Am currently in an internet cafe in Hanoi - flooded in! The skies just opened and within 20 minutes the streets were knee deep in water!!! Fingers crossed it'll start easing up soon - must start making way to Hong Kong!! Anyway, have spent the last three days on a boat in Halong Bay. The trip itself wasn't great as it was poorly organised (our guide basically couldn't give a rats ass!!) and we were practically starved (by my standards anyway!) the whole time...

Well it has certainly been a memorable couple of days.... After checking into a seemingly nice hotel (although still 84 steps to climb to the room every day!) and having dinner just around the corner we returned hoping for a good nights sleep..... Little did we know that we'd be returning to a building site!!! While the guys chipped away at the wall, the girls carried the cement up and down the stairs!! The banging continued all sodding night! Needless to s...

Had a good and busy day in Hanoi yesterday....In the morning had a visit to the Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum Complex - in the tradition of Lenin, Stalin and Mao the final resting place of Ho Chi Minh is a glass sarcophagus set deep in the bowels of a monumental edifice. And quite oddly despite his will requesting cremation Ho Chi Minh's embalmed corpse gets a three month holiday to Russia for yearly maintenance! Urgh. There was a lot information to take in and it make...

Didn't feel the need to update you on Hue as there was nothing to tell. Spent two days doing very little - although the Foprbidden City was pretty cool. Arrived in Hanoi (the capital of vietnam) for just a few hours ago - after a 16 hour overnight bus journey (with one stop i might add!!!?) - and have already managed to find a lovely french style cafe serving the best hot chocolate ever so.... am already liking the place!! he he. Not quite as modern or wealthy...

O God I love this place. It is such a charming little town. It should definately be on Lonely Planets list of places to visit in Vietnam. Will definately return here with more money and an empty suitcase!!!! There is nothing not to like and somehow we have managed to stay in a four star hotel for just 10USD a night too! Thing is its probably gonna bankrupt me if we don't move on soon. The suit, Vietnamese style dress, trousers and shoes are absolutely perfect so...