Traveling with Ho Chi Minh (apparently) in Saigon

A very heine Chritmas
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Something we keep forgetting to mention...on our trip we've had NO HASSLE finding ATMS.  Mexico was tricky in the tiny places (Santa Rosalia, etc), but in South East Asia we've always managed to find ATMS which allow Visa withdrawals.

So, arrived in HCMC after a brief pit-stop in Mui Ne, and we liked it!  Arrived in the backpacker area of District 1, and as soon as we stepped off the bus we were greeted by women with rooms for rent!  Checked one of these out and it was literally in her home...the narrowest house in the world, and we would've had to walk through her living room/kitchen space every time we were coming and going, so we declined and stayed in mini-hotel alley at Nhu Lan hotel...$12 per night which was pretty expensive but worth it we thought.

Everyone here thought Jodie was Ho Chi Minh with his big beard

MOTOS!
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HCMC was COVERED with elaborate christmas decorations which made us feel a fraction more festive.  We saw a MASSIVE tree made entirely out of Heineken bottles which had Jodie drooling for a while!

Everyone here thought Jodie was Ho Chi Minh with his big beard...we were confused initially 'til we saw photos of the guy on a t-shirt.

Things we did in Saigon (everyone still calls it Saigon) - visited the War Remnants Museum...pretty anti-american re: the Vietnamese war, but we could understand it when we saw the statistics...2,000,000 vietnamese civilians kills, and thousands more affected by Agent Orange.  Pretty horrific.  This really hit home for us when we saw a man begging on the street...after seeing the photos in the museum, we recognised the effects of Agent Orange exposure; he had no nose, lips or eyelids, his cheeks had almost gone, his skin was covered in lesions.  We felt SO BAD for the poor man.  So bad.  But it made us feel like we'd done some good, as we donated a bunch of toys, cake and milshakes to a local charity - run by the Bobby Brewers Coffee shop chain - for orphans and children affected by agent orange.

Horrific photo at the War Remnants Museum
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Also visited the central market, Cho Ben Thanh, where a girl tried to pick my pocket!  I caught her before she could get her hand in...I felt her touch my bum-pocket (on my shorts...I don't have an actual bum pocket), I was already a wee bit alert as the area's known for pickpockets...so I shouted at her before she could get any further.  She looked a wee bit confused as I don't think she'd expected me a. to notice and b. not to punch her in the face!  So she ran away.  So be alert if you're here...if you're daft enough to keep important stuff in your pockets it will be gone.  The market's great for a bargain...bought some bits and pieces for cheap cheap, 'tho some of the sellers get violent when you don't buy from them!  They grab your arm and try not to let go when you walk away.  Mental.

War Remnants Museum
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Can't really remember what else we did, but we really enjoyed Saigon.  Great city, nice people, good, tasty food (go to the Zen restaurant in mini-hotel alley for their veggie breakfast burrito...holy crap it's amazing) and a great way to leave Vietnam.  But we warn you, oh Vietnam, we will be back!