Hi All! At the moment I am in Hoi An which is on the coast of Vietnam. Since the last post we have all been very busy. We had such a great time in Ho Chi Minh City. We visited the Reunification Palace one afternoon, which was good.

On our last day we visited the Cu Chi tunnels which were very interesting. It took us 2 hours by mini bus to get there. We had a guide around the tunnels. He showed us the entrances to the tunnels and they were so small. Anita and Naomi managed to fit in the hole - it was so small! I didn't chance it as I didn't fancy getting stuck! The guide then showed us the traps that the Viet Cong used on the Americans. They had made the traps out of bamboo and were a really simple idea - but gruesome! We also went into one of the tunnels by a larger entrance. They were very small and we had to crouch down. The tunnel was very long with lots of other tunnels leading off it. They had some lights down there so we had to follow those out. We also watched a video. We all found it very interesting. After we went to the tunnels we went to the War Remnants Museum, this again was very upsetting like the Killing Fields in Cambodia. Only me Anita and Naomi went and we had to meet the boys by 5pm at the hotel, seeing as we left the museum a 5pm we needed to get back to the hotel fast! Well Anita got there really quickly. We all tried to get in one cyclo - we all fitted as we sat on top of each other but the man couldn't push us! So Anita got out and got a moped back to the hotel. Me and Naomi stayed on the cyclo and returned after Anita. It was so fun, I thought we were going to crash a lot - but we made it back in one piece. We then had to make our way to the train station. We left Ho Chi Minh and decided that we would get a sleeper train to Danang and then a taxi to Hoi An. Well, what an experience the sleeper train was!

We got out tickets and they had changed what we had booked. We booked a private 6 berth sleeper with toilet. When we got the tickets they had changed us to 3 in one cabin and 2 in another one, this meant that we had to share with our people, which we weren't keen on in the first place. Anyway me, Anita and Naomi went in one cabin and the boys in another. We had an old man in our cabin, we smiled at him and he didn't say anything back. Anita and Naomi had the top bunks so until we went to sleep I sat up on their beds. I laid on my bed, after rolling my sleeping bag out and heard an odd noise. We couldn't work out what it was so we just kept on talking. I then heard the noise again and I looked over and a black bin liner near my head was moving! I flew up and said to the others that the bag was moving. The old man wasn't there so Naomi investigated and a puppy was inside the bag! We couldn't believe it, it was inside a red basket and then the black liner was tied around it and it couldn't get out. It kept whimpering and we didn't know what to do. The man came back a while later and didn't look too pleasant so we just sat there. Every time the puppy moved he just kicked the bag! We laid on our beds hardly moving - it was just horrible! We were on the train for 16 hours - I was so glad to get off! I have never been so pleased to get off a train in my life! We wanted to go on a sleeper train for the experience but I defiantly didn't enjoy it and do not want to go on another one in a hurry! Also the toilet was just just disgusting! I have never held the toilet in so long in my life!

Anyway, we arrived in Danang a little tired. We got a taxi to Hoi An which took half an hour. When we arrived at the hotel the first thing I did was have a shower after the train! We then left to have a look around Hoi An. As soon as we walked out of the hotel there were tailor shops everywhere and shoe makers. In every tailors they have a few models with clothes on and the walls are filled high with every kind of fabric! We went into a few and then I saw a coat that I liked. I tried it on to see what it looked like and I liked the style but not the colour so I ordered it in a dark green colour. I then looked through some books and pointed out a few dresses which I liked. I then chose the fabric for them and was measured. It was so fun! I also ordered some shorts. Anita ordered a dress and James a shirt in the same shop. They told us to come back at 4pm the next day. We couldn't quite believe that they would all be ready the following day. We turned up at 4pm and they were ready. I was so impressed - I ordered another dress and another pair of shorts. The boys ordered suits from another tailors and Naomi also ordered a dress. Tonight she also ordered a coat which she is going to collect tomorrow. I bought another bag to put all my things in. The shops here are just fantastic and have spent so much! I have to say that this is my favourite place in Asia so far. I can't quite explain how lovely it is here. Every lunar night they turn off the lights and stop using their motorbikes. The light candles in all the houses, shops and restaurants. It just so happens that it is lunar night tomorrow night, so we are all looking forward to that. It will seem odd that there are no motorbikes on the road! We are leaving here on Saturday to go to Hue.

I think thats all for now. Will update again soon. Love Anna x

P.S We haven't seen any of the circular boats in the photo on the beach yet but we have seen them going up and down the river! x