It has been a while since I last updated you all on what we have been up to but that's because we have been hard out travelling and having a great time….

So we left Loas to travel to Vietnam on what only can be described as a toy plane. I am a confident flyer but when I saw how small and simple the plane was I had a little freak out moment. The flight was good with sweet tuna sandwiches and a green cake which looked worse then it tasted. We arrived safely and shared a taxi to the main centre Hanoi with two English guys Matt and Joe (amazing how you pick people up at the airport) we were glad we meet them as nothing could have prepared us for the madness of this city. We were warned about scams and from the moment we arrived there they were trying to scam us. From stopping at hotels that weren't ours, to us checking in and them saying No we are fully booked you need to go somewhere else. So eventually we got to our destination all a bit shell shocked from the volume of traffic and the pure madness of this place. I have NEVER seen so many motorbikes, scooters and cars in one place, all driving in opposite directions, on the wrong side of the road, all tooting there horns but everyone seems to know what's going on apart from us. Trying to cross the road is a very interesting experience. If we waited for them to stop and let us cross we would still be there now, you just have to walk straight out and they all dodge you. A few times I even shut my eyes and this worked!! After meeting the boys we hung out with them for a few days as it seemed safer and they were loads of fun. Hanoi was great as we had street food, 14p pints, and meet lots of interesting people.

The things I have seen on Hanoi Roads are by far my all time favourite memories of the place.

1. A live cow tied to the back of a motorcycle ( my personal favourite )

A pig sat like a dog in a cage being towed on a bike

Chickens covering the family of four on the back of the bike

Bags of eggs being balanced all over thep lace but the lady still managing to ride the bike without any trouble or breakages
A man in a wheel chair holding on to a bike zooming down the highway

From there we went to Cat Ba Island which was stunning and peaceful but getting there was a mission and an interesting one at that. 3 buses and a boat ride later we got to chill out and experience some peace for two days. Most the buses had broken seats so we all had to take it turns and my turn seemed to be on the bumpiest road which was fun…. NOT! But we made friends with others as it was tough not to talk to people when your're sat practically on their lap. We went on a day trip kayaking around the Island which was absolutely stunning. It was just pure green water surrounded by mountains and local fish farms in the middle of no where, it was so peaceful and charming. Tania and I had a craving chocolate moment so whilst we were kayaking I had to pass back Oreo cookies… funny moment.

Dad, I decided to go for a run as I seem to be the only person to visit Asia and actually put on weight. (Think it's called a beer belly) I had to get up mega early as it was soooo hot but worth it as very peaceful and pretty running along the harbour. I think I did about 4 miles or so. All the locals that were sat chilling just laughed at me and some even pointed. Not sure what they problem is but I was pleased I actually got out to do it.

From Cat Ba Island we headed back to Hanio but we got talking to an older couple that gave us information about a night train to Hue. So after 4 hours on 3 buses and 1 boat we went straight to the train station and brought an over night ticket to Hue. 16 hours journey on a piece of ply wood was just what we needed. The only lucky thing was that no one wanted to share our cabin as they could see were playing cards and had a few beers so we ended up just the two of us. It was a great experience and for some reason I had one of the best night sleeps, Tania not so much. So after 16 hours we arrived in Hue.

Hue is a small town that has ruins and tombs based all around. So after us saying that we will never ever go on the back of a scooter or bike we decided to go on a motorcycle tour around. It was a great day but I certainly had some "shut your eyes and say your prayers" moments. Tania loved it! We visited many ruins and tombs which were interesting but after you seen one it feels like you have seen them all. We had lunch at the local village which produced the best tasting rice and veg I have ever had. The only embarrassing thing about the day is every time my driver went over a bump I would get closer to him and by the end I was literally stuck to him and his bike. He looked at me like I was gross but I couldn't help it. The drivers are crazy in Asia. We only spent one night in Hue and then moved on to Hoi An.

