We flew from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) formally known as Saigon . HCMC is a very busy city, it was much more developed than we were expecting; in fact it is home to several designer stores such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton. The roads are absolutely crammed with motorbikes. Most drivers completely ignore the few road rules set in place (including red lights) and so even crossing the smallest of roads can be a massive challenge! But we got the hang of it after a while, as long as you walk very slowly making eye contact with the drivers, then they can swerve around you and you can reach the other side in one piece…just! The air is not only filled with smog and fumes but also the constant honking of horns that leaves your ears ringing. At night it doesn't seem to stop, making sleeping difficult if you can't block it (or the roosters!) out!

We spent the day seeing the sights of the city, such as the Reunification Palace (a modern palace built in 1966 to replace the old one that was damaged during an assignation attempt on the president). We had a look at the Notre Dame Cathedral, as Vietnam was colonized for many years by the French, but the Cathedral is not a patch on the original one! We wandered around the markets and then met our group in the evening for our trip from HCMC through Cambodia finishing in Bangkok . Vietnam seems a lovely place, the people are mostly friendly and although the poverty is evident it was not as extreme as we were expecting. The food left little to be desired however, it's very bland, especially compared to Thai food.

Anyway, now it's onto Cambodia …..