After genuinely feeling lucky to be alive, we got off the death bus in Hanoi at 6am in the middle of a typhoon. Soaking wet we managed to get a passing taxi and go to our hostel. At this point it was impossible to get an idea of what the capital city is like and for once we were able to check in and not have to wait until 2pm. Tired and just wanting to sleep we made our way up ten flights of stairs, bags weighing double as they were wet. Once we got settled and we both begin getting some dry clothes out we realised something....When the bus was driving through the metre high flooded streets our bags have being fully submerged in water under the coach. Everything is wet! For some reason we found this funny and probably because we were so happy to be off that bus but the one thing that is really annoying is the India lonely planet book is drenched. This is a book that cost us $60 and we never used it. This is a book that weighs two kilograms and sits heavy in the bottom of Matt's bag in the hope that we will one day use it. This is a book that due to the water damage is now twice the size and weight. It was that bad that Matt was able to squeeze and ring the book out. As for our clothes we sent them all to wash as they were soaked in muddy water. We then set a drying rack up in the room for the bags, electronics, sleeping bags, shoes and medical kit etc, using the two upright fans in the room. The room already smelt damp so we also had to purchase the A/C for two days and have it set to drying mode.

Things could be worse, we could be in a smashed up coach at the bottom of a 200m gorge in the middle of the highlands. On researching the facts, this has happened all too often for our liking and it is fit to say NO MORE Vietnamese night buses for us and flights will take their place, no matter what the cost. We feel like we have tempted fate one time too many.

The weather didn't really hold off until late afternoon so we got ready and had the standard arrival day walk to suss it out. Recommended by the lonely planet we headed for Zeniths Yoga and Veggy cafe for lunch to chill with the hippies and walked around the old quarter of town. We are not quite sure why it is classed as the Old Quarter as all the shops like everywhere else in Asia are selling exactly the same as their neighbours. We finally settled in a bar looking over the main roundabout in town and shared a keg of Saigon beer while the sunset and watched the crashes and near misses on the roads below. It is clear to say that the Vietnamese do not know how a roundabout should work.

M & C xxxx