Good Morning Vietnam!

Got the bus from Phnom Penh in Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City (previously Saigon and hereafter known as HCMC). Wahey - despite not replying to our e-mails our hotel had actually got the reservation and they managed to squeeze in an Aussie couple we dragged in off the same bus. Might be the season or something but SE Asia seems hard work on this booking lark and everywhere is running at full capacity.

Went for a wander around on the first day here just to get our bearings. Even crossing the road is akin to a slow motion bungy jump - step off pavement and slowly, slowly shuffle across the road whilst the motorbikes (only 4.5 million in HCMC alone) work out what speed you are doing and then weave in front or behind you - scary! Next day we hired two "cyclos" to pedal us around the city. These rickshaw type devices put the passenger at the front as matey plunges through the traffic - by now we were used to the near death situations and had adopted a Que Sera Sera trype attitude. We went to see the war museum (grim), a couple of pagoda temple type things and the (1970's retro) Reunification Palace.

Next day did a touristy type tour to the very colurful Cao Dai temple and watched their prayer ceremony (felt a bit nosey) and then went onto the Cu Chi tunnels both to the North West of HCMC. There might be a small grain of truth in the rumour I got stuck in one of the little hidden entrances showing off and had to be pulled out by three English lads but fortunately Kym was on hand for photos and piss taking! Took bruised ego to the firing range afterwards and both of us shot the American M-16 and Chinese built AK47 machine guns to get a feel for both sides of the war. The M-16 jammed on Kym and the AK47 was way louder, had more kick and was more accurate - no wonder the North Vietnamese kicked Yankee butt! Went down into the tunnels themselves and despite them having been enlarged by 50% most visitors (including us) only managed the first 40m section before declaring they had had enough - horribly claustaphobic!

Day after that (today in fact!) we did a tour to the Mekong Delta south of HCMC. After a shambolic start we took a bus and then a ferry to one of the bigger islands in the delta where they make honey, grow fruit and do lots of other stuff you would do in a very fertile area. Took a wonderful 3 hour boat trip back to HCMC and watched the locals at work and play, all othem inches from death in hideously overloaded boats and all smiling - greta fun.

Off up the coast to find a beach next. We have a bus ticket to Mui Ne (5hrs away) and apparently there is not a single vacant hotel room in the whole place. Might stay at Nha Trang (10hrs away). Might sleep in a bar - the 8 hours from 11pm to 7am seem feckin hard work to organise at the moment!!

As soon as we find a decent enough internet connection we might even upload some chuffin piccies!!!