Vietnam

on Friday we took a speedboat trip from Phnom Penn, across the Cambodian/Vietnamese border and eventually to the town of Chao Doc. even the boat was quite cramped and a total sweatbox, it would have been quite pleasant if the boat didn't brake down so many times that what should have been a four hour journey took more than six. CHao DOc was a fairly dirty and obviusly quite poor town, and we went out in the evening and had what was without doubt the worst meal I've had on this trip. possibly the worst of my life.

Saturday was mostly spent driving from Chao Doc to Ho Chi Minh (Saigon). went out in the evening as a last night with the tour group. went to a rooftop revolving bar and then to a mexican resteraunt, which was much nicer than the previous evenings fare.

On Sunday i went shopping, a bad experience anyway even if it wasn't for the pestering of the locals trying to get you into there shop or stall, which was constant. they dont give you any personal space and touch you, which I now I shouldn't get angry about but after a while it really got to me. I had to push one guy away when he wouldn't let go of my arm when I asked him too. This is even more sad because the people are for the most part so polite and friendly. I'm blaming the group ffrom the tour partially for this because they kept coming out with so many scare stories about pickpockets in Saigon that when I was on my own i was instantly suspicious of even the most polite people who came up and taked to me. It was also painfully hot on sunday so i had to go back to the hotel for a few hours to watch the Grand Prix. went out again in the evening and wandered around the much more pleasantly cool streets

On Monday I tried to make the most of my last real tourist day. I went around the Reunification Palace and the Notre Damn Cathedral (there's lots of Cathlics in Vietnam apparantly), and tried to see as many other of the sites of the city as possible.

One thing i forgot to mention is that the roads in Ho CHi Minh is mental. there are scootewrs anywhere and seemingly no rules whatsoever, just who has the loudest horn has the right of way. if they dont want to wait at traffic lights then they just drive on the pavement, it is unbelievable. and crossing the road is a nightmare too. nobody stops ever, and if there does happen to be a crossing, it just means that you might not get run over if you cross when the green light is showing, rather than the absolute certainty of getting run over if you cross when the red light is showing.

I've flown out of vietnam back to Bangkok today, ready for my flight home tomorrow night. Just wish it was all out of the way really and I was home as I'm not looking forward to hanging around till midnight tomorrow waiting to get on the plane. I will Probably try to do one final concluding post on here at some point tomorrow, although maybe I should leave the concluding till I get home.