Spent yesterday afternoon at pool with Jim and Heather, the couple next door to us. The kids played for ages with their daughter Scarlet, throwing rocks into the pool then seeing who could collect the most from the bottom - amazing how well they are swimming now. Turns out Jim used to work for ABC news in America and spent a lot of time covering wars both as an embedded journalist and independently so we had a really good chat about uni stuff - really interesting...

Ended up watching the World Cup final on big screen at beach just outside Hoi An. One of the bars in town were running free mini buses to the beach bar and everyone seemed to be going there so we decided it was best option as Treat and the main square didn't seem to be pulling many people in for it. Squashed ourselves into mini bus with god knows how many people! Got to beach and found over 1000 people had went along, great atmosphere. Lots of people dressed up ...

Did a cookery course on Friday. Met at local restaurant at 8am (no lie ins on this holiday!) and our guide took us to local Market which was great. We'd wandered through it before but was better having a local with us to tell us all about the unusual fruit and veg and where everything came from. No idea when these people sleep - the farmers/fishermen work all day and late into the night then take their stuff to Market at 5.30 am, usually starting their journey wa...

Been in Hoi An since Monday, now Thursday..totally losing track of the days/dates. Loving Hoi An (although we have loved everywhere so far!). Spent Tuesday just wandering about the town, is really really hot just now. The town is so nice though and people just want to stop and chat to you all the time. Lots of little cafe/restaurants overlooking river so nice to stop for a drink and bit of air con now and again. The local brewed 'fresh beer' is sold in most place...

Spent last afternoon in Hanoi yesterday wandering around the old quarter, finally starting to get to know our way around and now we're leaving. Really loved it here despite the noise, dirt, dust and chaos. The old quarter is amazing, everything happens on the pavement outside people's houses. The govt allow people to have home shops so they use the downstairs of their house as a shop and live upstairs but most eat out on the pavement on small plastic tables and c...