Day 5 (Sat 31st) Got up early - 9am, and packed stuff. Checked out around 10am and got a taxi to the airport. Surprisingly enough we found out it was about a 1/4 of the price than it was on the way in. It pays to use a taxi with a meter. Checked in quite quickly but the plane was delayed and the only place they had to eat in departures was a KFC, yuch! Soon on the way and landing at HCMC. In hotel room, down town Saigon in the Pham Ngu Lao area. Tim’s got the room next door as he kindly let me have the one with windows and a balcony. Maybe he wanted a quieter room because as I am writing this in my diary the balcony door is open and it is havoc outside, but it suits me. The room has got en-suite facilities, TV (Foreign channels, but Liverpool/Everton was on), fridge and a view, for about 7 quid a night - sweet!

To be cont.

Day 5 Cont. Just about to go out and sample the local brew – snake wine! It’s got a coiled up cobra in the bottle, Mmmm, it’s a bit like tequila with a 5ft maggot. The traffic is a joke. It’s a sight to be hold, you can’t cross the road. No one obeys traffic lights or signs. Mopeds and scooters, 50 – 60 at a time intertwine at crossings at around 30 –40 miles an hour just missing each other, I’ve never seen anything like it. Had a wander round the city, went to Apocalypse Now (great name) night club, but it there was a massive queue of really young Vietnamese, it looked like any under 25 disco club, so we didn’t go in. Ended up in a bar called Guns and Roses, no prizes for guessing the theme there. Loads of bars open all night so had a crawl and crashed around 3am.

Day 6 (Sun 1st Feb) Supposed to be up for 6.30am but to hung over. Did just make it for the Chu Chi tunnel tour we booked. (Can’t get visa for Cambodia till tomorrow, have to get it in HCMC so we’ll have to stay here an extra night – BAD! as you’ll find out later). The tunnels were very interesting and a gave a big insight and education on the American and Vietnam war. Our tour guide ‘Hi’, was very funny and informative although his English pronunciation needed a bit of work. He told us a great story on the way there about his plight to have a sun. A son is regarded as being ‘velly velly important’, more important than having a girl. He’s been married 10 years, he’s 27. his first offspring were twin girls, his second – another girl. He didn’t want any more, but the pressure from his father and grandfather to have a boy was to much so they tried again – another girl. After more pressure from his father and grandfather he made them sign an agreement, this was the last time and no more pressure. So fourth time lucky – another pair of twin girls! No one believed him but he showed us the photos. He said he was gutted, but he loves them all velly much. He did spin it out and it was very funny and it passed the time. Cost me a fortune, but I had to buy a round of live machinegun ammo. (M16 maybe, can’t remember but it was big). Obliterated the two targets at about 100 yards and won a HAT! Tim blasted away with an AK 47. Crazy Stuff! Back in Saigon and breakfast at 2pm. Big Spicy pizza, Mmmm! Went for a nap in the afternoon cause I was knacked. Got up around 6.30pm and went to an internet café. Tim never woke up till 8.30pm. Went out for something to eat then got 2 motorbike taxis to the AQ jazz café on the other side of town. They were just closing at 11pm –boring. Walked back via the presidential palace and had the evening pub crawl. Ended up in the Saigon café round the corner from our hotel. Got absolutely blootered and left at about 6.30 in the morning. Went to the room, had a smoke with Tim then staggered round the streets to buy more beer. Finished it in the room and fell unconscious about 9am.

Day 7 (Mon 2nd feb) Woke up about 6pm, missed the whole day, didn’t feel to bad though. Tim had been out exploring all afternoon and taking pictures of the ‘Notre dam Cathedral’ believe it or not. Had a smoke then went out for diner. Forgot the map and literally got lost in Saigon, freaked me right out. It was my fault, the street we started on was a different street than I thought it was, so I kept dragging Tim further and further into unknown territory while telling him how good my sense of direction was. Eventually we managed to double back and found a main road. We’d been wandering about lost for about half an hour though, scary! Had food outside a street kitchen. No one spoke English and we couldn’t understand the menu so it was a lucky dip. Both of us ended up with the same thing like all the other customers. She probably only had the same stuff, don’t know but it was beef a la something and it was very tasty. Went back to the hotel to check map, we’d been miles off track – sorry Tim! Met up with Tim at the local internet café and went out on the Raz. Last night in Saigon, back was killing me so negotiated a back massage in the Saigon café. The girl who did it was obviously a ‘lady of the night’ cause she kept offering extras, (don’t worry Mum, I only had a massage) declined and had to boot her out the room as she wanted money for the ‘Full Service’. Her friend who had appeared, tagged along and went into Tim's to wait. He fell asleep and she nicked his camera and all his money! – NIGHTMARE!

