Since leaving Saigon, I've been through a lot: Robbed, Ripped Off & Abused by Incompetent Policemen... just your average day in 'Nam... The trauma started when my new camera magically disappeared out of the back of a taxi on our way to Hoi An, imagine my horror. Fearing the worst, I demanded that the driver take us to the police station, but instead he got in the car & drove off, he'd probably stashed it in the glove compartment. Having travelled for 4 months without any trouble, it shouldnt have come as a surprise that this happened 3 days into Vietnam, we had been warned. What we hadn't been warned about, was how hard it was going ot be to a) find a policeman & b) persuading the police to give us a crime report for the insurance company! It took us the best part of 2 days, during which we spent many hours in the police station trying to convince the policeman (via a translator) that this actually happened, only to be told at 12pm when we'd already been there over an hour, that it was his lunchtime & to come back in 2 hours. Apparently the Vietnamese police dont work through their lunch hour. In fact, we later found out they technically only work Monday to Friday, so its no wonder there is so much crime here! When we did return after lunch, the lazy pig was in bed & he still persisted on ignoring us for another half an hour! When we finally did get the report signed, we had to wait another hour for someone to arrive with a rubber stamp to make it official. Thankfully, we managed to get the report with seconds to spare on the 24hour deadline that the insurance requires, just in the nick of time.

Being a victim of crime was a highly traumatic experience for me, so there was only one thing that would make me feel better in this situation - shopping. And where better than the fashion capital of Vietnam, Hoi An? There are tailors EVERYWHERE & they will copy absolutely anything. I was slightly dubious at first & spent hours trying to find a shop with the internet & the right material, once I'd found it, I was straight onto Topshop Online & ordering made to measure playsuits & dresses galore! They actually turned out OK too, although I'm not sure how long they will last before they fall to pieces. I then went completely overboard & got a winter coat (a la Alexa Chung) and some winter boots, that are bing shipped back to the UK as we speak, along with the 3 suits that Vish bought!

Apart from the tailors, Hoi An is a really beautiful old town on the banks of the river. It's an old trading town, with Chinese, Japanese & French influences and is full of old world charm & rustic chic! The old warehouses have been restored into chic restaurants & cafes, no cars are allowed in either, so its very peacful, a nice place to kick back & relax, but not so nice if you have to spend 8 hours in a police station. During the day, we cruised around the old streets on bicycles, its was shame they were doing roadworks though. The best time in Hoi An is at night, when the streets are aglow with paper lanterns & they play french piano music over loudspeakers, so quaint!

The charm of old Hoi An did score a few points in Vietnam's favour, especially the ladies at the hotel we stayed at, who were soooo friendly & bent over backwards to help us with the police & helped translate our crime report for us. Apart from them though, the Vietnamese are not as friendly as their Cambodian or Lao neighbours, its a shame really. It feels like people are only out to make money from you & we've been ripped off on numerous occasions - the worst was when we bought a handmade painting from a disabled workshop for $24, only to find the same paintings on sale in the market for $4! At least it was going to a good cause, but when disabled people con you, it really does make you lose faith in humanity!

The last few days have been at the beach, Nha Trang is a nice place, but you could be anywhere in Europe, with a huge stretch of beach lined with high rise hotels. Yesterday we did another 'booze cruise' which involved snorkelling & a floating bar serving questionable red wine in the middle of the China Sea! Today we nursed our hangovers with mudbaths at the hot springs, which was an interesting experience, lets just say that mud isnt quite as much fun when you're not in Somerset! Tomorrow we head for the hills to Dalat, which is supposed to be a bit boho & kitch lovers paradise, slightly strange for Vietnam, but I'm sure I'll love it, providing we don't get robbed on the way!