The last stop on the Vietnamese Express

That's right, after recovering from my hangover in Nha Trang, I decided it's time to move on to the last stop in Vietnam......Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City. :(

After talking to travellers further up north, I was interested in checking out Saigon. And that's what the locals call it, so I'm going to call it.....Saigon. Most people had told me that Saigon was a big city and lacked character. I happen to think that they are wrong. Wide tree lined roads filled with motobikes mix with small alleys filled with outdoor bars and food stalls. You can have excitement and peace all along the same street! They also told me to watch out for the motobikes when crossing the street. It's safe to say that in a city of roughly 9 million people and 6 million motobikes, that crossing the street can be quite the adventure, but that's the allure of Saigon.

70 Kms outside of Saigon lies the famous Cu Chi tunnels. For most tourists its a definite must see as the Cu Chi Tunnels served an integral function during the war. The tour isn't short of somewhat humorous Vietnamese propaganda as they describe Cu Chi as a 'pleasant oasis from Saigon that the Americans wanted to destroy.' They just happen to skip over the part where the tunnels were used as a weapons depot for the VC before their attacks on Saigon, but never mind that trivial news. Anyway, at the end of the tour, you get the chance to go into the tunnels themselves. Of course, the part that tourists go into have been widened for accessibility, but they are still pretty small. Some of the original openings were no wider than my size 12s and I can't imagine how anyone outside of a small child could fit into those openings, let alone crawl through the tunnels. Truly amazing!

If you're into war history, then a stop off at the War Remnants Museum is in order. It's an awing, frightening, and horrific look at the terrors of the Vietnam War. When visiting the museum, just remember that there are two sides to every story.

More later.

Love, peace, and soul.