Okay so trying to keep upto date as possible so you guys don't have to read about 5 weeks of activities in a day.. and so that we remember everything we have been doing…let's tell you about our time in Vietnam so far…!!! J

So we left you leaving Sihanoukville in Cambodia heading to Kampot where we would be attempting to cross the border over to Vietnam,,!! No this border crossing shouldn't have been so tricky as the Thailand/camb border but the border crossing we wanted to use had only recently opened and wasn't used by too many tourist!! Anyway us being the world wide travelers we are thought we can do this!!

So we left Kampot at 7am heading on a tuk tuk for an hour n half to get us to prek check (the border crossing)!! After an hour however on the tuk tuk the guy tells us that he cant take us to the border for the price we had agreed but that his "friends' would be have to come and pick us up on motorbikes to take us to another border.. and then onto the town we wanted to get to in Vietnam!! At this point we were in the middle of nowhere so had no other choice but to go with what he was saying although we were a little dubious at to which border crossing we were being taken to .. or if there was an "official" crossing at all!! So with the backpack in front of the driver.... us behind the driver with our small bags off we went along this dirt track…!! Two numb bums and 40 mins later we arrived amazingly at the border we originally thought we were going to!! Crossed through easily without any cons, well apart from $1 extra charge but I think we can still afford that…just J!! And back on our motos to the bus station in Ha Tien.!!

Luckily a bus was waiting at Ha Tien that was going to our next stop of the day…. Rach Gia. Our bike drivers helped us get tickets and we hopped on.. Only when we got on did we realize that this was probably going to be one of the most uncomfortable 4 hours we had spent!! The seats were so cramped together that I had trouble getting my legs in. and I'm not exactly the biggest person!! Jay couldn't even get his legs in so they stayed in the aisle the whole way!! Oh yeah no a/c was also a bonus!! The bus ride wasn't too bad apart from people jumping on and off every two mins!!

So we got to Rach Gia in one piece…we've kinda figured out that when your bags are chucked off the bus that is our cue to leave…!! We now needed to somehow find a bus from Rach Gia to Can Tho our final destination!! As usual the moto divers swarmed around the tourist asking to take us to bus station… as we thought we were at the bus station..we just kept saying "bus Can Tho..Bus Can Tho". As they hardly spoke a word of English they kept saying…"yes moto..to bus" We knew we were at bus station as there were loads of buses so after about 15mins we finally realized that there was another bus station about 7km south of this one where we could get a bus to Can Tho!! So on the motorbike again heading to the second bus station in Rach Gia.. This was slightly scary as when we had been on motorbikes before the roads had been pretty much deserted but now we were driving through a busy city!! Ok so the drivers spotted a bus to Can Tho and flagged it down. We didn't know any better as the bus looked the same as the one we had been on to Rach Gia so after paying a stupid amount off we went again…!!

This bus ride was crazy…. The man who took the money on the bus was literally dragging people at the bus stops onto his bus even if it looked like they didn't want to get on!! They stopped at so many random places to pick up tv's, satellites, bedding..etc!! The driver was also manic.. he didn't care what was in his way or how high we flew off our seats he just wanted to get to his destination!! Anyway we arrived in Can Tho battered and bruised and in desperate need of a shower!! Another motorbike journey took us to the hotel nearly 12hours after we had set off from Kampot!! Ah well that is what this holiday is for ay!! What an experience!!

Can Tho is famous for the floating markets on the Mekong river!! Next morning we headed down to the river to try and tag along with a group going on a tour as that was the only way we could afford hiring a boat!! We originally asked at the tourist office if they could squeeze us onto a boat or if we could join a group.. They wouldn't help at all and said the only way we could do it was if we hired a boat that could fit about 25ppl just for the 2 of us!! We weren't having any of that so we decided to hunt down a group ourselves!! We first tried this French group whose guide blatantly refused to let us join his tour!! Mean people!! Not being too deterred I spotted a white couple standing next to the pier…we nearly ran to them to ask if they had already paid for the boat.!! They had already paid for a tour package but said we could ask their guide… after some persuasion he let us join them for a fee of course but half of what we would have had to pay and of we went!! Can you believe we are actually doing things like that? I couldn't!!

