Hello everyone!!! We have just arrived back in Bangkok after flying last night from Hanoi. We got a really cheap Air Asia flight - they are a bit like Easyjet - for just 39USD!! We had a wonderful last week in Sapa trekking and then in Halong Bay. Sapa was definately the highlight of Vietnam for us even though the weather was terrible..thunder and lightening storms!! The local minority peoples were incredibly friendly (especially when you buy something from them!!) and so colourful. The landscape, with it's rice terraces, was breath-taking!!! We have decided to fly back to Bangkok directly instead of going through Laos as we have finally made up our minds to take the plunge and buy a round-the-world air ticket and get to Central and South America asap. So, we are back here to organise everything and will hopefully be leaving Asia for the Americas via Europe in the next couple of weeks....we'll keep you posted!!! Anyway, love to everyone!! Take care, helen and akixxx