Saigon

5-9 March

Jumped on a minivan to Saigon, we arrived in district 1 at about 4 pm and from the minute Matt got off the bus he loved this place. It was crazy, so much happening. The streets are so busy and the traffic is so mental, to cross the road you have to just step out and not stop. It's best if you don't look either. If you walk at a constant speed the traffic goes round you but if you hesitate for a split second, SPLAT!! The main streets have a Kho San road (famous busy street in Bangkok) feel to them but every tiny alley is amazing too, packed chock a block with street food, shops, houses, hotels and restaurants. 

On the first night we wandered up through the park and the local women were doing aerobics to very loud music.

We spotted a couple of hashers laying a trail and got talking to them, and ended up having dinner with them in a very bad Italian ( which was very good for Vietnam apparently). He was ok, she was dull as dishwater. Next day was a wipe out though, Milly was really ill and had to spend the day between the bed and the bathroom. The room was on the 3rd floor which was a nightmare when I wanted a fag but at least the toilet was clean and modern for Milly, who had to spend a lot of her time in there.

   

Milly recovered a little the next day so we thought we would head out for a walk to the War Remnants Museum, Opera House and other French colonial buildings. 

Next day we did the Fine Art Museum, Botanical gardens, and then the Jade Pagoda. The day started well, and the art museum wasn't as boring as I thought it would be. But the botanical gardens turned out to be miles away, and was really crap. It was incorporated in to a sad old zoo which you couldn't avoid. What a load of rubbish. We thought we would save the day with the Jade Pagoda. It was quite a hike in a not so good area of town. When we spotted it I stepped off the curb looking down the road the wrong way and was very nearly ran over by a moped. We got into the pagoda 10 minutes before it closed which was lucky in one way and unlucky in another. It might be listed as a top sight in the lonely planet but really it's a collection of 8ft tall papier mâché shite. Ohh well. At least it was going to be an interesting 4 mile walk home in the dark when neither of us was feeling great! We made it back in the end though without being mugged or anything so thank goodness for small mercies. 

        The French Post Office was designed by Gustave Eiffel 1886-1891

       We went into the post office, bought and sent a couple of cards, amazingly they arrived in England

       only a week later!

       Oddly they have Notre Dame Cathedral here, not as nice as Exeter Cathedral though I must say

    Hope the traffic wardens get well paid

              

 Mmmental

The place we were staying in was ran by a lovely chap originally from Can Tho. But strangely he locked us in to the small hotel at 10pm sharp and didn't let us out until 8 in the morning! Matt was not a happy chappie, because he had to wait an hour before he could have a fag, and it also posed a bit of a problem when we booked the 7am bus to Dalat with Sinh Tourist. We got such a bargain, they had a promo going on, it's an 8hr bus, it cost £2.77 each!

We warned the Hotel owner of our early start and gave him a wake up call, literally! We were both really looking forward to the cool mountain air of Dalat because it's 1500ft above sea level, a welcome change after the heat of Saigon!

(Co written by Matt and Milly)