*Vietshazam*

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

A testing 16hr bus journey brought us across the Vietnamese boarder and onto Ho Chi Minh City formally known as Saigon. We checked into the Than Guesthouse http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Thanh-Guesthouse/Ho-Chi-Minh/49646?source=adwordsbbnames&kid=702692&aid=2&gclid=CLT8tZLn6bICFS1U4god_j4A2Q which was clean and comfortable with a very helpful receptionist.

We had one mission that evening and it was to find somewhere to watch the All Ireland Final. One hour later we had tracked down the only place in the city showing the game... Phatty's...

After celebrating a great win for Donegal we were up very early to take our Mekong Delta tour - it's the region in Southwestern Vietnam where the Mekong River approaches and empties into the sea through a network of distributaries.

Personally for us it was essential to fit in with the locals, in no way was it about the novelty of wearing a silly hat...

Through our tour we were brought to 3 different islands Phu quoc, Coconut and Unicorn. We got to taste some of the local produce, see how it was made and experience some of the local culture.

Karen particularly enjoyed meeting a new friend.

Then getting to choose from a traditional lunch menu, hmm now which shall i choose?!

On the way home i ran into The Karate's Kid's very own 'Daniel Son' making some shapes on a makeshift bridge...

Day three in on our whirlwind tour of Ho Chi Mhin we were up early again to take our Cu Chi Tunnels tour. The Cu Chi Tunnels are located in the Cu Chi district of Saigon, they are an immense network of connecting underground tunnels. They were the base of the Viet Cong and were of great importance in their resistance to the American forces during the Vietnam War.

Now you see it...

Now you don't...

There was 140m of tunnel that we could choose to make our way through, they were very small, dark and claustrophobic. We were the only girls out of a group of 25 that did the full length!

After our half day around the tunnels the bus dropped us off at the War Remnants Museum. Both of us had studied the Vietnam War in school and watched various movies based on its events but nothing could have prepared us for the story the museum told... 

The images/text we were exposed to in the Museum were very raw, upsetting and graphic. Both of us felt that our previous understanding of the Vietnam War was some what one sided. The loss of life in a war that spanned from 1955-1975 was overwhelming and the after effects caused to future generations by the American's use of Dioxin and Agent Orange was sickening...

After our eventful day we boarded the 17hr night train to Da Nang. This is what we thought of it!

Hoi An, Vietnam

On board we were lucky to meet a lovely Australian woman who introduced us to two other Aussie's (Max & Acacia) who were kind enough to show us the best way to get to Hoi An. 

At this stage i was tired , not fresh and desperately wishing the 50 min local bus journey to Hoi An  was over. When on came my new Best Friend Forver! A little 80 yr old local man who sat himself down beside me. For the next 40 mins he looked me up and down, poked my leg saying 'bigggg', grabbed my arms proclaiming 'ughhh' and pulled the hairs on my arm with a look of disgust. At this stage i had been pushed completely over the edge, i grabbed his ankle and was able to fit my hand around it saying 'ughhhh', literally the man was about 7 stone! He laughed at me and from then on in i was apparently his No.1 - a beautiful friendship emerged!

We checked into the Sunflower Hotel http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/Sunflower-Hotel-Hoi-An/Hoi-An/47282?source=adwordshotelnames&kid=691926&aid=2&gclid=CJKsztmN6rICFUlT4god4RMAzQ this has to be our favorite hotel so far. Really clean, great room, fab pool and lovey breakfast! 

On our second day we hired some bicycles, which was interesting with the crazy driving and the whole other side of the road thing... 

Another day, another beach... The waves were amazing on An Bang that day!

Our time in Ha Noi was great, it was so relaxed that we stayed an extra two days. At night there was a great buzz throughout the tiny cobbled streets, a charming atmosphere. 

The local dish Cao Lau was really tasty and really cheap, bonus. We also sampled some of the local beer and whiskey in the Aussie Bar and Why Not Bar. 

On our final day we set off to Marble Mountains with Max and Acacia.

