Vietnam 22/3/14

Ho Chi Minh City

One cool little city & crazy roads with even more mopeds scooting around. We went to the war museum again and after I wondered why we done it again because it is one of the most brutal showcases of war and totally depresses you. Vietnam has never been able to recover agriculturaly due to all the chemicals dropped over the landscape and has instead reinvented itself industrialy. In the museum it shows many victims of agent orange and it is so sad because children are still born today with horendous disfigurments because someone down the line was there when agent orange was dropped.

On a happier note, around the backpackers area the atmosphere is great. Since a new law stopping chairs and tables being allowed on the pavements has came in the pavements are lined with cardboard and you park your bum wherever you can find a spot and drink the local beer. Which we obviously did and had a great night with some locals introducing us to qual eggs as a snack with beer and the never ending drinking salut of "Hai Bai Yo" (spelling def wrong but thats how it sounds)

We found out Wee Sheila and Chief Al were coming out in a few days so decided on a wee jaunt for a couple of days to Can Tho, it's one of the main ports along the Mekong Delta. We only stayed for a day cause we thought it was a bit boring and headed back to HCMC to wait on the rents. Thninking we were all prepared to go meet them at the airport with bus routes and the right money etc we managed to miss the last bus. Since we left most of our money back at the hostel we had to bartar for a moped taxi. So off we went the driver in front, me wedged in the middle with no helmet and Darren holding on for dear life at the back, We made it in one piece though.

Mum and Dad just loving wandering around taking in all the activity on the streets and of course mastering the art of crossing a road in Vietnam and still being alive on the other side. Mum and Dad went to the war museum too and wee Biddy had a good greet in it too before we headed on an overnight bus to the next town.

Nha Trang

The overnight bus seemed pretty cool until my dad landed us up the back row. So instead of having our own wee sleeping station, the 4 of us and a stranger had to sleep side by side on a sweaty, long and bumpy journey, thanks old man, def owe you one for that. We arrived at 8am so got on the swimming gear, had a full scottish breakfast and then spent the rest of the day on the beach and started off the holiday with the rents. We decided a wee week by the beach was in order, so most days we chilled out swimming and reading at the beach. Since the rents only here for a few weeks a few beers and cocktails went down pretty well too ;-) Introduced the newbies to the wonderful card game monopoly so a good few hours spent drinking more beer and trying to beat each other.

We wanted to go on a fiching trip and got a day on a boat visiting Hon Mun, Mo and Tom San Islands doing a wee bit of snorkelling before a seafood lunch on a floating restaurant. The fishing aspect didnt quite live up to what we were wanting but was fun none the less. The 4 of us had a wager on for 400,000dong (about 12pounds) to the winner of who caught the biggest fish. No fishing rods just a plastic cylinder with a length of wire wrapped around it that we flung in the water as we sat on teh side of the boat. Mum, Darren and me didn't catch a thing never mind the biggest, Dad caught a cool tropical fish. Obv he won our wager but it was also the biggest catch on the boat so he was all chuffed ;-) Also being a bit crazy at times he went onto another tour boat who had a band on and started dancing in the middle of everyone, everyone was laughing and he got an applause it was priceless.

Got a taxi to the other side of the river where all the local restaurants are and found ourselves a doozy. We are like kings, some og the tastiest seafood about and the waitress was laughing at how excitable we were when each different dish came out. We went back another night across teh river and sat outside at a wee plastic table and chairs. After we were sitting for 10minutes everyone started running and shouting because the police were coming. Obv with the new law we couldnt be outside so we all had to lift the table and chairs and run with them back over to the restaurant before the police got there, it certainly added excitement to the night.

love you long time xxx