So Vietnam...what can I say... It's absolutely the most amazing place I have ever had the privilege of visiting. Now you all thought I liked China...well this place is now my favourite. The China tour was so good because of the friends I made while there on top of the sights and experience, I have been very lucky to have made some good ones in Vietnam as well. However the one thing China didn't have was beaches and sun. Vietnam just seemed to encompass everything I wanted to see, feel, learn and experience all in one. The people here are so friendly; they will go to their wits end and beyond to help you. Its funny because if you see it here, you'll be amazed at how the Western World lacks this, people in England will pass you on the street and scowl or ignore you, people here smile and wave. That's a total stereotype I know but at the moment I don't care! If we had this human interaction and respect at home it would be a far better place. That's a bit philosophical I know (sorry, I know not everyone is like that but it just feels that way). So Vietnam, I have been to Hanoi, Hue (ancient capital), Hoi An, Whale Island, Nang Trang, Saigon and a couple of other little places along the way, and I would have to say they are all fantastic. Hanoi, when I arrived I met a couple from New Zealand, Claire and Jules (Julian) (a massive Mari guy), we walked around what is referred to as the Old Quarter. It's brilliant, small windy roads and alleyways that lead everywhere. Its like navigating a maze (Tim if you ever have to map this just say no). There were few cars on the road; the city is a hive for mopeds. They are everywhere. So much so that's its scary...the brilliant thing about Vietnam is that when you cross the road the bikes actually go around you. You just need to get the courage to start walking. I met two Kiwis the second I arrived, called Claire and Jules...quality couple - Jules is a huge Mari guy (quite scary to start with), but we went for an explore...Its so cool. We stayed in the heart of the old quarter...bustling all around us. Shops or restaurants filled every little bit of space, with Hanoi Lake just to the south, a five-minute walk. I walked around the lake and weaved in and out of the traffic like an ant in a crowd. Its even quite fun trying to cross the road...The food was excellent, a lot of seafood in Hanoi. I had Seabass in a local Jazz Restaurant across from our hotel and it cost less than $5, absolutely gorgeous. Met up with some of the group the day after. Mainly my new friends Holly (yes there are nice ones) Gemma and Penny. Penny is Holly's mum, Holly is a dancer who danced in the Moulin Rouge, and Gemma is Holly's cousin and working for the company. Such quality girls, really down to earth, big drinkers and all round the nicest people in the world...They took me in as a stray and I soon became family. We saw the Tomb of Ho-Chi, very much like Mao in Ti'anemen but Ho Chi actually looks real...One more to go and I have all 3 pickled corpses under my belt...Lenin here I come..... Anyhow it's really interesting, our tour leader Quan is Vietnamese, and the way he talks about this guy is fascinating. Ho-Chi, or Uncle Ho as we all now know him, is seen as by the Vietnamese as part of their family...he is virtually a saint, not only cos he defeated the Yanks and the Frogs, but he liberated Vietnam after hundreds of years of oppression. The Vietnamese unknown to me had a really in depth past, of Emperors and war. Something I had no clue about before I visited. Now Ho-Chi also lived as a common man, fighting for the people at all times, while being one of them. He never used the Presidential Palace, and had a little cabin on stilts where he worked and lived. I did feel like I was being slightly indoctrinated by Quan, as I remember very little about Uncle Ho myself apart from the American side of things. But if he was everything they say, fair play to the man, he deserves the respect they give him. Anyhow enough about pickled corpses, we were accosted by a group of school kids who wanted Holly's autograph...one cheeky little one even asked for her phone number...cool kid. We went for local beers in the street, where you sit on a plastic stool in the middle of the road, we saw the temple of literature (the first university of Vietnam) Gemma and Penny were made to dance by the local music players...funny stuff. I have to say again that after about 4 meals in Hanoi I was amazed at the quality of food, it's really good. The rest of the time was taken up by pottering around, chilling out and relaxing. We did the most surreal thing in the world...a water puppet show...Anyone even thinking about seeing this; it's the biggest load of crap I have ever seen...Like seriously! The girls all fell asleep while Amanda (another lady on tour) and I wanted to slit our wrists. Horrible... no wonder it's a dying art! From here we met the rest of the group...Sophie and Flora 18 years old, Gap Year from London, Marcus and Katie.... Fantastic couple from Huddersfield, very friendly, great fun to be around and got engaged in Whale Island.... Kim 1, a trainee tour leader, Aussie. A lovely girl! Amanda - just retired and travelling the world, very sarcastic and funny. Kim 2 or the mood as she is renowned...one of the nicest girls I have met in a long while, great fun, easy to chat to, and all around brilliant sense of humour, Dave and Flick Aussie Man and Wife, very mature and interesting, Eva a German girl from Dusseldorf who sounds strangely American and last but not least Jonny and Georie, a very cute couple again on gap years from London 18 I believe. That's it in a nutshell. Then a sleeper train to Hue - ancient capital of Vietnam.... This was a 14-hour journey. I like Vietnam sleeper trains, much more comfortable than Chinese ones. We crossed the DMZ and 17th Parallel - the old border between North and South Vietnam, and watched the countryside flicker past. Its hard not to get overwhelmed with the beauty of this place, so traditional and quaint. Hue - now Hue is a sore subject for many of the group, but I didn't mind it.... Mainly cos our hotel had a pool, it was baking hot (I am referring to 35 degrees +), we had a brilliant night at a bar (the DMZ bar), great food and rode motorbikes. At the bar I made a new friend - a little field mouse called Fido kept popping up from the furniture to say hello. They are Geckos everywhere and Cockroaches are frequently visible. The reason many people didn't take to it was because on day one where we had a LONG and I mean LONG day at a Palace remains. It was really boring, even for me who likes the history. Holly and I were devising a plan to fake an illness so we could go and use the pool! The weather was baking and we were all tired and grumpy. One person in particular! Kim (the mood) as I now refer to her as...She said...the mood is horrible and it went from there. She's brilliant...classic line from her all the time. I just asked her randomly how the mood was and it went from Horrible, to sweaty, to festering, and so on... We also took a cruise down the perfume river...didn't smell that good to me...which was cool! Very relaxing even with a hangover! We saw the car the famous Monk who burnt himself to death in the streets of Saigon during the war...the Heat damages is still visible. And we also visited the Royal tombs that were cool, like a whole city for the dead. The highlight was the moped race back to the hotel.... Just see the pictures it was brilliant! One other notable occurrence was the spontaneous eating of Crepes with Ice Cream enroute home one night...gorgeous and we started to teach the owner rhyming slang. From here it was onto Hoi An.....