We heard from so many people that the War Remnants Museum was a must-see for visitors to Saigon. Today we broke down and walked the couple of kilometers to find out what all the hype was about. The entrance fee worked out to about $1.50 CDN for the two of us, which is a pretty good deal no matter how you cut it.

As soon as you walk through the gates you're surrounded by a huge US Chinook helicopter, an F-5 fighter jet, a number of cannons of varying caliber and the ubiquitous Huey chopper, all of which were either captured by the Northern soldiers or left behind by the US when they hurriedly got outta Dodge.

From there you tour a replica POW camp that was used to confine the North Vietnamese prisoners. That's where it all got disturbing. Graphic descriptions of the unbelievably cruel methods of torture used on the POW's as well as photos of the results are hung on all the walls.

When you walk into the museum building there is an entire wing dedicated to the ongoing effects of Agent Orange and Dioxin on the population. Also very, VERY disturbing. Throughout the building are photos of the horrors of the war and the various anti-war protests that took place all around the world during the sixties. All the weaponry, bombs, mines and grenades used during the conflict are on display.

One whole wing documents the war crimes and atrocities committed by US forces over the course of their involvement. In yet another wing, certain US soldiers and commanders are praised for their efforts in saving the lives of innocent villagers caught in the crossfire.

As a child of the sixties, it was interesting for me to get the other side's version of what went on in Vietnam back then. Dan Rather and Morley Safer had their spin on the events of the day, but as I suspected, there are two sides to every coin.

Judging by the amount of high rises under construction, the number of luxury cars in the streets and the high end retail stores, the economy here in Saigon is booming. This brand of communism is nothing like what we experienced in Cuba last February, so in my opinion, the Red Menace the US was so desperate to defeat back in the day turned out to be not so bad after all.

If anyone asks me what they should do when they visit Saigon, I'll tell them to go to the War Museum.