spicy compote with rice noodles and slices of beef that comes served with fresh Thai basil and other herbs. It's got a kick but tastes so healthy with the herbs so prominent. You add some Soy sauce and lime as condiments. It's got the same affect as Jewish Penicillin (chicken soup) so brought us back to life - ready for Kung Phu fighting?

Talking of fighting, the war with USA is certainly not something that is brought up. The Vietnamese come across as very peaceful and the way that there country was annexed and then fought against is almost given as a reason for peace not retribution. With that in mind we spent two harrowing hours in the War Remnants Museum which in fact mainly showcases peace through the atrocities of war.

For us the most harrowing images were the children born years after the Americans had completed the scorched earth or agent orange campaign that wipes out all vegetation so the enemy can no longer hide. The toxicity of the Dioxin was ferocious and years later children were born malformed with eyes missing and severe deformities. If that was not bad enough the survivors generally picked up terrible skin conditions or they died of cancer from the toxicity. There was also a great selection of war photography, a room devoted to peace posters and anti war demonstrations from around the world.

It was obviously a one sided story but it also included the American servicemen who had used the orange-crush and had children with abnormalities due to the toxicity. There was even the three Americans that set themselves alight in Ohio to object to the war (2 burned to death).

All in all a must see.

Outside are some old tanks, choppers and guns but after seeing the horror of war it was a bit much to see a few people posing with the guns for photos - strange how everyone's mind works?

To change the mood we found a café for a lovely cappuccino and cake and then back to the hotel via the madness of the mopeds and in for a few drinks, a foot massage and some much needed sleep before our trip to the Chu Chi Tunnels tomorrow.