Up early for a long day of trips out of Ho Chi Minh. Mekong Delta river trip and Cu Chi tunnels. My Tho on the Mekong is 2hrs drive from the City. Apparently there were 20 million litres of Agent Orange sprayed around 'Saigon' and the Mekong Delta in the 'American War'. Also, apparently, before Agent Orange there were Crocodilles and Tigers in this watery region- but not anymore. In areas where once the foliage was devistated, it is now a thriving agricultural area with 34% of Vietnam's export rice grown here. Conditions are so good here that the rice crops 3 times a year here instead of 2.

Boarded our boat for our trip round four of the islands; Phoenix, Unicorn, Tortoise and Dragon. The river was very brown and silty and not very inspiring on this dull day. Phoenix has a great little place where you can watch coconut candy being made by hand (the islands are full of coconut groves). Mincing the coconut, pressing out the juice and boiling it up on an open fire. Using the husks for fuel... how economical! Went for lunch to a coconut grove in a motorbike trailer taxi down lots of narrow paths through the tropical palm trees and lush, green vegetation. Had Elephant-Ear fish for lunch, a local speciality. Then had a rowing boat trip down one of the canals before heading back to the Ben Tre tourist wharf.

On to the Cu Chi tunnels 90km northwest of Siagon. They are an amazing network of 250km of underground tunnels built and used by the Vietnamese Guerillas to hide from and attack the American soldiers between 1963-1975. They were three layers deep and even had an underground hospital where some children were born! First we had to have a 'lesson ' about them in a classroom and watch a black and white propaganda film before going to see some bamboo 'traps' and have a crawl in one of the tunnels. They were tiny, hot and chlostrophobic (... and cobras and scorpians used to get in them...yuk!). I've no idea how people lived down here for weeks because it's not very pleasant- and the tourist tunnel is four times bigger than the originals! Wow!

Guess what.... fired a couple of bullets from an original AK47 in a firing range with a Vietnamese guard!!!... 'Fire'!!! Bang.. brilliant experience but very noisey!

Went out for our farewell dinner for the last leg of our Vietnam tour and said goodbye to our brilliant Vietnamese group leader, Tho!

Ended our evening on the rooftop bar of the plush Rex Hotel overlooking the city. Saigon Morning and Asian Dacquari cocktails!!! Ahhh!...