Part 69: Da Nang.... Now this was much more like it. If only we had this very same bus from Hanoi to Hue. I sat back in the fully reclined seat, legs extended out, watching cartoons on the wide screen TV just above the drivers head - texting my brother in the UK on wifi, who was tracking my moving location all the while by satellite. He was actually giving me a running commentary of what lay ahead on the roads; oh the marvels of modern technology! This whilst...

Part 68: Hue... When the we arrived at Hue, all I kept thinking about was laying down fully stretched out on a flat bed instead of the horrendously uncomfortable chairs we just endured for the last 18 hours!! I cant tell you how happy we were to see the back of the bus from hell - that was one tough experience! The coach dropped us off at a random street which I believed to be the bus station, actually it was more of a hut with a travel office! Our bags were ...

Part 67: Bus from hell.... Barely an hour had passed before I began losing some feelings in my legs, hopelessly trying to contort them into impossible positions just to get comfortable; it wasn't happening. The narrow walkways now housed the passengers luggage as well as large packages for the drivers. Finding out they use these over night sleeper busses to transport goods to make extra money, which wasn't the safest arrangements, but there was literally nowhe...

Part 66: On the road south.. Hanoi so far had been an amazing experience and I could quite have easily stayed a few more days. I found the people extremely welcoming and friendly, even if communications were sometimes challenging with English not being widely used here. We explored this authentic city, overflowing with culture, mainly on foot, which unless you brave the tidal-wave of scooters and motorbikes, is definitely the best way to see it. The result wa...

Part 65: Halong bay.... I woke early at 7.00 am very much looking forward to the Halong Bay trip, and to see if it lived up to the hype of being a UNESCO world heritage site. The weather was damp and drizzly, much like it had been since I arrived in Vietnam - and it didn't look like I'd be getting my sun cream out today either. Both me and Martin patiently waited in hostel reception for the bus to the bay which was 170 km east of Hanoi, taking around 4 hours. ...