Good Morning Vietnam!

Sorry I haven't been around for a few days. Been busy busy. The computers here are sooooo slow I haven't been able to add any more photos yet.

After leaving Cambodia we took a veryyyy long coach journey to Vietnam. I was so tired and hot, really wanted to just be there and not have to sit on a coach for so long. Luckily there was a toilet on board, so when the coach stopped I thought I would quickly take a wee. Just as I am squatting over this toilet desperately trying to keep my bottom away from the germ infested toilet the coach decides to move, sending me crashing down and nearly falling in the toilet. Then to make the situation even more delightful I couldn't even unlock the door and thought I might end up spending the rest of the journey locked away in the smelly closet.

We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City at lunch time so after checking in took to the streets in a hunt for some food. We treated ourselves to a rather posh restaurant where I gave in and had spag bol. It was delicious!

Full belly we went for a wonder. Now after being in such hot temps for over a month I was just desperate for a haircut. My ends were looking so gross and I just really needed them to be cut. I found a beauty salon which looked quite nice and hopeful. Firstly they lied me down on a massage bed to wash my hair. This was interesting, but in fact the best way I have ever had my hair washed, and was given a lovely head massage at the same time. Great, this looks like I could be in the right place.
Next I am taken to a chair to have my haircut. Now I try to explain to the woman that I literally just want my ends cut off. She can't speak a word of English and just dumps this style book in my laps and wants me to point at what I want. I have a flick through and after deciding that I don't want my hair cut short or put into some funky style which would make me need to wake up an extra 30 minsutes every morning I close the book and try to show her how much I want cutting. I think she understands me and smiles politely. Next thing I know she is hacking off a good 2-3 inches!!! At the front she layers my hair from above my chin!!! I yell at her to stop as with it that short I won't be able to chuck it up in the heat. She just smiles and keeps saying ok! I am sat about a meter away from a mirror with no glasses on so am finding it hard to see what she is really doing. I give in and let her get on with it. After she has finished I look at the end result. I wanted to cry. She had in fact, done a really good job and had I been in England I would have been very impressed. But when your away and just want to put your hair up in the morning this is soooo not the hair cut you want. Lesson learnt here, is stick with the dry ends!

The second evening me and Emma said goodbye to the Cambodia tour group and said hello to the new Vietnam tour group. There was another 8 people, ALL Australian!!!! Even after 7 days with these people we still haven't really bonded. 6 of them are all there together and are really clicky. But we don't care, we just go off and do our own stuff.

So we spent the next few days in this area and did another home stay which was nice. Hummm, what else did we do that I could tell you about and not bore you? Oh, me and Emma were lost and ended up getting a motorbike ride back to our hotel. This was possibly the scariest moment of my life. Anyone who's ever been here will understand how crazy this city is, there are motorbikes everywhere!!! I am surprised I haven't been killed yet as to cross roads you actually have to walk out and hope they miss you. Well on this 5 minute ride we saw one guy come off his bike and we were centimetres from hitting a bus. But I lived to see another day.

On Thursday it was my Birthday and we were in Nha Trang. Thank you everyone for my lovely messages. As that night we had to go on a night train, me and Emma went out the night before. 3 of the Aussies joined us and oh my Buddha we were a tad too drunk. But what a brilliant night. After only 2 hours sleep I spent my birthday feeling sorry for myself. The afternoon was good though as we went to some mud baths.

Now we are in Hoi An. It is something like 37 degrees here and sweat just drips off you. Today me and Emma hired bikes and went to the beach. It was gorgeous. Clear blue sea and sky.... Golden beaches... Fresh crab for lunch... Hard life I know!

This evening we went to a cookery class and half way through there was a power cut so we were sat in pitch black for a while. The food we made was actually pretty lame. So I brought a street donut on the way home and it tasted like crap. Not a good evening for food!

I have now come to the conclusion I am absolutely s*** with direction. Every single day me and Emma get lost. Even when we have a map (sometimes 2 different ones) we still manage to get lost. The other day we were lost for 2 hours!!! Everytime we ask someone the way they always tell us different things!

Well this kid sat next to me just chuffed on a whole cigarette while the smoke blowed all over me then just chucked the end on the floor without putting it out! Nice! On that note, I'm gonna get the hell out of here.

Missing you all

xxx