So after Kat's birthday we decided to head south as there was a typhoon in the Phillippines that was heading towards the north of Vietnam. Don't think it would have been that dangerous for us inland but we were eager to avoid anymore bad weather. We timed it perfectly as we were one day ahead of the storm and went on the first day that we were able to travel south through the floods. If you haven't seen the news practically the whole of central Vietnam is flood...

So we got the train to Hanoi from China without too much trouble, although it did seem a bit touch and go at the time. Firstly our tickets had the wrong train number and time on it. Secondly, we asked a million people and couldn't find out what time the train crossed the border because our visas weren't valid until after midnight. In the end we turned up at the border at 11.30pm and they were nice enough to stamp it anyway. LUCKILY! Then when we arrived in Hanoi ...