Trip One (Vietnamese Experience, comfort, 15 days ) ended at the same time that trip two with Intrepid was commencing, saturday. The choices - do I remain at fancy hotel with non-flushing toilet and mahogany and mother of pearl chairs, or do I go for the Victory hotel in what seemed to be the slum quarter of Hanoi for my first night with the new group? Well I have to say (how can I not, 'concise' is not in my vocabulary) parting was not sweet sorrow from group one, although they were all a lovely bunch of mainly shopping mad women embracing singlehood from deceased, de facto'ed or divorced partners. Wait a minute, that could be me in several yrs time?? I digress... (another of my traits..) Let me rant about the toilet a bit. The ... read more

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 like me, and maintaining that steely gaze that they are 'right' and you are 'wrong'. Interesting to watch the melding of every single vessel, 1, 2, 3 or 4 wheeled and then some, exist along the lovely ... read more

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 Xe around the corner has a dodge reputation for pilfering money from foreigners however, and is not recommended (Trip Advisor) to be meddled with! I had an interesting altercation with a member of the beige ... read more

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 time in a while...) spoke little English, and so began a sequence of gestures, smiles, and pigeon Vietnamese (mine) as we headed towards the Empress hotel. When I say chaos I mean drivers of all ... read more