Hoi An is a beautiful town that has a river running through it that is decorating with lanterns and sweet boutique style shops and restaurants At night the lanterns make the river glow and you can see the locals on their boats. It is so pretty and had such a nice vibe to the place. We hired bikes and rode to the local beach which was 2k away. This was fun as all the drivers beep their horns at you to let you know they are passing, so I spent the journey ringing my bell back at them. It didn't have the same effect but it kept me amused and smiling. The beach was lush. It had big fun waves, gorgeous scenery, hot sun, comfy sun lounges and of course a few beers. It was the perfect way to chill out and relax. I went body surfing, playing around in the waves, getting knocked over and having fun but when I stood up and looked around I noticed that my bikini top had come lose through the water pressure and I was flashing everyone. I wondered why this big Russian kept smiling at me. OMG the shame!!! I sheepishly walked back to my lounger and spent the next hour giggling and hiding from everyone. Another story to add to the embarrassing moments of Karen French and believe me there are a few…. We were sad to leave Hoi An but it was nice that just before we left Matt and Joe turned up so we got to have one last meal with them before we left. When you are travelling around all the time and you get on with people so well it's like saying goodbye to family. Weird but special!

So on to Nha Trang on a overnight sleeper bus. We thought we would try the bus as it was a lot cheaper and we wanted to experience everything once. Well never again! The bus is three rows along with bunk bed style beds all down the rows. Tania got pushed to the back on the bus whilst I was sorting out the bags. So she got a lower bed and I got the above bed. For the first time in my life I am very pleased that I only have short legs as I slotted in perfectly but poor T with her longs legs struggled. We spent the next 12 hours on the death bus. Tania was convinced our driver was off his head on drugs as he was over taking every car, lorry, bus or bike even if there was no room to do so, he made his mission to do it. He over took from the left and right even if there was no road, he went off road. So we had a very bumpy, scary bus journey. The only highlight was I had a pack of Oreo cookies to keep me entertained. We were grateful when we arrived safely in Nha Trang.

Nha Trang is like a small "shagaluf", with big loud bars, people on the street trying to get you in with free shots and young people trying to get laid. Perfect! On the first night we found a food buffet and I have never been so excited to see potatoes in my life. The food was so tasty and so much to choose from. We ate so much that we had to go home and rub our bellies. Apart from that it has a big beautiful beach which was a 5 minute walk away, pretty scenery and a beach bar. Tania and I went on a day tour to a few islands so we could snorkel. It was a great day. The water was clear, bright coral and loads of fish. Through the staff we found out about a beach party so we decided to brave the young ones and go party. What a night. We had a few buckets which is basically paint stripper with lemonade and they tell you its vodka or Rum. So after a few of them and all the free shots we were well up for going to party on the beach. What a fun night. We danced with English, Chinese, Italian, Vietnamese and who ever else wanted to see what Tania and I had to offer. It was so much fun although a bit messy. My flip flop broke when we were out which was devastating, I love my gold Havaianas and I needed to walk home. Tania made my night when she came back with fake Calvin Klein mens flip flops. It was a good moment. So I could carry on partying and dancing around. I didn't go to sleep that night I stayed out partying until late morning and made it back in time for my breakfast… perfect timing!! Things then got rough.

In my hung-over state I went for fried nuggets and chips and ended up with food poisoning. So I spent the next two days travelling on a 12 hour over night train throwing up and being very very ill. I actually needed my mum. What made it worse is that we had to share our train cabin with two Vietnamese people who were a married couple. They spent the first bit of the trip listening loudly to love songs and then he started singing along to Toni Braxton Unbreak my heart. This was so very pleasant for the first 5 minutes but after 5 hours I was ready to jump. I then went off to be ill AGAIN and when I come back they had turned the love music off and she was crying. I am unsure what happened as I couldn't understand them but I then had to listen to them argue and she was sniffing constantly. Horrible experience that's for sure. Tania was laid out all comfy and happy watching her movies whilst I was going through hell!

We spent a night in Saigon but I was so sick I only managed to walk around for a few hours. What I saw of the city it is MENTAL. There were so many bikes and people and so much hustle and bustle. At night the city comes alive with young people every where, markets, people doing Martial Arts, buskers, beggars and people working out on the park gyms. It was incredible. I could have people watched all day if I wasn't so unwell. We had to get to Cambodia the next day and we were thinking about the overnight bus but after throwing up for 2 days we decided to splash out and fly. I am so glad we did.

Vietnam is an incredible place, full of buzz, amazing sights, beautiful beaches, warm hearted people and cheap food. It has to be one of my favourite places in the world and I would defiantly return.

I am currently melting in the Cambodia heat writing this so I will have to write the next up date another time as I need to find a pool and some air con before I melt. This heat is intense, even blinking causes you to sweat…..

Love to you all and catch up with you soon xxxxxxxxxxxx