Da Lat
Even if it was only for a couple of days, the rain and the coolness was a welcome relief from months of heat and humidity. We booked on a cooking course with a young, very cheery and not just a little ecentric woman calles Son. She decided to give nick names in the morning

Dad - Happy Bhudda - she found, what shall we say, slightly large belly more than a little funny, it was patted throughout the day lol!
Mum - Noodle Soup
Darren - Micheal Jackson
Me - Lady Ga Ga
Son - Lap Lab Bla - she said because she never stops talking

The market was cool cause it was all the locals & I think they thought we looked funny because they were laughing at us. It was so colourful with loads of fruit and veg we've never seen before and at times more than a little smelly One dram sells fake dollars and a set with a suit, a shirt and tie, glasses, a mobile, a pen and another few things. They are all made from paper and after a loved one dies they are burnt, the belief is that they don't go to heaven they come back a new person and in burning it gives good fortune for the new life.
After we got all our ingredients we went to Sons garden and the cooking began. I won't go into the details but it tasted freeking awesome, here's our menu
° crispy spring rolls
° chicken noodle soup
° chicken with lemongrass
° fish in coconut sauce and
° mixed fruits from the market
Just as we were about to eat it began to pour down and a huge tree came down smashing some of the roof and putting in a door. We then got invited into the house and found that the couple who own the house hadn't actually known Son until the month before. When she turned up on their door and asked if she could host her cooking classes in their garden, so they said yes and don't charge her anything she only pays electricity and water. The man calle Ly (Lee) ate with us and gave us beer, juice and whisky. This is a very generous and kind gesture in Vietnam usually held for friends and family. I think we all fell a little bit in love with Ly, after a tree damaged his house and water was pouring in everywhere he said he was thankful no one was hurt and that he made new friends. Its hard to convey the day like it was but was one of the best days we've had.
Ho Chi Minh City
So thought for Sheila and Alistairs last few days we'd splash out and stay somewhere that cost more than £5 a night lol! After a marathon taxi away from the centre our big dreams turned out to be a skanky wee pool and a hotel run by the mafia on a building site, OOOPS! Back in the taxi to the madness that is HCMC and got a nice hotel amongst all the hustle and bustle for $19 a room after some negotiations :-) Got a moped taxi to the cathedral and my mum didn't scream but enjoyed it to my surprise. After a quick look about the cathedral and a wander round the city we went to the water puppets show and then on a river boat cruise which was cool. Me and wee Sheila went to the night market and even though Darren and I are homeless, I bought loads of goodies for the house we'll have one day ;-)
We done a day trip to the Cu Chi Tunnels, which even second time round still amazes me some of the deception tricks the vietnamese used during the war ( sandals with the sole back to front so you would think they went in the opposite direction). After we went to a Cao Dai Temple, couldn't follow the service but it was a cool sight and a cool building.
We decided to have a party night for their last night, after a massage first to chill us out obviously. Started with a few beers on the pavement and after mum called it a night at 2am, Darren, dad and me went to a bar with a few Irish guys we met and their vietnamese pals - one being a lady boy wearing the red dress in the pics. A good night had by all.
We went up the tower for a wee view across the city and then a bad ass steak dinner as the last supper. Just before the flight we ditched the boys and went for a pedicure, thinks its the first time I've had clean feet since we left.
Absolutley awesome few weeks!

Love you long time x x x