Vietnam, Sapa to Saigon

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Xin Chao from Ho Chi Minh City,

I love it - Vietnam has stolen the show so far. Even when people 'accidentally' try to change your currency into a ten-fold decrease in value and the powercuts keep on going, the infectious smiles and the ability to hear 'looking looking, buying buying, motorbike motorbike' always make me laugh. Tip for visitors, if you ever think it is OK to cross the road, there is ALWAYS another motorbike, its never OK, just go, I hope you played frogger when you were a kid.

Vietnam is sponsored by boats. Thats wooden junks, putt putt boats, rowing boats endless boats. If people are not sailing/rowing I swear they are drinking (in a good way). On land we have embraced hillstations, balconies and doxycyclin.

Somehow fate sent us to Hanoi Backpackers for which I must thank it, as we had the most fun time on Halong Bay. I should have known right from the get go when one of the guides let us know that he had 'knocked himself out' the previous night that it would be mischevious. We set sail on the Phoenix with our gangsta rap soundtrack, led by our mohawked captain, what could possibly go wrong? Perhaps the Irish contingent announcing 'this is going to get loose', the Brazillians breaking the lift before we even set sail coupled with the never ending 'ring of fire' is the answer to that one.

To continue my unluckiness with transport safety I can now add train crash to the list. Luckily I was so tired that I slept through the train crashing into a lorry filled with bricks and which in turn hit a house. Since Vietnam was a last minute add-on we only managed to punctuate the journey from north to south at Phong Nha Caves (cave system which is the biggest in the world!), and Hoi An (beautiful waterfront old town with fantastic food and tailors).

HCMC seems far more like a capital city than Hanoi with legendary settings from literary classics, parks full of Tai Chi-ers, constant traffic jams, and skyscrapers. The pre-planned sampling of HCMC nightlife with both Winman siblings ended with minimal disaster merely a 4pm rise the following day.

Museums I would give a 5/10 though, all propaganda with the 5 solely going to the amazing American War Remnants Museum in which I nearly lost it in a room full of people at a photograph of 2 women, 2 children and a baby with a caption 'I took this photo during a GI raid on village and shouted 'hold it' to take my picture, as I turned back I heard the machine guns open fire, and in the corner of my eye I saw the bodies drop, I couldnt turn around'.

But the prize goes to the Mekong Delta where we stayed with Mr Hung at his homestay which is one of the most different things I have ever done. Full of firsts with staying in a wooden hut visiting a bee hive, eating royal jelly, trying snake wine, eating elephant ear fish, seeing fireflies, and the misfortune of 'happy water'. Mr Hungs wife kindly let us sample her moonshine which was served to us in plastic bags accessed by puncturing the plastic with a chopstick which then acts as a cork. But the highlight is the floating market and seeing people trading pumpkins for pineapples, or watermelons for durians from boats. My smile only managed to get bigger when we went past the floating petrol station to fuel all the boats. Just brilliant!

The typhoon hit yesterday threatening our flight to Sri Lanka but seems all systems are go so until then, toodle pip!

Amy x x

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Photos

Halong Bay Crew
Happiest people ever about a crate of pop

Inside the Phong Na Caves
Some serious reflections!!

Snake and Scorpian Rice Wine
... oh yes we did...

Elephant Ear Fish
Neil and his new love

Our vessel around the Mekong Delta
Watch out for snappy the alligator!