25th January

Arrived in Nha Trang at 5am, had about 2 hours sleep due to the bumpiest roads ever (we were in the back which didn't help the situation). Strolled to the beach like zombies, there was so many people just sitting, jogging and stretching as if it were normal! Sat on the beach and watched the sunrise (there was an island in the way though). Got to backpackers at 6am but couldn't check in until 12! Had the closest thing to an English breakfast we've seen in a while plus normal milk (most of Vietnam has been giving us either condensed milk or wierd vanilla flavoured milk). Explored Nha Trang but we were so tired and tried to have an early night, turns out the hostel is party central with the loudest bar in Nha Trang outside our door, don't think it was quiet all night.

Had to check out the next day to go a different hostel as there isn't anywhere in Nha Trang with 3 nights in a row available. Got to the new hotel (rather posh by our standards) dirty, unshowered and over tired 'No Room, full!' But we had booked, paid a deposit and had the reference to hostelbookers.com. The hotel worker claimed they had no affiliation with hostelbookers! We showed our confirmation and their profile on the website. He kept repeating'You did not get a confirmation from the hotel direct, you always need this!' Things got a little heated Laura wrote an arsey email to the manager. On our way back the backpackers (which we stayed at last night and have booked for tomorrow night) we got lost. Finally got back (very sweaty) reception lady told us to leave our bags and ask around the whole place. Scared we would spend a night on the beach she said if we don't find a real room we could sleep on a matress in the common room! During our hunt for a room we bumped into Andy and Lee, (Guys we bumped into in Halong Bay and Hue) they hepled us with the hunt but in the end it was unsuccesfull - matress it is! In the evening we had yummy pizza and free beer! Walked along the beach, hugh tipsy off 2 beers and Laura off 1 wine - mega lightweights lol, got back to makeshift room chatted to lovely english girls (one reminded us of Bex loads), actually slept so well!

Next day checked in to a real room, used this day to chill on the beach after the stressfull past few days lol. As it got dark we walked along the beachfrontand watched some sick rollerbladers doing little tricks with tiny cones - one so nearly bailed into us. Tryed to get to bed early, bus to Saigon at 7am tomorrow.

28th - Ho Chi Minh City(Saigon) - Hurrendous meant to be 10 hour bus journey took 13 hours, feeling exhausted and very uncomfortable didn't speed the journey up either. Arrived in the evening, dropped off in the middle of the road but just round the corner from our hostel. There's a curry place 3 doors down, on that straight away! Hugh got approached by a prostitute on his way to the ATM - LOL

Next day went to a Water Puppet show! Apparently 'you haven't been to Vietnam if you haven't seen one' - was really funny even though we couldn't understand a word. From a chicken romance to an actual fire breathing dragon! We spent most the time trying to figure out how they do it!? After we walked to Notre Dam and French style buildings and beatiful lit up streets, felt like London in some parts. Got lost on our way home, once we found out where we were hugh's flip flop broke, then bumped into Lee and Andy for the 4th time! Had some proper lush Vietnamese food.

Today we took an educational/depressing and deeply saddening trip to the war museum. Very graphic images of victims of the war and post war sufferers. Learnt a lot about the history (particularly French involvement). Has given us a new perspective and a better understanding of the countries flaws that we have noticed. Bus to Phnom Penh tomorrow, Bye bye Vietnam!