Andrew Pell: Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon

After 4 extremely interesting and fun days in the Mekong Delta aboard all types of transportation we finally dropped off by bus in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Wow! I thought Phnom Penh was busy but this city really does take the cake! I have never seen so many motorbikes in the one place all vying for their piece of the road. I stayed at Madam Cucs hotel in a $16 room that had hot water, A/C and great views from the 6th floor. The hotel even had a winch to haul my back pack up the 80 odd stairs, very cool. These 80 odd stairs did give me some exercise during my stay in Saigon. The best thing about this hotel was that a free breakfast & dinner were included along with fresh fruit juice and coffee all day. Not to mention that the service was brilliant!
I took a 1/2 day tour bus to visit the Cu Chi tunnels which the Viet Cong used extremely effectively against the Americans in the Vietnam War. The tour was very interesting and our guided pointed out many of the Viet Cong boobie traps and hiding places. After meeting a couple of scottish lads we decided to go thirds in a round of bullets for an AK47. The ear protection provided was basically an old set of earphones that did not block out a single decibell! After leaving the shooting range pretty much deaf it was time to go through a 100m stretch of the Cu Chi tunnels. Hot, claustrophobic, pitch black in places and 8metres underground made the 'light at the end of the tunnel' look extremely inviting. It's hard to imagine how the Viet Cong lived under here for so long.
On the way home from the tunnels we made a stop off at a furniture making and dcorating business where all the workers are war survivors or those with disabilities. Some of the furniture was stunning but obviously not suitable for the backpacker to take home! I made a quick stop at the war museum which again hit home how brutal the American/Vietnam war was. A cocktail on the 9th floor with a couple of people from the hostel was a perfect way to reflect on a busy day.
I saved my last day in Saigon to wander the streets and visited another war museum, a fine arts building, the huge post office and the opera house. I then caught up with Rob & Lisa who I had first met in Cambodia for some sun down beers.
Saigon was completely chaotic but with a nice waterfront, plenty of green parks and millions of smiling faces it has been a highlight of my trip so far.