Day 8 (Tues 3rd Feb) Got woken up hanging around 8 am by Tim and had to dash as our bus to ‘Can tho’ left at 8.30am. this was when the pilfering little bitches theft came to light. (Tim thought it was just his old camera at the time. Made the bus and left for Can tho. He sussed out the money thing at lunch time when the bus, -stopped for lunch! She had left all the small denomination money and he hadn’t picked it up. He thought he might be able to get it back on his insurance when we got home. I told him to get his story straight because he’d need a police report and, ‘I took a girl back to my room at 3 o’clock in the morning for a chat, fell asleep, and she nicked all my money!’ probably wouldn’t wash. A LESSON LEARNED! Arrived in Can Tho (Main city in the Mekong Delta) around 2.30pm and got ripped of by an Xe Loi (Two seater covered trailer pulled by a moped) driver who took us to a hotel so he could get his commission. Had a bit of an argument with him and the Hotel people about not taking us to where was agreed. Eventually took us where we wanted to go and charged us four times the agreed price so he got his commission one way or the other. Sorted out some rooms, (opposite where the xe loi dude took us as it happens-oops!) basic but en-suite, air con and clean, about a fiver a night. Tim was still pretty hung over and not a happy bunny as you can understand so he’s staying in tonight. I headed off for some food and a look around. Everywhere around here has got snake, frogs and turtle on the menu – weird! I’ll tell you what snake’s like when and if I try it. We’ve hired a long boat and a guide for a day round the Mekong delta floating markets tomorrow so it’ll be an early night as we’re up at 5.30am.

Day 9 (Wed 4th Feb) Got up at 5.30am – groan, and had a crap coffee – they make it with condensed milk! Met Thil and I presume his son Chang who were captain and crew of our long boat for the day. Paid a bit extra so we could it ourselves. Set up towards the tributaries, canals and mangroves of the Delta. The first market we came to after about 2 hours was very busy, (sore back – may need another massage!) loads of locals on big and small boats selling mainly food. Had another horrible coffee.

day 9 cont. The coffee was on the boat, it's only a foot wide. We then just putted along banging into other boats. Headed off to another market about 2 hours away along a canal. got there and it was alot more local, only saw one other western couple. (Well close, they were French, chatty you know!!) bought some bread to nibble on from the market on shore and went to a cafe for beer. (Opps! 10am) headed off to another canal. Stopped off to see rice paddy fields. Well, the boat grounded and we thought we were walking a while cause we (I!) were to heavy then catching the boat up - but no, it was to see the paddy fields. Forgot the tour dude was going to have to make extra dosh by misleading us on the way! Anyway, they would have been nice (only seen about 250,000 of them already) but my weight broke a bridge (they're only wee and light over here you know) and I ended up in crap and Mekong river sludge up to my ankles. It freaked Thil out, the boat dude, and it took half an hour to get to a sort of clean part of the river to wash my feet. The whole delta would be beautiful if it wasn't for the waterways being filled with sewage and plastic rubbish all over the place.-Shame. headed off down through the mangroves and stopped off (un be known to us at first - we thought because the tide was low we were walking again) at a small garden cafe in the middle of nowhere for lunch. The woman who had the garden kept snakes, birds that spoke in English and a monkey. Played with the python before leaving. That was more fun than her food! Started heading back to Can Tho. All this in 10 hours and a very nice day. had too much Vietnamese dong for Tim and I over the next 2 days so had to go out and have a five course meal at a riverside restaurant owned by a French Chef from Toulouse. Did have a couple of courses of snake dishes and a Vietnamese banana split - and very nice it was too. went to a local trendy bar for beer and whuskys then headed back to the hotel. met a crowd of travelers at the hotel, just arrived from Cambodia, so had a few more beers and picked their brains. Info in general was it was the 'Last wild frontier of the east'. Bed about midnight.

