First thing on today's agenda was to go to the Cambodian consulate to see if we could get our Visa's in person rather than the-day-of at the border.  Getting there I had an "I told you so" moment with Jack when, on filling out the documents to apply for a visa, it required a 4x6 portrait.  Four of which I have in an envelope sitting in my desk at home (I needed one for my Vietnam visa). Before we left I explicitly asked Jack if I needed them and he guaranteed me we didn't.  So I was satisfied in telling him "I told you so" for the greater part of the day.

Putting my vindictiveness aside, the guy at the Cambodian consulate told us to just come back by four and if we brought a picture that would be fine.  That wouldn't be a problem as it was like nine in the morning so we had a day to kill. 
After a quick stop to buy souvenirs, we made our way over to the Independence Palace.  This was the place, for all intents and purposes, where the Vietnam War ended.  Where the president of Southern Vietnam stepped aside for the North and in their words "Brought peace and stability throughout the people's land."     

It turned out to be a very educational day for us because a block away from the palace is Vietnam's War Remnants Museum.  This is basically the place where the government of Vietnam systematically documented all the horrible things that happened during the war; Agent Orange, rape and murder etc. Basically a place that's vital for its information but devastating because you are shown how hideous and repulsive human nature can be.  

All of that being said it is interesting to note the subtle, media subterfuge happening inside museums like this.  By that I mean how, so many years later, the official story has changed to fit the victors side.  For example, in the Remnants museum whenever they referred to the North Vietnamese army they called them "patriots" rather than soldiers or people.  Or, whenever they mentioned Southern Vietnam they simply called them "The American Puppets" or "The Puppet Government."  The Viet-Cong's participation is emitted all together, only being mentioned as daring soldiers or used in examples of propaganda adds by the US government.  This all goes to show that there is bias everywhere, even from official sources that we passively trust. 

It's going to be an early start tomorrow because we are going to the Cu Chi tunnels which are around 60km outside Saigon.  These are the tunnels the Viet-Cong used to effectively win the war. 

G-