Vietnam ::Saigon::.

The day trip to Saigon was very comfortable on the Mai Linh Express Bus. Sauce and Mustard arrived in Saigon around 3pm at Ben xe Mien Dong and caught bus no.19 across the road into District 1. They managed to scrounge a room for US$6/night as soon as they got to Pham Ngu Lao. From there they had a cold shower to escape the heat and then went exploring the local area. The area in the vicinity of District 1 does not have much to offer apart from some over priced bars, restaurants, cafe pop culture art scenes and a lot of travel agents.

The next day, Sauce and Mustard took themselves on a walking tour of the city's main attractions including, the Ben Thanh market, the Ho Chi Minh City museum, the Saigon Central post office, the Saigon Notre Dame, the Reunification Palace, and the War Relics museum.

The War Relics museum was by far the most moving of the tourist sites. With a minimal entry fee, it was well worth a visit.

With only a few days left on their visa, Sauce and Mustard bought a four days tour of the Mekong Delta with an exit to Cambodia by boat to finish their journey in Vietnam.

Vietnam ::Da Lat::.

The bus ride to Da Lat from Nha Trang was very scenic with thick jungle and waterfalls along most of the route. There was also flooding from the storm and landslides on the mountains.

Arriving in Da Lat, Sauce and Mustard were given a free ride in a minivan from Ben xe Dalat into town (5km). It didn't take them long to found a beautiful US$6 room at KS Xuan Hong. Accommodation in the pocket, they bartered for a cheap scooter rental. The hotel lady (who spoke english) dropped the price from 80,000ð to 40,000ð (what a steal!).

With half a day gone, Sauce and Mustard took off asap to discover the wonderful city of Dalat and the surrounding country side. They went around the city lake that was murky from the storm the day before, a waterfall that isn't worth mentioning, the imperial palace and the reservoir.

Then they took a scenic trip out of town to Trai Mat village and saw the most impressive temple on this journey.

Dinner at the market was delicious. Sauce and Mustard sweep the area for tasty street food.

The following day, with their bums back on the motorbike and Banh My (baguette sandwiches) in their bags, they headed out for the Chu Yang Sinh National Park. They stopped along the way at a water treatment center to walk through their beautiful Bonsai gardens. The rest of the route to the National park was a very long bumpy dirt road under construction and was closed, so Sauce and Mustard headed out to Elephant falls in Nam Ban instead.

Elephant falls looks better in the picture but was still fun, clambering on the rocks below and getting soaked by the spray of the falls. Finishing the day off with a 30km ride back to Da Lat along the highway gave Sauce and Mustard very sore bums and very hungry tummies. They filled them back up at the markets with a verity of street food.

Sauce and Mustard got their next bus ticket from Ben Xe Da Lat for 180,000ð and were all set ready to head to Saigon (Ho Chi Mhin City) the next day.

Vietnam ::Nha Trang::.

Waking up a little after 5am on the sleeper bus from Hoi An, Sauce and Mustard hopped off the bus and were scored by an American expat, offering them a room at his hotel, KS Song Long (Double Dragon) and a city tour on his motorbike for US$6.

During their city tour, the tropical storm from China Beach hit and the rain started pouring. Sauce and Mustard and Paul had to find shelter at a local eatery where Sauce got to enjoy Com Tam (Rice with grilled pork fillet and egg) for breakfast.(20,000ð)

Sauce and Mustard spent the rest of the morning walking along the beach and through some alley ways to the hot springs in the rain. They were soaking wet by the time they got to the hot springs but they got to exfoliate and rejuvenate their skin with a mud bath, mineral hot pool and heated mineral swimming pool.

That afternoon, Paul gave Sauce and Mustard some advice on where to find excellent tasty food with a budget. So for dinner, Sauce and Mustard got to try a variety of food at local prices. Banh Xeo (Crispy pancakes with baby squids and vegetables) for 2,500ð each, Com Ga (Chicken Rice with a chilly ginger sauce) for 25,000ð, Jelly cakes for 4,000ð and finished off with some mangoes and ice cream.

That night the storm hit on full fury and literd the beach with rubbish and debris. With the tropical paradise in ruin, Sauce and Mustard booked a ticket to Da Lat for 185,000ð/pax. The bus leaves from Ben xe phia nam (Inter-province coach terminal), but they provide a free hotel pick up service.