Day 4 - Halong Bay is a fantastic place on earth to wake up in - what a view when I opened my curtains this morning! Unfortunately this was followed by a long bus journey a plane journey and yet another bus to get to Hue which is the former capital of Vietnam. Went to a presidential palace (guards photographed above) which was beautiful then the oldest Buddhist temple in Vietnam. Found it amusing that one of the monks was playing football wearing a shirt with Mes...

Day 3 Long drive from Hanoi to Halong Bay - amazed how much stuff the Vietnamese carry on a moped - even saw one guy with a live cow strapped to the pillion! Loc our local tour guide is an absolute star - has taught me OMG in Vietnamese "Oi choi Oi" which I now use all the time! Halong Bay is beautiful but very touristique - so many boats it's like going round the M25 but stunning all the same. I actually swam in the bay (swimming lessons paid off!) but it was pr...

Day 2 - had the most amazing day in this fantastic city. Went to the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh which was very moving - a whole country queuing up for hours to see a dead man they respect and admire. Then had a cyclo ride around the Old Quarter of Hanoi which was mind blowing - a place full of smells and colour and life - some of it upsetting but basically vibrant and alive - I will never forget that hour of my life. Then went to the Hanoi Hilton pow prison - thoug...

Arrived in Hanoi after two very long flights. Absolutely knackered but got a second wind at the hotel bar with a nice cold Tiger beer! There are some lovely people in the group - I know which ones to avoid already but there are four of us who are having a great laugh - in fact we were told to be quiet on the plane! Had a minor walk around Hanoi when we arrived and it's a bustle of people on motorbikes and bikes. Cats and birds in cages and people sitting on the p...