We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City around 8:00pm and are first impressions were that it was similar to Hanoi (the capital) but it was a bit more commercialized. We ended up staying at a guesthouse which was close to where we got dropped off but in the main backpacker's area. We couldn't believe how many backpackers we saw there as a lot of places we had been didn't have as many tourists with it being the low season.

The guesthouse was called Ti Ti and unfortunately we were on the 7th floor so lots of steps to climb but it was only $12 a night for us both so we put up with it! We went straight out for some food and ended up probably picking the worst restaurant. It was the worst Mexican food we had ever tasted - but maybe we shouldn't have picked Mexican food in a Vietnamese restaurant!

The next day we got a tuk tuk to visit the Reunification Palace and War Remnants Museum.

The Reunification Palace was built in 1966 to serve as South Vietnams Presidential Palace. In April 1975 when Saigon surrendered all the communist tanks rushed here and knocked down the big gates at the front and took over the palace; however it's been left exactly the same since that day. The tour takes you around the whole building where all the Presidents furniture is still there and in the basement they still have the communication rooms with the telephones and radios from when the war was going on.

We then went for lunch and to a nearby park while we waited for the museum to open again after lunch.

The War Remnants Museum displays retired artillery pieces and a model of tiger cages were Vietnamese prisoners were held during the war. It also has many pictures of the torture and birth defects that the Vietnamese people suffered after the USA used different types of defoliants. It was really upsetting to see many of the pictures that they had here and the tiger cages but it was good to finally learn more about the war and what actually went on. It was hard to believe it was only 30 odd years ago that this all happened in Vietnam.

The next day we went to see the Cu Chi Tunnels which took around 3 hours to get to on the bus (that's after they stop about ten times at different cafes and disability centres) which can get on your nerves as it happens on most bus trips and tours!

The Cu Chi Tunnels is a net work of 200km tunnels underground that stretched all the way to the Cambodia border and Ho Chi Minh City. The people of Cu Chi decided that they were going to defend their people and land so built the network of underground tunnels that only their people could fit through as they were a lot smaller than the American soldiers. They also had rooms underground that were used to sleep in, cook in and prepare for battles in. When the Americans couldn't get to them on land they attacked them from the air making the landscape full of craters. On the tour we got to see replica rooms and how they would have looked underground and some of the craters and bombs that have been found. At the end of the tour we got to go in one of the tunnels. I was the first to go in followed by Ady and the rest of the tour. I had a guide in front of me with a torch so it wasn't too bad as I could see where we were going, but after about 5 min the guide turned off down a different tunnel and said keep going which I did. The tunnel got so small that I had to go feet first but we carried on and a few minutes later we came out of the tunnel into a replica room. Only 4 of us out of 30 did the full length of the tunnel! I thought the whole group was behind me but most people had turned off at different points in the tunnels to get out! The tunnels were so hot too I don't know how the people survived in them! Apparently the tunnels were made bigger for tourists too!

When we got back on the bus two of the tour was missing. It was a couple similar ages to me and Ady who had decided to go off on their own instead of staying with the tour group. Our guide went off to find them and he came back five minutes later with the couple. When they got on the bus the girl started to apologize saying he said be back for 2 not half 12 but then the guide got on and started shouting sit down, sit down now like they were children! They started having an argument with the guide and the couple said that the guide had threatened them and said he would punch them if they didn't be quiet! It was really embarrassing for everyone else to see and the guide didn't say anything for the 3 hours back to the tour office. We're not sure what happened but the guide jumped off the bus first closely followed by the couple who were going to the office to make a complaint! (Bit of entertainment for us!)

The next day we got on a bus to Cambodia for the next part of our journey.