From the quietness of Kata Hill, we're back in the hustle & bustle of city life in Hanoi, and from not wanting to be on the road again, we're enjoying it. The old quarter is noisy and traffic chaotic, we had to get used to once again dodging motorbikes and cars, which weren't really in abundance last time I visited seven years ago. There are no pavements as such as these form shop frontages or parking spaces for motorbikes. Even though chaotic, like Thamel in Kathmandu, it's quite relaxing and definitely is a city where you could linger for a few days, doing little more than browsing in shops and eating and drinking your way around the city.
Upon arrival, we headed straight out for birthday celebrations, finding a little local street food restaurant that serves only two dishes and washed this down with Beer Hanoi. Not wanting the night to be over so quick, we found a Beer Hoi joint and indulged in a few more glasses of beer for 15p each. Sitting at the roadside, on a tiny plastic chair is a great way to watch the comings and goings of the city. The night was rounded off by a kebab from another street vendor and falling into bed in our £9 a night hotel. Birthday extravagance.

Feeling ever so slightly hungover the next day, we headed out to walk around the lake, stopping for super strong Vietnamese coffee before setting off walking again, browsing in shops enroute to the old citadel, a collection of weather beaten colonial style buildings which made for some great photos. Some were used as bunkers for army generals during the Vietnam war and are still set out as such. After here we wandered across to Ho Chi Minh's mausoleum, which, like Mao in Tian'anmen Square, is guarded by military personnel with a changing of the guard.
That evening we headed out for a few more beer hoi's after dinner in another local restaurant, which again only sold a few dishes, all a variation of pho. It was full of locals and limited English was spoken so we weren't quite sure what we would be served. Thankfully it was pho as we know it and very nice. A bargain too at less than £2.
We found a street full of Beer Hoi joints, some little more than the keg of beer in a doorway with just a handful of stools. Some others were bars that also served Beer Hoi. The whole street was just bar after bar, stools spilling out into the road with motorbikes and cars crawling along in a long procession of traffic with three kids wearing pyjamas whizzing up and down, miraculously dodging said traffic.
There are far more bars and westerners than last time I came and it seems Vietnam is most definitely on the SE Asia traveller circuit now with lots of under 25's wearing elephant trousers and vests, despite it being quite cold!

Yesterday we headed to Halong Bay, getting picked up at 8am and sitting on the bus until 1pm. The scenery is very similar to that of Yangshou, this time the karst formations are in the sea rather than in land. Whether it was because we felt tired from the bus, the fact I've been before, or we are just feeling fatigued with travelling, neither were bowled over by it. The first few months of our travels presented such amazing places to us, it's almost like nothing really excites us any more. I'm sure a few weeks back home, after seeing friends & family & staying in our own home for a while though and we'd be itching to jet back off.

Today though we both feel slightly more revitalised and after visiting a cave this morning, are quite excited about our upcoming caving trip in Phong Nha. Well I am, Tony was always quite enthusiastic anyway about this!
As I write this back on the bus to Hanoi, I'm enjoying looking out of the window watching water buffalo plough rice paddies and women working away in the fields wearing their conical hats. Yesterday I couldn't be bothered looking and simply slept so I guess this is an indication I'm getting my mojo back?!
Tonight we're off to Hue on the overnight train.

