TUE 30 HANOI

DONT RECOMMEND STAYING AT THE VICTORY HOTEL-NOT UNLESS YOU WANT STAFF FROM THE HOTEL GOING IN YOUR ROOM AS AND WHEN THEY FEEL LIKE IT WHEN YOU ARE OUT-EVENWITH DO NOT DISTURB SIGN ON DOOR.
GROUP TRIP TO SEE HO CHI MINH OR "UNCLE HO" AS THE VIETNAMESE CALL HIM.THE SECURITY AND UNNESESSARY PROTECTION AROUND HO CHI MINH WAS TOTALLY OTT.
THERE WERE AT LEAST NINE ARMED GUARDS JUST IN A SMALL ROOM DISPLAYING HIM IN HIS GLASS SARCOPHAGUS.MOR SECURITY HERE THAN AT LUANG PRABANG AIRPORT!
HOARDS OF PEOPLE CAME AND QUEUED TO SEE HIM AND THE MUSEUM.GUARDS BARKED OUT AT WESTERNERS (BUT NOT LOCALS!) TO BE QUIET-NO TALKING! AND THIS WAS OUTSIDE.EVERYONE HAD TO WALK IN PAIRS OR ELSE THEY STARTED BLOWING THEIR WHISTLES AT YOU.SO TYPICALLY COMMUNIST.YOU CAN DRIVE JUST ABOUT ANYWAY YOU LIKE AND THEY DO NOTHING -BUT DARE TO TALK IN A LINE NEAR THEIR BELOVED UNCLE HO AND LOOK OUT! THE TEMPERATURE WAS 38 DEGREES AND WE WERE WILTING UNDER THE STRONG SUN.THE GUIDE ON THE OTHER HAND WAS COOL AND FRESH-EVEN WITH LONG TROUSERS ON.COOLED OFF WITH SOME WELL DESERVED FRESH BEER-6000 VIETNAMESE DONG (25P)A GLASS!
JUST AS WE HAD TO LEAVE FOR THE TRAIN STATION THE SKIES OPENED AND IT ABSOLUTELY POURED DOWN.

WED 1ST JULY

THE OVERNIGHT TRAIN FROM HANOI TO HUE WAS NOT TOO BAD.WE WERE IN A FOUR BERTH SLEEPER CABIN WITH A COUPLE FROM OUR GROUP.WE SAW SOME REALLY BAD CABINS WITH GOD KNOWS HOW MANY TO A CABIN.
ARRIVED IN HUE JUST BEFORE 9AM AND BY 10AM ALL ELEVEN OF US WERE HITTING THE STREETS (MUCH QUIETER STREETS) OF HUE ON THE BACK OF MOTORBIKES.THE TRAFFIC AND NOISE HERE IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN HANOI.OUR RIDERS WERE QUITE GOOD (ONE RAN OUT OF PETROL AND ONE FLAT TYRE -BUT NO ACCIDENTS!) WE SPD THROUGH THE COUNTRYSIDE,ACROSS RICE FIELDS AND EVEN HAD TIME FOR A BOAT TRIP ON THE "PERFUME RIVER".WE VISITED SEVERAL PALACES,PAGODAS AND ALSO A ROYAL TOMB.TOUR ENDED ABOUT 630-A LONG DAY.NICE INDIAN TO ROUND OFF A BETTER DAY.

THUR 2 HOI AN

ON BUS TO HOI AN VIA HAI VAN PASS.STOPPED AT BEACH FOR QUICK SWIM IN SEA.FANTASTIC VIEWS FROM HAI VAN PASS-A STEEP WINDY ROAD SNAKING UP AND DOWN MOUNTAINS.SAW THE FAMOUS CHINA BEACH-WHERE THE US SOLDIERS USED TO GO FOR R&R DURING WAR WITH VIETNAM.ARRIVED HOI AN LUNCH TIME-NICE HOTEL WITH ROOFTOP POOL AND FREE INTERNET!
HOI AN IS EVEN QUIETER THAN HUE.IT SEEMS ALL THAT IS HERE IS TAILORS.BEING OUTNUMBERED 9-2 BY FEMALES NOT MUCH FUN HERE WHEN IT COMES TO DINNER TIME TALK-DRESSES,DRESSES,DRESSES!THINH I WILL TRY AND HUNT DOWN A GOLF COURSE TO ESCAPE.

FRI 3 HOI AN

MIMI OFF WITH GIRLS TO TAILORS.IM JUST RELAXING AS HAVNT BEEN TOO WELL.HOPE TO DO SOME KIND OF COOKING COURSE AND MAYBE A BIKE RIDE(IF I CANT FIND A GOLF COURSE)
WE ARE DUE TO FLY TO SAIGON ON SUNDAY MORNING AND THEN ON TUESDAY ONTO PHNOM PENH IN CAMBODIA.