ok so i left you on the 18th when we were awaiting our first overnight train from ho chi minh to na trang!.... surprisingly the carriage on the train was actually ok! the room slept four (2 bunk neds) so us 4 got to share a room! the beds were clean and we had tv in our room! we had some of the others in our carriage for some games of cards and then settled down for the night! i woke up a few times but it wasnt too bad really!

19th
arrived in na trang early and transferred straight to hotel! hotel was nicest so far, even had a pool! not all of the rooms were reasy so we chilled out until breakfast and then went and got ready for outr day! na trang is on the coast, so after an hr by the pool.... obviously to the beach! :) this day is where i have got my tan from! :) looking brown now so happy bunny! the beach was not as nice as sihanoukville,cambodia... but there were much less sales ladies etc and it was pretty deserted to be fair so had a good few hrs just sunbathing!
that night we went out for food, and then a lots of drink, well who could refuse 60p for a double local vodka and mixer!... we then went on to a place called sailor club which is on the beach and was really nice! had a few 'jam jars' and danced on the beach! that was my first drunken night!

20th
needless to say i missed the early breakfast that day! ha. we left at 10am for the local mudbaths/spa.. had a soak in a hot mudbath which was amazing as id mever done that before!!!!
then the rain set in! it was only showers but meant we couldnt spend rest of day at beach as planned! me and jackie jusr sat under umbrellas by the pool .... we had another overnight train so had already cheacked out of the room that morning!
this 2nd overnight train did not appeal as the last one did to say the least! it was grotty and we got our sleeping bags out for the first time! to be fair its what i expected them all to be like so i wasnt too bothered! didnt get much sleep though as it was older train and more rickety!! woke up with a stiff neck and a great need for my own bed!lol.
21st
went straight to bed on arrival at hotel where luckily at 6am all the rooms were ready! had a couple of hrs before breakfast and a tour round the town of Hoi An. this is my fave place so far, its small and quaint and the people here have warmed me to the vietnamese, as i dont find them as friendly as the cambodian people! Hoi An is well renowned for it tailoring shops! every other shop is a tailors or sells lanterns, and all very bright!
i ordered myself a dress from one of the main tailors in town, and it is beautiful! i also have ordered while here 2 other dresses, some sandals, shorts and a kimono!! oops for the tight budget, but where else can i get stuff tailor made so cheaply to fit my awkward shape! :)
so after a browse and being measured for our things, we had a look around the town and market, went for lunch, and then after a hard days shopping i had a couple of hrs nap before teatime!
we went for tea and a few drinks, but not too late! until me and jackie got back to our room and the air con was broke so had someone out fixing it until 12am lol.

22nd we had a semi-early start to go get our first fittings at the different shops/stalls for our cloths/shoes clothes fittings, then spent a couple of hrs by the pool before we had our 2nd fitting late afternoon! the way they make things to fit so quickly and just how you like them is amzing! and the quality is great! though i had one expensive dress and then the other things were quite cheap! i love the way the poeple in south east asia are so honest about peoples size lol, as they are all so small and slim my big ass seems to be a novelty, its interesting how they try to explain it... apparently i have a 'strong bum'!!! when we wnet for our 2nd fitting at one shop me jackie and caz all ended up getting fitted for another dress made in thai silk for the bargain price of 25USD.. who could resist that! so on the way to meet the others in the group for tea we hadto go try them on, they literally had 3 hrs! thankfully mine fit perfect first time round this time! i really need to get my budget head on now!!!! eek!!

so although ive been a bit homesick today as i have a cold and i broke my camera at the beach in na trang :( .............. i am still loving it! just gasping for a good old english cuppa tea!!! tomorrow morning we leave for Hue further up the coast!