Xin chao
27/12/09 another 8 hour journey, on the train, as the weather got hotter the air con began to fail, the paddy lakes gave way to a green fields of rice, these are the most uncomfortably trains so far, and not built for 6ft 4 Adonis's, only indigenous people who can squat with their legs tied in a bowline on the bight knot, We arrived in Ho Chi minh city / Saigon as the locals call it, to the madness of motor bikes again, these are far worse than Hanoi, they charge down pavements and pedestrians dive for cover, We visited the War remnants museum which gives a Viet Cong version of events, it is quite a sombre place with some harrowing photos and graphic accounts, the Reunification palace where the war ended in 1975, and Ben Thanh market which is meant to be the biggest market in Vietnam?, its not up to much, apart for the butchery row, and that's another story "of you name it we supply it". We travelled to Nay Ninh to a Caodai temple (Vietnams newest religion, 4miles from Cambodian border) this place had a great feel as the devotees prayed to children chanting ( probably my best Spielberg moment so far) and the Cu Chi war tunnels where the 16,000 Viet cong lived underground in 200km of tunnels taking the war to the Americans, these tunnels are very claustrophobic at 3m below ground, they have been made bigger for the fat tourists at the first level, we still had to crawl, levels 2 & 3 which are at 6m and 10m deep, are too small for the chunky westerners.( The American's are still not really liked even now, its very anti USA and it will explain why not many are travelling here).
Would we come back to Vietnam, Absolutely yes, we both loved it, Oonagh wants to come back for her made to measure wardrobe, In the cities trying to keep ahead of the scams does take the gloss off it a little, but in towns the people are friendly and sincere, and the varieties of food are to die for. So Tam biet to Vietnam
Sa-wat-dee 30/12/2009 from Patong on the island of Phuket, This is the liveliest place we have visited so far, A neon town and packed for New years eve with loud music pumping out from everywhere ,Lady boys and Go Go bars, We have travelled quite extensively But nothing had prepared us for where the budgie appeared from in one bar, after the strangest game of ping-pong, (Paul Daniels will never be the same), Enough said.!!!!!!!!!!
New year's eve, We both agreed it was the best ever, I probably won't be able to put it into words though. Thousands of revellers lined the beach, where locals held picnic's, every one was in a great party spirit, (No drunks), A stage had been erected at one end that had a rock band and after a DJ that played Rave music. Sailing boats , a Cruise liner and a Warship all anchored in the bay and lit up like xmas tree's. Hundreds of 4ft paper lanterns powered by a small flame floated skyward as everyone lit one for their new year wishes and thoughts of those that had past, fittingly, as only 5 years ago over 5,000 people lost their lives here in the tsunami ( Oonagh shed a tear, as we lit ours and sent ours to the heavens). All this amongst 5hrs of fireworks that people had bought from official/unofficial vendors,(some where so big they where being used as stools to sit on) The crescendo at midnight was like the 1812 overture, an awesome sight.
03/01/2010 We left the island of Phuket by ferry for the town of Ao Nang near Krabi, it's a quiet Backpackers town supported by Russian holidaymakers, really the complete opposite to Patong, and cheaper. One main road with same old shops all selling fake surf gear or made to measure suits, small hotels and restaurants, but the beaches are to die for.
We will come back to Thailand the land of smiley locals,

Lah gorn and happy new year the Chaffer's