Vietnam experience -

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Well we have escaped the jungle for a few days and we are in Lake Toba in Sumatra - the largest lake in South East Asia. We have managed to get internet access so are busy checking emails and we thought we would update you all too.

We arrived in Vietnam from Cambodia on the 31st March and had approximately a week to explore this beautiful country. We definitley want to come back as the country is huge and we really did not get enough time to see everything.

We started in the capitol of Hanoi - this was a lovely place with a real french feel about it. Lots of small shops everywhere selling all kinds of things. Beautiful lamps, pitures, bags, clothes, food, CD's. It was great just wandering the streets and watching all the activity and the 1000's of motorbikes everywhere.

We visited the Temple of Literature in the old town - this was a really quiet peacful place slap bang in the hustel and bustle. Great scholars were educated here and taught by Confucius.

We also visted a water puppet theatre - this was really clever. It lasted an hour and the puppets floated on water with a vietnamese live band playing the musical story.

After 2 days in Hanoi we headed to Halong Bay for 2 days 1 night on a boat tour staying overnight on a junk. Actually much nicer than it sounds! Halong Bay is a bay of over 3000 islands formed 100's of thousands of years ago and locals believe it was formed by a dragon protecting the Bay and Vietnam. We met some really nice people on this trip. A French couple Gerard and Germaine who we had great fun trying to practice our GCSE French on! And an Aussie girl Debbie whose b'day it was on the first day of ther trip.Our guide "Hiep" was also very nice and knowledgable - we taught him how to play cards and despite being confused in the beggining he went on to beat everyone. A good hustler if you ask me!

We then had what felt like an endless bus ride for nearly 24 hours to get to Hoi Ann a quaint old town which really is a must see. Set by the beach with a river running through it and old wooden buildings and lots of culture. There are tailors almost at every other shop and they will make a mans suit (copied from the Next catalogue!)for about 30 pounds. If we had had time and room in the suitcase we would have brought whole new wardrobes.

After having had enough of bus travel we organised a flight to Saigon as we wanted to make sure we caught up with Brittany and Jordan as they were in Saigon (Hoi Chi Minh). We met up with them and had a good time (drink was involved of course!). James sportingly took up the dare to hire a cyclo (like a rickshaw but with a weird bucket shaped seat at the front) and drive the driver round the block. He should have been gone 5 mins but was gone about 30 mins and we were all getting a bit worried when he came happily (and tiredly) cycling round the corner! The next day we went to the War museum which was very biased to the Vietnamese of course and had horrific photos of both the war and also the after effects on children from the poisons left which harm babies even today. Rather like S21 and the Killing fields it left a very bitter taste in our mouths and to be honest we did not really find much more out about the war.
In the evening we had a few drinks (without Britany and Jordan as they had left on a trip to the Meking Delta that morning) and we ate drank and played cards with the locals whilst keeping an eye on the premiership football on the tv. The football is on all the time - you get 3 live games on a saturday evening so James is in 7th heaven! We have seen more football out here than we ever do at home.

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Photos

Temple of Literature - Hanoi
A couple of new recruits perhaps?!

Lake at night - Hanoi
James became David Bailey while we were in hanoi and took endless photos of this lake to get the right picture. He also found the black and white mode on the camera and was taking lots of shots!

Halong Bay
These islands were breathtaking albeit rather chilly! We would like to come back when in the summer as you can go snorkelling and swimming and the water is much bluer. Still nice this time of year though!

New friends
Having dinner on the junk boat in Halong Bay. It was Debbies birthday she was from Melbourne and the others in the picture are Gerard and Germaine the french couple from Montpellier.

Lanterns in Hoi Ann
I could have brought lots of these - really reasonable and they are really cheery. No room in the bag though - so James has promised me that I can come back and buy lots of things!

James dare
James just having arrived back after completing his dare. The cyclo owner thought it was very amusing especially as he was paid for the pleasure of being driven around town!

Motorcycles in Saigon
Everywhere in Vitenam people own motobikes or bikes. This is due to the fact that in the cities the price of houses is so expensive and there is no-where to park a car. Beep beep!