Okay so the floating markets were pretty crazy… I wasn't too sure what to expect but it's really cool and nothing like we've ever seen before or I don't think we would see in the UK!! There are loads of boats, big and small anchored up selling everything that you would expect to see at a normal market, so fruit, veg, meat etc!! You had smaller people on boats selling lunch and drinks to the people on the big boats and then also people doing their usual fruit and veg shops!! There were even a couple of floating houses which were pretty cool!! We had a little wander around the market.. obv on land before we had to head back.. Although we've seen quite a few of these markets now they never cease to amaze… we saw live fish and eel flapping about in little buckets, and then we saw a woman take one of these live fish and literally start cutting it to pieces with scissors while it was still flapping around in her hands.. it was disgusting!!!

As we had finished our sightseeing for the day by 9.30am (we wee up and out by 6am btw) we decided that rather than hang around (as we are quite tight now ion time) we booked another bus to take us to Saigon at 11.30am!! On the road again!! This bus was booked through the hotel and as you can expect was a bit more luxurious!! A/c, free water and towel…friendly staff.. and it was about half of the price of the dodgy bus!! We met a couple of friendly ladies on the bus we helped us get straight onto a public bus to take us to our hostel, so we didn't have to deal with the motorbikes.. They didn't look impressed!! Met another friendly chap on the local bus who told us when we needed to get off. It's so funny because the people who can speak a little English absolutely love to speak to the tourists and are so helpful but then you have the other side of things.. The people who are trying to make money off you and will say absolutely anything to get your money so you never know quite whether you're coming or going!!

Our mouths stayed open for a good few minutes when we first saw the craziness that is Saigon traffic. Just to give you a picture/idea there are 5.8million people living in the city and there are 3 million motorbikes… it's manic…!! The roundabouts are a sight and I have tried to take a couple of pics to show you guys… I hope they do it justice!! As soon as we got to the main backpacker street in Saigon we had people running at us trying to drag us into their hotel.. We agreed with this one lady to have a look at hers until we saw the tiny alleyway she was trying to lead us down….however she was pretty persuasive and we decided to go have a look. The guesthouse was really nice actually we were just slightly concerned about going down this alleyway at night but she assured us it was full of families and always lit and safe!! That evening we found out she wasn't lying thankfully ad we felt pretty safe!!

First day in Saigon we did a tour of the city on a motorbike!! We both had a driver (one of which was the owner of the guesthouse) so we felt pretty safe! We first of all went to the War Musuem..Which gave a very detailed and shocking account of the Vietnam War. It was really quite graphic and after an hour and a half I was ready to leave..Definitley not for the faint hearted!! But it was really good to get an insight of the Vietnamese view of the war. It really puts what America and American soldiers did in a really bad light and it shows that even the most educated people can do the most horrible things. Steve you would have really loved to have seen it.. We took a few pics for you!!

During the rest of the day .. Apart from ducking and diving through the traffic…we also went to the reunification palace, Notre dame cathedral (not quite as impressive as the one in Paris) the post office..(Maybe sounds strange but it was quite grand), Chinese pagoda and Chinese market.. And then to the river and then home!! Got a really good feel for Saigon and we couldn't believe how built up and quite modern it is especially compared to Cambodia. Even Phnom Penh!! That night we thought we had our bearings and could get to the guesthouse from the other side of the alleyway.. We thought it was just one road!! How wrong were we!! It was a maze of tiny alleyways and we wandering around for ages.!! We finally had to leave exit onto the main road and walk around to the entrance we knew!!

Next day we had a trip arranged to the Cu Chi tunnels..Which are a network of tunnels over 200ks long built by the viet congs (the people fighting the Americans) during the war. These tunnels were used to hide from their enemy and move around undetected, the tunnels were only 17cm wide and in some places you would literally have to slide through on your belly!! The viet cings built these tunnels completely by hand and it took them 25yeras to complete!! During the war babies were even born in these tunnels, it's quite amazing to think about!! We had a really good morning learning about the tunnels and seeing all of the traps the viet congs used to tarp Americans. We even got a chance to crawl through the tunnels.. quite scary and not for the claustrophobic.. and hard work we were sweating like donkeys!! How these people did this for years is amazing!

That afternoon we wee on the road again.. Heading to Dalat.. our current location!! Dalat is a really scenic location in the mountains and it was really nice to get of the bus and feel a cold breeze!! We are about 1500m above se level and you can really feel the difference you don't even need a fan in the room, we even had a duvet!!

Okay well I'll leave you guys now.. after another story and a half ay!!

We'll get some pics on hopefully in a day or so as this computer is really fast for uploading!

Take care everyone…speak soon lots of love us 2 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx