Blogs from Ho Chi Minh City, Southeast, Vietnam, Asia

So, after leaving Kampot we took a bus to Saigon. The bus trip was okay and it didn't take as long as I thought, which is always good! When we got to the border they processed all of the locals first, leaving the tourists until last. I was the last person to go through and I thought I would be stood there for ages! We eventually arrived in Saigon, District one, made our way through the tiny alley ways with our bags and found a nice, cheap, family run Guesthouse. The following day we went out exploring. The motorbike cowboys tried to steal my bag, but I managed to hold on to it and almost pulled him off his bike! Win for me! We also went on a tour of the Co Chi tunnels just outside ... read more

So we have decided to head to Da Lat so are setting off tomorrow. I have loved Ho Chi Minh City. Lots to see and do (tourism) but that also means that you have to hold onto your bag tighter. Yestereday we visited the Cu Chi Tunnels. Pretty clever, the underground system of tunnels that they dug out. I managed to climb in the tunnel entrance without getting stuck, much to my relief. Some guy thought i was trying to buy viagra today (god knows what they must think of the europeans) but to be fair i see many old 'western men' with a younger wife/gf. Im sure its all true love but you cant help but be a bit cynical.... read more

Stayed for a about a month is Ho Chi Minh. Great place! I spent a lot of time hanging out with random travlers from just about everywhere. Very interesting people. The locals were very nice as well. I didn't really get out of the city..so I need to do that next time I'm there. I was just highly entertained in the city :) I will definetly be back.. 7 dollar massage?..umm..sure, why not?... read more

Everyone has large buckets here apparently.........fulll of alcohol. We are in Ho Chi Minh city and i love Vietnam already. Loads of the buildings seem to be small but tall (kinda like the building from batteries not included). Leanne narrowly missed getting her bag stolen. Guess it happens everywhere but those moped cowboys really are quite clever. I made my biggest purchased ever since beginning our travels, a pair of denim shorts. I have searched high and low for a pair that fit my (cough cough) curvy figure. Just a heads up for any ladies that may be reading this blog, everythings cheap but clothes are tiny. We are staying in a lovely little family run guest house in district 1. I always prefer staying in family run places as it feels a lot safer (and ... read more

I'll admit that there were very few times I experienced homesickness in my first 8 months away from home. They were mostly little moments. If I craved a turkey sandwich, or if I wanted to call up a family member or a friend but couldn't because it was 3 am their time. But overall I was pretty excited to be living in such a new place that I didn't really feel homesick. I must say that I thank much of that to today's technology. I can skype and see the faces of the people I love, and thanks to Apple's messaging between Apple products, I can text people back home for free. My sister and I pretty much text all morning and night before she or I go to sleep. She once told me that people ... read more

We decided to go straight from the train station in Ho Chi Minh to the Cu Chi tunnels, to avoid the crowds and the main heat of the day. We thought we'd seen the craziest traffic possible when we were in Hanoi. Silly us! Moped madness soared to a whole new level in Ho Chi Minh City! With a population of over 6 million we found out that 4 million of them own a moped or motorbike! Even at 6am the city was heaving with massed ranks of mopeds at traffic light junctions waiting for the count-down red light to get to zero and glide, like a shoal of fish, off into the massed bipping and weaving of hundreds of other bikes. Yes, they did actually stopped at the lights, more or less, a few would ... read more