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Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is like a history book for Vietnam. The Reunification Palace hosts a number of those stories, including the iconic The Fall of Saigon when tanks crashed through its gates. The rest of the city is rich in historical architecture, including the Rex and Caravelle Hotels, which were journalist hangouts during the war.

Outside of town, the cramped Cu Chi Tunnels reveal the tenacity of Vietnam's people and soldiers while an afternoon touring the Mekong River delta shows a more mellow lifestyle. Back in town, the War Remnants Museum tells the story of the war from Vietnam's point of view, and includes some stunning photojournalism by Larry Burrows and others.

Saying goodbye to Phnom Penh, we took a fast ferry down the Mekong River in Cambodia and crossed into Vietnam. Once the boat got going, there was a nice breeze for watching the world go by from the back deck.

In Chau Doc, we got our first taste of Vietnam walking through this small fishing town before jumping on motobikes for a thrill ride to the top of Mt. Sam for a hazy sunset and beers in the hammock bar. The next day we loaded up on snacks from the market for the bus and ferry ride to Ho Chi Minh City, where we enjoyed one last dinner with our Road to Angkor tour coming to an end.

We had a great group and guide, and a lot of fun experiences over the eight day trip. For myself, Matt, Anna, Jenn, and Chris, this was also the starting point of the Spirit of Vietnam tour, which would take us north to explore the rest of the country.

As the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh showcases both the people's future and their dark history. An evening cyclo ride gave us our bearings in town, and supported the Cyclo Centre. The organization helps farmers moving to the city become responsible cyclo drivers and send money back home.

The next day we experienced several "confronting places", as our guide Komphak put it, where the Khmer Rouge tortured and killed many Cambodians under Pol Pot's rule. Toul Sleng was a sunny school complex turned into a sinister torture prison for intellectuals and dissidents. Its classrooms became cramped cells with barb wire balcony's to prevent prisoners from jumping to a fatal escape.

A short distance outside the city were the Killing Fields, a comparatively tranquil place where mass graves are being reclaimed by nature and the skulls of their victims are enshrined in a grand stupa.