Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
We visisted Saigon for only only two nights and one day before we got the bus to Phnom Penh (we're going to spend more time there on the way back).
Even though Saigon is alot bigger than Hanoi, it is alot less stressful, and I much prefer it. We visited the War Remenance museum,which was really amazing and sad. It documented what the Americans did to Vietnam during the war, and went into detailabout the use of agent orange and the effects it had on people. Some of the things we saw were so sad, children being born the same year I was with birth defects as a result of their parents being exposed to agent orange, through either fighting or eating crops and animals that had come into contact with it. Itwas really eye opening, and probably one of the best museums I've ever been to. There were also lots of American tanks and planes out the front of the building which were really interesting. After that we went to the central market where I bought some really cool things for the house. You really have to be firm haggling here,because you can almost always get everything a third of the original price. I feel sorry for the tourists who must just accept the first price they're given.
The next day we left for phnom penh, at 7 am. We crossed the border into cambodia about three hours later, which cost 20$. In cambodia dollars are used as widely at their own currency (riem). We crossed the border and the bus stopped and we had lunch at a little cafe, and we withdrew money in dollars. This is where the first ( and hopefully only)really bad thing has happened to us on this trip. I was sat next to nikki on the bus, and our seats were right infront of a set of stairs that led down to the toilet. I got uncomfortable and moved a few seats back so we could have more room, and Nikki sat with her eyes closed listening to her iPod. At some point someone must have gone down to the toilet and put their hand in nikkis bag under the seat,and took her camera, and took 200$ and 40 pounds from her purse,and then put the purse back. We didn't realise until we got a moto from the bus station to the hostel,and nikki thoguht she'd dropped her camera, then opened her purse to pay and realised all her money was gone.
She was obviously very upset, but we filed a report in the police station, and she will be able to get it back from the insurance. The only things she cant get back are her photos from her camera, sadly.
- comments