We stepped out of the hotel into the humid heat of the city. Our hotel is situated in a back alley away from the hustle and bustle of the main street. I am not sure why but I like Saigon. As we walked through the city we quickly worked up a sweat, it was hotter than hot. I am not sure sleeping with the air conditioning on helps you acclimatise to the heat. We walked about 20 minutes before stopping for a rest. We watched as the World passed us by. Motorbikes zipped up and down the streets. There was tooting and honking, beeping and buzzing. We watched people conducting their daily business, wheeling and dealing trying to make a living. Saigon is a fast paced city, but a gentle one at that.

Despite leaving at a good hour we arrived at the Imperial Palace only to find it was closing in 20 minutes. Unsure as to what to do we sat in the park... and watch the World go by. The heat was sapping our energy. Our pace had definitely slowed. Sitting on the bench we were a prime target for hawkers. On cue, we were propositioned. We didn't mind, however this was a shoe shine boy... and we were wearing sandals.

Amused, hot and happy we moved on to view the Notre Dame Cathedral. It was a short walk from the park. Taking a leap of faith we stepped out into traffic to cross the busy road. Ju had insisted on holding my hand. I am not sure if this was a wise decision. Crossing the road in Vietnam takes skill... you have to walk at a shuffle pace whilst keeping a beady eye on the traffic. You cannot stop, you have to move and let the bikes weave around you. Having your wife tug and scream at you really throws your attention leaving you both stranded in the middle of the road. After a few attempts Ju put her faith in me - it was nice to feel like I was protecting her.

Off to the Botanical Gardens we go. The Cathedral was nothing to talk about so we moved on. Feeling sapped of energy and roasting hot I approached a street vendor to buy a drink. I felt a little devilment inside, maybe the heat, but I wasn't going to pay the price they initially wanted for the drink. This fuzzy logic worked and we enjoyed a nice cold bottle of ice tea at a third of the initial price. Refreshed we purchased tickets to enter the gardens - however we had unwittingly purchased tickets to enter the zoo - I blame the heat! We have obviously been spoilt by wildlife over the last three months. The zoo wasn't that special and didn't impress. We killed time before moving on to the war museum which was due to reopen after lunch.

We decided to get a cyclo to the war museum. Two up, the fare negotiated down, the poor cyclo rider had his work cut out. Still smiling we asked if he was ok? "yes I am fine, all ok" he said. Ju and myself laughed as the bike slowly crept through thick traffic. It was a pleasure to pay the rider - he'd earned his money!

I had visited the same war museum back in 2007. It hadn't changed much. The museum was a little biased towards the Vietnamese victory. I guess history is written by the victors - especially in their own country?! The museum was busy and the displays similar to what I had seen before. It was still astonishing and moving to see so many graphic pictures and to learn the fate of the people featured in them. Most moving of all for me was a section on the war photographers - most of which had lost their lives. To see the last photos they had taken of dying or wounded troops before they died was sad. After the war museum we made our way to the Imperial Palace. We walked around taking in the sights - a little boring for me as I had been there before. We watched a short video presentation in an air conditioned room - we fell asleep. Tired, hot and dehydrated we headed back to the hotel. Another short and amusing cyclo trip back to the hotel we stopped to take on board fluids and food. It was 5.30pm and I hadn't eaten all day. I had a bowl of beef noodle soup... delicious, the best soup I have had to date.

Rehydrated and a lot cooler back in the room we recharged before heading back out to have a few beers and food. I had a Vietnamese pancake which had to be cut up and placed on rice paper and eaten with lettuce and fish sauce. Again tasty - I must get a Vietnamese cook book when I get home. As we sat watching the city night life the heavens opened for an hour. The rain felt good and cooled the air. Relaxed we strolled home for a spot of TV before bed. The only downside to the evening was the ridiculously loud music emanating from the park opposite the hotel. So loud it drowned out the TV at times - oh well. At least they switched it off by 11pm.