I had booked a two day, one night trip to Halong Bay, I knew so today was going to be quite a busy day to fit everything in. There was the option for me to stay an extra night at Monkey Island, but I had already spent $60 on the ticket and to do that would have cost an extra $30 (I had spoken to people who had been able to book their's for a bit cheaper, but I booked mine throught the hostel, which was why it cost more). The bus was supposed to get to the hostel ...

After months of planning (and about two weeks of absolute panic!) I've finally made my way into the big wide world! Between leaving Heathrow and landing in Hanoi I over-nighted in Bangkok. The transfer from Hanoi Airport to the hostel took about an hour, during which time I was able to see what the real Vietnam. I was slightly taken aback by the living conditions of the rural population. I knew that Vietnam was quite a poor nation, but I wasn't expecting to see w...