Second time lucky perhaps with this unreliable internet connection.... Well, what a rickety old train ride that was. 12 of us squeezed into 3 cabine for the 12 hr journey from Hue to Vietnams northern capital and seat of government, Hanoi. Having been to Saigon, I wonder what Suzanne Paul was catastrophising about in the traffic stakes. It is certainly immense and overwhelming, but I have to say Saigon wins hands downh for inducing traveller anxiety and severe culture shock. There are some paralells between NZ traffic and here I think too - drivers cutting corners, whizzing past pedestrians [View Full Entry]

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Last I left it we were in the beautiful Hoi An about 4km inland from the beacf of Cau Dai, and the southern side of Marble mountain and Hai Van Pass. 'Twas an early start yesterday to make our way northwards, firstly stopping at China beach where soldiers spent time R&R'ing from the ravages of the Vietnam war. Then it was into the city of Danang again for the museum of sculpure from the Cham people. Cham island is near to Hoi An, and a feature of this central region. Many relics at this museum had been excavated from nearby archeological [View Full Entry]

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Hoi An is alight with lanterns at night, the hum of river boats, and sqealing kids riding double or triple on the back of oversized bikes. It has been a neat place to hang for 3 days. I ordered a new wardrobe of silk winter dress, and two shirts from Yalys, and it all became ready today after about 4 fittings! They really are perfectionists which is great when you playing with expensive fabrics. My seamstress Lynn spoke good English and was very obliging. She had worked there for 4 yrs and it sounds like her boss treats her well. Mr [View Full Entry]

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The Delta was amazing. It took two to three hrs by bus to get out of town, past new housing estates 10 stories high, slender terraced houses on a small plot of land (which is very expensive), roadside rice planters (Vietnam is the 2nd largest rice grower in the world, sounds like my idea of heaven). The respite of the air con hotels, shops and bus was very much needed - the humidity sits at about 95% and a lot of the Delta region is at or slightly below sea level it seems, so sandflies and potentially Dengue carrying mossies are [View Full Entry]

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Hello to all interested and sundry parties and welcome to my inaugral travel blog on Vietnam! I am a new blogger as of tonight, so please bear with me as I recount some of the scetchier details (is that a word?) of the past 8 hazy days.... Ho Chi Mihn City, also called Saigon (officially changed about 30 yrs ago if my brief vietnamese history lesson serves me correctly?) was hectic. From the moment I stepped off the plane into the heavy humidity of early evening it was utter chaos. The driver for Intrepid who picked me up (thats the first [View Full Entry]

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