Sorry if anyones been trying to keep up with what I'm up to, I'm still being pretty lazy on the communication front. I'l be getting a phone sim in thailand on the 18th so I can call and be called again. Either way I'l be back in the UK within 3 weeks so won't be long beofre I can tell you everything in person. Vietnam had been a real wake up experience, it's made me wish I'd spent less time in Oz and come straight to Asia, so much more to do and see. After Spending a few days in Saigon (HCMC) practically alone just seeing ll the sights I jetted up to Hanoi in the north which was pretty s***ty for the First day as everyone is trying to scam you and on my first night the building through the wall next to my bed was being demolished, so I was woken up at 4am with two guys using Pneumatic drills within feet of my head. Having had enough of that I eventually moved to a hostel nearer to the centre of town and finally things in Hanoi started to get better. Booked a trip to Halong bay (one of the 7 natural wonders of the world) for an overnight cruise and met up with a few people staying in the hostel. After a day of seeing caves kayaking and swimming it all kind of, well fully, turned into a mad drinking session with some of the worst drunken karaoke you've ever heard (Well I imagine it was we all thought we were great at the time!) After that we had a few nights in Hanoi, again fairly heavy drinking, but at about 30p for two large bottles of beer in the hostel, what else was there to do! Ended up going to a snake bar where they cut open a live snake in front of you and drain its blood and bile into bottles of vodka which you then drink, oh and you get to put the still beating heart into a shot glass and down it with vodka, Sadly I missed out on that action as there was only 2 hearts between the group. Just one of those drunken decision you make and then think 'what in the hell was I doing last night?!' the day after. I then went off to Sapa, a small town in Northern Vietnam with a couple of guys I went on he Halong Bay trip with, Alan an Irish guy and Scott from Oz. We decieded we didn't want to do the usual tourist thing of booking a ready planned tour, so we found a guy who would be our guide and we hiked (well free climbed) up Fansipan for 3 days which is the Higest mountain in Indochina at 3143m. For all those who've done 10 tors... You have no idea!!! It was probably the most enjoyable thing I've done so far as I felt I actually accompished something rather than just joinging a tour or getting drunk as is the easy, obvious and normal way to do things out here. After heading back to Hanoi for 2 more nights out I booked a train back here to Saigon where I arrived this morning after a 30 hour train ride. Luckily I ended up in a cabin with another English guy and not a bunch of vietnamese! Going to head off to the Cu Chi Tunnels tomorrow where the Vietnamese held of the americans during the war and see all the booby traps tunnels and possibly even have a go on the firing range with an AK. Day after I'l fly to Thailand and Ko Phangan (Biggest party spot in whole of asia) for the Full moon party and start all over again! I'l post my mobile number in Thailand up here asap (around the 18th) so you can keep in touch. Hopefully talk soon.

James x X x