Hello!

After another wonderful long bus journey and faffing about at border crossings we made it to Ho Chi Minh (Saigon). We stayed on the main backpacker street in a nice hotel where we got our own rooms complete with television - cachback!

We had a bit of a panic at first because we couldn't get any Vietnamese Dongs out of the cashmachine but all was well the following day!

We spent our first day walking round getting a feel for the city. Because we arrived while Chinese New YR celebrations were going on the city was unusually quiet (but still packed with motorbikes), there are very few cars here because they are crazily expensive.

I spent the afternoon with a guy whose name I have forgotten on his motorbike (that sounds dodgy - he was a motorbike taxi driver)! We went to Notre Dame, The Vietnamese War Museum, The Pagoda, The Water Front and The Markets. It was really good fun. In Vietnam they have just bought a new law in that you have to wear a helmet, but they don't seem to sturdy!

Because time was so short, we decided to take a trip to The Mekong Delta the following day. That was a couple of hours out of Saigon and is where all the little water ways are. We sampled some local coconut candy at the candy factory (a room in a hut)! We did quite a lot of wandering round sampling local foods and drinks and went on a cool little boat (see pictures).

Its quite funny, when you walk down the street in Ho Chi Minh there are "The 3 Ms" that people try and sell you - motorbike, marijuana, massage?! Haha

We needed to get back to Bangkok, and couldn't face a bus journey that would have taken 2 days, so decided to flashpack once again and fly. Because we booked late we could only get a business class flight. Or so we thought....

When we got to the airport I was booked in business class, Ruth was in economy. Now...Ruth is scared to death of flying so had to pay to be upgraded to business class, twas a dear do. But she does need her little blonde friend to keep her company during flights :o). Well, when we got through to the airport lounge, we had a special one where we had this huge buffet, and any drinks for free. Twas superb. We really filled up. And I enjoyed a morning Baileys to get into the swing of things.

When we got onto the plane for our flight an hour later we got another meal, we wanted our moneys worth so had that, phew we were stuffed! But being poor these days we must eat when we can! And back to Bangkok for the second time....