Saigon

Ho Chi Minh City, or Saigon as it is still most commonly known, is another city that I actually enjoyed being in. Finding somewhere to stay for the 2 nights until I joined my new group was easier than I expected too. Accomodation was instantly more pricey than I'd gotten used to, but walking down the main backpackers haunt, you'll be amazed at how many crazy ladies will attempt to drag you into their homes. Still not that strong, I find myself saying "No I don't need a room thank you, I was just going to check this place out..." All the while getting dragged down an allyway and led up some stairs as the lady declares "Same same". Same same is the best phrase ever, it applies to everything that isn't actually the same but they are trying to pass off otherwise! I hear it at least 6 times a day and have successfully managed to include it effortlessly in to my vocabulary.

The first lady led me into her tiny front from and I felt quite guilty to be there. Her son was sprawled out across the floor with severe MS and the husband was kicked into action to show me about after the lady successfully caught and brought me back. I made some excuses and left in search of somewhere more obvious, but found resistance to these determined women futile, and stayed with one down the road, again walking through the living area and having other family members put to work upon my arrival. It was actually a really nice little place even if the sons sitting around beating their shins with baseball bats (in preparation for boxing matches I assume) did seem unnerving.

After joining the tour however, I was back to an far higher level accommodation comfort, right up to 2 whole stars. It was great to have hot water, be able to keep my shoes on inside and not have to sit up on rat patrol all night.

I'd heard the people of Vietnam were mostly out to scam you, and although I found this somewhat true whilst on my own in the Mekong Delta, once in a group I was sheltered from it all. Infact I found everyone to be very nice, apart if you make the mistake to stand in front of someones fruit stall for too long not buying. Expect a mango to be thrown at you as encouragement to move along!

Time is Saigon was focussed around the Vietnam/American War. Just about everywhere I visited here was connected to it, from the Reunification Palace, War Remnants Museum and Cu Chi Tunnles (a little way out of town). Like Cambodia, Vietnam has a shocking and disturbing history, and the people today still suffer immensly for it, this time more with the horrific chemicals that the US drowned the area in. The Cu Chi tunnles were the highlight of Saigon for me, and it was facinating to see how inventive the people of this country were at fighting the Americans. Moving their whole life underground they devised a series of tunnles, inventions and traps that made it impossible for the US to take them over. Our leader Ngon spoke about the people of the tunnles in first person a lot, and although she denies being in the Viet Cong, we think otherwise and wonder how many Americans she captured back in the day!