The journey into Vietnam was painless for Asian travel.....we actually ended up being taken back to Phnom Phen and having to change buses, not too much of a hassle, but we didn't know anything about it till it happened which I guess is part of the fun!!!..Oh that and the loud karaoke which keeps you company the whole time on the buses!!!

Arriving into the madness of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) we found our hostel and headed straight down to Bien View, the main pub street for backpackers!!It is great but super crazy....given there is about 9million people here and around 7 million mopeds....crossing the street is an adventure in itself!!!

The street drinking here is the best we have come across...it's about 36c for a beer and all the chairs are set up on the pavements facing the street so you can people watch and take in all the sights, sounds and smells of the city....brilliant!!

We decided to get the gloomy activity out of the way early here, so after a nice stroll though the city (not done just because we had turned up at the war museum just as they went on the hour and a half lunch break honestly!!!) While on our stroll we stopped in park, where the locals are always trying to get some money from you - we got scammed into buying the most expensive coconut in the world and then lads are trying to clean your shoes all the time. We practically had to carry our flip flops in our hands to keep them from being attacked with a toothbrush! We then headed back to the War Remnants Museum. This is where they document what went on during the Vietnamese war....the details of the torture that went on is disturbing, the photos documenting what went on are amazing and the Agent Orange section is shocking and so sad. The amount of damage being done to humans to this day is so upsetting....it really is the stuff of nightmares.

We also headed to see Cu Chi Tunnels. It is an amazing place to see, and to understand what the Viet Cong did to keep control of the area. There were over 200km of tunnels at one stage; unfortunately the Americans bombed the area so heavily that the original tunnels aren't there anymore. However you do get to see a great propaganda film, as well as the demonstrations of some of the traps they set...but most interesting of all is the replica tunnel that is the same size as the real ones....Shane got a chance to go into it...but he didn't fit, so don't think he would have lasted too long in the conflict!!! We both went down the enlarged tunnel that they have there, and it was mad how small it is, and so claustrophobic and hot...we cannot imagine how people lived down there for weeks.

After that was a food and trip highlight for us! We decided to do a Back of the Bikes tour, which involved us travelling on the back of a moped while checking out 6 different street food locations...it was a brilliant way to see the city and we definitely have got to taste foods we wouldn't have otherwise....highlights were the 'banh mi thit', the ultimate pork baguette, bun cha, a pork and noodle dish and Vietnamese Pumpkin Bread Pudding...all of which we would happily it again...a lot!!!

Other acquired Vietnamese delicacies were the duck egg, which has a foetus inside; Shane was brave enough to give it a try, but not much of it before the gag reflex kicked in...it's just not right!!! The other standout moment was trying durian for the first time!!! Asians are totally mad for it, but it has to be the worst fruit we have ever had....yuk!!! Glad that experience is over and done with!!! Overall though we had a fabulous time and would recommend this to anyone coming to HCMC...

So after a day chilling and taking in more of the crazy atmosphere here we booked our bus to our next destination....Nha Trang here we come!