Hue, Vietnam

After saying good bye to Hoi An which would have to be our favorite spot so far we traveled north to Hue. We checked into the Hong Thien 1 in the main backpacker area http://www.booking.com/hotel/vn/hong-thienhotel-1.en.html?aid=311076;label=hong-thienhotel-1-t8CgYqVRv3L94uDHTEiLRwS11122263420;ws=&gclid=CMOup8uf6rICFS5U4godzQIApA again it was clean and comfortable. 

Personally for us Hue was a resting spot between Hoi An and Ha Noi but we decided to make the most of our time and take a city tour of the Citadel, Imperial City, Pagoda and the Tombs of the Emperors. 

From the off we knew it was going to be a good day when the 'Lady Bus' rocked up!

Thien Mue Pagoda

Gateway to the Imperial City

Signature temple pose at Khai Dinh

Karen finished off the day shotting some of the local hue wine! FIRE! 

Next stop Ha Noi and Ha Long Bay yeeehhhaaaa....

Sun, sea and sokha in SnookyVille!

Sihanoukville, Cambodia

After the hustle and bustle of Siem Reap and Phnom Penh we headed south west to Sihanoukville to soak up some sun, sea and beach life... After paying the higher bus fare we were waiting in anticipation of a superior mode of transport, but no, in rolled the 1960's Indian wagon with the garish orange curtains that never fail to send a chill up my spine! After 5 hours (not the four that was printed) we arrived in SnookyVille...

We checked in to the newly opened Panda Guesthouse http://www.hostels.com/hostels/sihanoukville/panda-guesthouse/67894 it was clean, comfortable and the food was so reasonably priced and absolutely fantastic! The owner Patrick made a real effort with us throughout our stay, even inviting us down for a local whiskey on the last night...

On our first day the monsoon season was in full swing so we decided to not let the torrential rain get the better of us and take a walk on one of the beaches... Yet another amazingggg poncho with little 'Angry Birds' printed all over it, no one had to tell me i looked good that day, i just knew...

After dinner we headed out on the town which is geared towards backpackers. Throughout our travels  i have been given a well overdue ego boost, it seems like everyone wants to be my friend, everywhere i go 'hey lady, come get a foot rub', 'hey lady, u look pretty in my dress', 'hey lady, you wanna get high' it's just nice to be appreciated :)

We got invited into a bar 'Utopia' where it is a necessity to drink your complimentary shot on arrival from two stoned girls at the entrance. It seemed to be an RnB club with a Jamaican guy walking around with a mic randomly saying 'yeh' 'uhhh' 'wha wha wha'... During a pool competition we got acquainted with an Estonian girl who took us on to a few other pubs to secure our free drinks (she seemed to know the circuit...) That's when the night really started...

This was Karen and her new best friend Beyonce apparently... Oh Karen!

The next day we awoke feeling well rested, energetic and buzzing about what the day had in store, NOT! It wasn't raining so we knew this would have to be our designated beach day! After purchasing our family sized water bottle we headed off to Sokha Beach...

Even a hangover couldn't dampen our spirits when we walked onto this beach. Clean white soft sands, warm clear ocean, being waited on by resort staff and having a whole beach to ourselves... Blissssss. The other beaches are free but we felt $10 wasn't too excessive to experience the best beach in the area.

We spent our last day chilling out at a little private movie house while it rained outside, €5 dollars for two state of the art pirated films... Also we sought shelter from any type of UV light after the roasting we had successfully obtained on Sokha.

Later that evening before getting a 16hr night bus to Ho Chi Mhin we strolled down by the dock and enjoyed the sunset. Sihanoukville had been exactly what we wanted it to be, a choice mix of relaxing, calm, crazy and beautiful....

Next stop Ho Chi Mhin City and the Vietnam Coast...

Keeping it 'Riel' in Cambodia...

