Saigon

Saigon is mad. There is simply no other way to describe the huge sprawling city. With 8 million people and 4 million motorbikes the roads are predictably chaotic. Trying to cross the road is exercise in remaining Buddhist calm. You simply step out into the tide and slowly make your way to the other side, any rash movements and you sure to get plowed into the pavement. Saigon offers limited sightseeing opportunities other then the Reunification Palace and the War Remnants Musuem. The Reunification Palace has been left as it was on that fateful day in 1975 when the first communists tanks came smashing through the gates. The most interesting part is the basement, where the war rooms were located. All the old maps and radio equipment are still in place. You can imagine the South Vietnamese and American generals pouring over the maps as the war progressed. The only dissapointment was not seeing the 'Big Red Button'. The War Remnants Musuem is a unique experience. It details the horrible consequences of the war, including the remaining effects of agent orange.
The real highlight was a trip to the Cu Chi Tunnel complex outside Saigon. The tunnels are incredible and a try testiment to the ingenuity and determination of the Vietnamese people. The tunnels covered 200km at their height, and provided invaluable cover and transportation options for the seriously out-gunned Viet Cong soldiers. The design of the tunnels is amasing, with every detail thought off. The doors were all made of a specific wood, so that when it rained the wood would absorb the water and expand, sealing the tunnel entrances and stopping any flooding. All the entrances were booby trapped with some horrific creations, just incase the American soldiers found a way in. I attempted to get into a secret entrance, but my gangly arms would not fit through.
After Saigon we visited Dalat, a former French hill station that is more suited to the French Alps then Indochina. We took a tour of the countryside with a group of local guys who call themselves the Easy Riders. Dalat is a famous coffee, silk, and flower producing region. Much of the flowers produced here actually make it to market in Holland.
After Dalat we headed back down the hill towards Nha Trang and the coast.