21st. Dec
Today has been a fab day, hiring bikes and cycling 45k through Hué's countryside, shrimp farms and out to Phu Thuan beach to have lunch at Beach Bar Hué, a lovely bamboo thatched hut serving fresh seafood, fruit smoothies and playing cool eighties tunes. The bar was an old fishing boat decked out with tinsel and it even had a Christmas tree.
The beach it overlooked was fringed with palm trees and it was totally deserted. There are no hotels or cafes, only people's homes and their shops on the nearby road, which can neither be seen or heard. In short, this beach was paradise. The only westerners we saw were the three other guests at the beach bar. The driving rain may have had something to do with the lack of people though. When we got back we were soaked, had puddles in our shoes and Tony's phone is currently drying out in a bag of rice as it won't turn on and the torch function won't turn off!
Getting out of Hué was a little scary on my bike with poor brakes and no bell, compensated though by the fact it had a basket on the front! Drivers here, like the rest of Asia, don't seem to understand the concept of looking and giving way to passing traffic as they exit a junction. They just pull out regardless and expect you to stop, swerve or simply crash into them. On top of that, people just cycle head on towards you rather than being on the correct side of the road and then there are the cows, chickens or whatever other animals happen to try crossing the road as you approach. Thankfully once out of the city centre, the roads were much quieter.
Heading back into town we saw a man with a huge gorgeous pig in a wicker basket tied to the back of his bike. Given my love of pigs, I slammed on the very poor brakes, got out my camera and ran up to him to ask if I could take a photo. He obliged, smiling. The gorgeous pig was ginger with a very pink snout and lovely long eyelashes. Actually, I made that bit up. I don't know if it had long eyelashes, it just makes it sound prettier.
Feeling very happy with my photos and little chat with the pig, I got back on the bike and peddled off into the pouring rain once more, water dripping down my face and almost blinding me.
Despite the rain, as far as Monday's go, this has been a pretty damn good one.

We arrived in Hué yesterday from the 13hour overnight train. The carriages were full of westerners as we boarded at 9.30pm, it seemed we however were the only ones in ours. We arrived at our cabin to be greeted by a Vietnamese lady and her two young children, who were both squealing in high pitched voices. Her husband then joined us so instead of the four bed cabin being for four people, there were six of us.
Thankfully we all went to sleep pretty quickly although we had to keep one of the lights on for the kids and one of them kept waking up during the night, crying. I didn't get very much sleep. At 6.45am they were up and playing with the loud games on their patents phones. No silent mode or headphones here! No lie in for us then.
The family were actually very lovely and the man spoke a little English so was encouraging the girls to say 'hello' in English. They also taught us hello in Vietnamese which is good because although I've looked at the word in the guide book, I didn't know how to pronounce it.
They gave us eggs that their chicken had laid for breakfast and I shared my cake with the girls. They were also quite taken with Oleg so he had new playmates for a couple of hours. As we left them at 10.30am, they had another 19hours to go, to get to HCMC. A journey I certainly don't envy, especially as the lady was also pregnant.
After a day walking around the city, and unable to find a bar that looked remotely inviting, we had the vinegar wine wine from our 3L box back at 'Charmimg Hotel', before heading out to dinner. It seems around the corner from us there is an entire street with lovely looking bars and restaurants that we'd missed on our earlier exploration.
A few bites into my noodles I felt what I thought was grit from the vegetables. It turned out to be tiny shards of glass! I thought the staff would never believe this had come from my food but they came back from the kitchen and explained a glass had been smashed and some must have made its way into my dinner. They were extremely apologetic and gave us the food & Tony's beer for free. I didn't feel much like eating after that so went to bed feeling a little hungry. The banana pancake we had for breakfast though helped take the hunger away.
Hopefully tonight's dinner will be a little less crunchy!

22nd December
We caught the bus at 4.30pm to Phang Nha. As its a bus that runs from Hanoi to Saigon, it's a sleeper bus and as such the driver would allow no one on with shoes. Unfortunately that meant that the bus stunk of sweaty feet. Some people's feet were black and covered in mud or sand and it would have been far better for them to keep their shoes on!
Tony got up to use the loo and as no one in their right mind would want to use a toilet on a bus in bare feet, put his flip flops on. Well.... As he exited the loo the guy at the front practically screamed ' No Shoes' and ran to him to almost drag them off his feet. As Tony explained they are clean as he was settling back into his seat, the bloke was rummaging around his feet to ensure that there was indeed another set of shoes safely tucked away in the blue plastic bag that the bus had issued. Two men then started to inspect the bathroom floor to ensure it was still clean and that Tony hadn't contaminated it. There were quite a few stifled laughs from other passengers who witnessed this spectacle.
We arrived in Phang Nha, after a few other people had also been shouted at by the bus company for having bags on the floor, no shoes, no this, no that at 9.30pm. We got to our hotel room to be treated with dirty sheets, a dirty bathroom floor, grubby looking walls and no hot water. Perfect location for Christmas. We were staying for one night before heading on the caving trip but then returning for another two. Gutted!