Goodnight Vietnam!

We have had a fantastic three weeks in Vietnam, and what better way to end it than in Saigon (or Ho Chi Minh City as it is now officially called). We arrived early morning, after a night train from Nha Trang, and with only one night we packed all of the sightseeing into just a few hours.

As a city we felt it summed up Vietnam well...

Motorbikes aplenty

Luckily Matt is not amongst this lot on his bike

Fascinating history - this was the Presidential Palace built for the then South Vietnamese President in 1966.

Very 1960s

The place was still kitted out as though the President had never left... or been deposed by Ho Chi Minh and the Viet Cong. Complete with gambling room, dance floor and two helipads.

Oh, and a shooting gallery in the basement:

We're guessing this completely
not opulent statue was installed
after the end of the war...

The place was still a real focal point for the city - it is kept decked out in its original luxury to show the population how opulent the life of a capitalist leader was!

We also learnt a lot about the Vietnam War itself, visiting the War Remnants Museum (formerly the Museum of American War Crimes):

The words in the top left hand corner sum it all up well

And of course you can never get away from the French influence!

Notre Dame Cathedral... in Asia!

All in all we've had a fantastic time here. Next stop Cambodia...