Day 10 (Thurs 5th feb): Up early to catch the chicken bus to Chauc Doc for one night. (Caught up on schedule) before going up the river to Cambodia. This time we made our own way to the bus station to buy our tickets and it was about 90p for the 150km trip. The bus driver was a nutter! I was completely off my seat a few times when he was going over bridges and avoiding scooters (small gives way to big and all that) and as usual you cant move an inch without getting mauled to spend money on anything. Arrived Chau Doc around 2pm and started walking Tim in the wrong direction - again! It gets better! A motor bike taxi dude tells us we're walking out into the country side, so asked him and another bike driver to take us both to the Mekong Cafe near the Victoria hotel. No problem he said! MMmmm! So off we went in completely different directions and got split up from Tim. (If I've told him once etc 'GET A PHONE!'). At the cafe I ordered 2 beers and told the driver to 'wait for friend as he has all my money' - I know, not a good idea as Tim's track record shows. So lost in Chau Doc, an unpaid motor bike taxi driver, 2 unpaid beers, no Tim and no money. The driver didn't even know the dude that took Tim. The only constant we'd talked about earlier was how close things were to the Victoria hotel, so I got the driver to pay for the beers and give me a lift there. He then went off looking for Tim or he wasn't going to get paid, plus he was out a couple of beers which were about 5 times the amount of the taxi fare. The place has a population of 150,000. WORRIED! half hour later the 2 of them come come riding up the road with smiles like Cheshire cats. Tim had been all over the place on motor taxis and cyclos and ended up at the place I was originally. Found a hotel. Chau Doc is one of the nicest places we've been already. Would like to stay longer. had a snack at the hotel, nice place overlooking the river. Sitting now having a smoke on the balcony watching the moon come up over the river. Houses on stilts, ferry running, locals busying up and down the river at the end of their day and a full moon - Fantastic!

after keiths smelly foot episode we went through another floating market and then up smaller and smaller channels in the middle of no where until the water was too shallow. Then we dis embarked up a single log on to shore. Me almost crawling up the log gave the locals some merriment as they can run up and down them like gymnasts on the beam. We walked about 1km until reached a house with garden at back full of trees. flowers, large butterflies and small covered areas with tables, stools and hammocks. We were the only people their and had no choice but to have lunch as we had 2hrs to wait for the tide so that the boat could get round. The lady of the house served us and we ate a leasurely meal feeding the grizzley bits to her 2 pet dogs which happened to be close. She also had caged singing and talking birds and a python which we were oblidged to hold and stroke. sure enough the tide rose and of we went on our way back to Cant Tho. Apart from having to stop to de-debris the prop once in a while got back ok. washed and changed out for a meal. Keith replaced phone battery charger he left somewhere for 3 pounds. Keith decided to have 3 meals in resteraunt we went to, including snake. Can Tho people a bit more excitable than HCMC - more our equivalent to Brum. Fruit market still going at 1am. Had been in yuppie bar of the place. We both liked a certain painting on its wall.

Day 10 cont. Went out for diner at the Bay bong resteraunt - good write up in the''Lonely Planet' it was exactly the same menu as the Hotels menu, it just had a different name on it. Wandered about town looking for a bar! NONE - I think they're all in the big hotels. Had some beers on the pavement from a street cafe then everything started closing early. Went back to hotel resteraunt for some beers and to sus out where we were getting off the boat at Phnom Penh in Cambodia. We will find out later if we can get to a hotel without getting lost or ripped off this time. Went to bed early - 11pm.

Day 11 (Fri 6th Feb): Got up 7am, showered and packed, checked the room then checked out. Wandered through the market and bought some bread and fruit for the boat journey. At the pick up point had a mega strong espresso - better ! - no sugar or condesed milk. There were about 20 passengers for the boat (decent covered speed boat) and we all got picked up, with luggage, by dudes on push bikes with little flat bed trailers (about 3ft by 2ft), so had to squeeze on with Tim - tight. Dropped us off at the boat pier and we headed off. Wanted to take photo, but can't find camara! hope it's in main rucksack, thought I checked the room - Oh well! find out later. The Vietnam and Cambodian customs and border on the river were basicly hassle free, though the border police had a job stopping loads of kids from swiming out and clambering on the boat to sell us beer, chewing gum, water etc. Very funny! Only 2 or 3 hours on the boat left but it's very pleasant and the scenery around the Mekong is great. Tims been getting a bad cold and it's progressed to a bad cough. Hope it's not Chicken flu or SARS. Arrived Phnom Penh around 1.30pm, ignored the usual barrage of touts, kids and sellers and went to resteraunt for lunch. Found nice french hotel round the corner and settled in. Bought boat ticket to Siem Reap near Angkor for the 8th, so that hassle was over, then went to Jungle bar for beer. Went back to hotel for shower then played the Chef at pool. (The food in Phnom Penh is supposed to be excellent. We have noticed that all the Kitchens and Chefs are emaculate. It's the first place weve been where the Chefs are always wearing whites). Best of three, I won the first, then got slaughtered 2/1. He was ecstaticly victorious. ent to Thai resteraunt for diner then to Mickies bar for beers. Can't find the 'Globe', it's owned by a guy called Duncan, used toi be in the Psychadelic Furs and has a jam evening.(found out it closed!) Tim went back to hotel and I went out to the night club next door. A frenchman called!- can't remember, anyway it was realy smart inside. I suggested he turn it into a Jazz bar and he agreed. Problem is, he said Ýou find me some Jazz musicians in this town'. Left at 3 am and went to bed.