Backpacking

museum. So far I haven't met a single Vietnamese that has a bad word to say about Americans. It's very much a case of forgive and move on, which I find highly commendable. There are certain countries in Europe that, in my limited experience of probing people about it, haven't forgiven the Germans for the Second World War - and that was over sixty years ago. I name no names. Ok, it's the Dutch.

At lunch I did the rounds, meeting a couple of cautiously friendly Brits (a typical Brit trait). I could see it going through their heads: "Why is this stranger talking to us? What does he want?". I also met a Japanese chap in what was a perfect scenario, as Japanese plus food equals my whole Japanese vocabulary, and an older Aussie guy who I will call Joe Mangel. Joe was friendly enough, but we disagreed strongly over the important subject of Rolf Harris. He called him a disgrace to his country. I was appalled, and assured he was a living God amongst twentysomethings in England, drawing 100,000-strong crowds at Glastonbury to hear him perform 'Two Little Boys'. Brings a tear to my eye even now...

The saving grace of the day, and what had made me book in the first place, was a visit to the Vinh Moc tunnels. Vinh Moc was apparently a fishing village until the Americans turned it into a moonscape. The Vietnamese responded

by rebuilding the village - underground. It really is testament to the sheer tenacity of these people, which lives on to this day in the form of relentless touts.

The tunnels were untouched and remained as they were 30 years ago. They were horribly cramped - only 1.80 metres tall - so me at a lofty 1.95m had to do a lop-headed limbo