Siem Reap, Cambodia

A 7.30am bus departing Morchita Bus Station took us 5hrs to the Thai/Cambodian Boarder. Straight off we knew something was up. It's widely publicised on different websites to watch out for touts trying to sell you dodge visas. What didn't help was that our bus driver and what seemed like the whole town were in on the scam. We had been dropped at a building that clearly wasn't the Boarder Agency but were the touts hang out to fool you into buying their visas. Our savior came in the form of a Brazilian girl called Max who regularly made the trip to renew her visa. She took us under her wing and showed us how to get to where we needed to go. From Poipet we got a free Government Bus to the bus station and met a lovely Dutch couple Lonika & Vincent that we took a 3hr Taxi with to Siem Reap.

We stayed in the Golden Takeo Guesthouse http://www.goldentakeoguesthouse.com which was fantastic. Great value for money, very clean and the staff were a delight. Prom was very helpful, organised our Tuktuk to the Temples, into town, our bus to Phnom Penh and offered great advice on what to do. A true gent...

Sunday was our day to explore the infamous Temples of Siem Reap, Lara Croft ain't got nothing on us (well apart from the obvious...)

The ruins of Angkor are located amid forests and farmland. The Temples number over 1,000, with the largest being Angkor Wat, said to be the world's largest single religious monument.

and then 6,247 miles from home, guess who we randomly run into...

Newry's finest Miss Aine Smyth and her 3 mates... Emma & Seana from Tyrone and Belfast born Catherine... Now affectionately known as the Northern Ireland 4 :)

This was our little unauthorised tour guide Sangy, she was 7yrs old, had good English, was a real charmer and a shrewd business woman - €3 for 15mins!

It's heartbreaking to see so many children desperately trying to sell you little bits/bobs or begging... Saying no is very difficult... I bought some postcards and a fridge magnet from this little boy.

We ended our Temple Tour by hiking up to the highest Temple to see the sun set on what had been a very long but memorable day...

It would have been rude to let such an epic day end like that so we redevouzed with the NI 4 in Temple Bar that night on Pub Street (main entertainment area in Siem Reap).

All very civilised of course...

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

The next morning we were up early again to get our 7hr bus to Phnom Penh, as you can imagine i was feeling fresh, invigorated and ready for what the day had to throw at me ughhhhhh :-/ The bus resembled a 1950's wagon, the journey consisted of ridiculously loud Cambodian music videos/films, constant rocking around from the dirt track road and to top it off the woman sitting in the seat beside us was eating a bag of freaking BUGS!

We arrived in late to our hostel 'Eighty8 Backpackers' http://www.hostelworld.com/hosteldetails.php/The-88-Backpackers-Phnom-Penh/Phnom-Penh/48940?sc_sau=sfab&sc_pos=4 the staff are friendly and it's very clean. It's a quick stop visit in Phnom Penh so yet again we were up early to see the sights.

First stop was The Killing Fields located in the village of Choeung Ek 15km from the City. It really is sickening to think that such an atrocity happened just 32 years ago. Before our trip we were ignorant to what really happened in Cambodia in the 70's, it is truly horrifying to think that 2.2m innocent people were slaughtered by the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot's regime. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_Fields

For €5 you take an audio tour around the site.

These earthy pits are were innocent Cambodian's executed bodies were buried. Well over 100 burial pits lie but only eighty were exhumed. Choeung Ek was but one of the 343 'killing fields'. In all 19,440 mass graves have been identified.

One of the most disturbing sites was Chankiri Tree that stood beside a pit. Children/infants were killed by having there heads smashed against this tree. The rationale was 'to stop them growing up and taking revenge for their parents deaths.' You can see an array of coloured bracelets hanging from the trunk and around the outside of the pit as a sign of respect for the dead.

A Buddhist memorial called the Stupa houses the remains of the excavated bodies...

After the rawness of the Killing Fields we traveled back into the city to were the majority of the executed victims had been transported from, the S-21 Prison.

The site is a former High School which was used as a notorious security prison.

Although the day was completely overwhelming with a range of intense emotions these two visits are a must when visiting Cambodia.It gives you some sort of idea how an entire generation was wiped out over 3/4 years by a  fanatical regime and how the Cambodian people have had to start again and rebuild their lives.

We finished off our day with some local Khmer Cuisine and a walk along the Riverside.

Next stop Sihanoukville for some relaxation - beach bum style...