After a leisurely breakfast we decided to visit the Reunification palace famous for the picture of a North Vietnamese tank bursting through the wall as Saigon fell to the communists but it was shut due to a meeting. Not a problem as we spotted a Starbucks so Kate could have a chai latte for the first time since we left Hong Kong. Across the road was the museum of Ho Chi Minh City, previously known as the Revolutionary museum, full of some investing artefacts from the wars against the French and the fall of Saigon. It also holds some lovely costumes from the various ethnic groups and photos of then and now. what a difference 50 years make and in can be easily seen on the ground with the French colonial and modern buildings cheek by jowl. The building itself is beautiful and was where the president lived until he escaped via the tunnel that you can walk through into the garden. It was now time for shopping as we ventured into a mall that appeared to be off the tourist route and so we were not pestered at all and Kate found yet another Kipling bag so she was happy.
In the evening it was time to meet up with our new tour mates and to say goodbye to some old ones . We went to the 14th floor of a tower block and had a great view of all the people below who were enjoying the new park that stretches from the town hall to the river.