By the seaside at Nha Trang

I know it's a long time since i said i'd get back to you all from dinner in Hanoi but i've been busy,had places to go,trains to catch,i've been on a timetable,i really wish i was on holiday instead.Hee hee!!

Well i arrived into Nha Trang the early hours of this morning,my journey on the reunification express ran a little behind schedule hence the late or rather early arrival into a strange town.The train journey was a great experience,chugging our way south from Hanoi at speeds no greater than 40k,it is a 1726km journey from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh city taking anything up to 40hrs to get there.I probably spent 30hrs on board her,meals(not certain what was in the prepacked foil containers but there was rice) and complementary bottles of water were provided.I also got a bed or what is called a soft sleeper with air-con not sure it was always fuctional.There are five classes of train travel to choose from in Vietnam,they are arranged based on the type of seat,depends how comfortable you want to be on a long journey.I got from A to B eventually,although i was travelling with friends we were not in the same coach,my first night i spent in the company of a German couple and there eight year old daughter,stories were told and we entertained one another for the evening before grabbing some sleep.I said farewell to them and my friends the next morning at Hue,while i continued south.I got the cabin to myself but later had company.Spent most of the day staring out at the views of Vietnam passing by and reading.My current book of choice is "the girl in the picture" the story of Kim Phouc and the nepalm bomb that injured her during the Vietnam war.A bit of a tough read but gives a good insight into the Vietnam war and what happened.

Nha Trang seems to be a bustling place,lots of motorcycles and bikes nipping around the place and just like Hanoi they all seem to be choregraphed when it comes to junctions,at least there is traffic lights in this town.The beach looks very inviting and i'm going to be out jogging on it in the morning,it was a little too warm to be out under the sun today so took it easy and saw some of the sights in the afternoon when it was not as hot.The main attraction here is the beach and water sports really.It does have an impressive pagoda decorated with mosaic dragons of glass and ceramic tiles.It still has resident monks.However more impressively is two giant buddas,one lying down and another seated on top of the hill.It is perfectly white and seated looking over the town,you're meant to be able to see it from the town,i haven't as yet.Otherwise i get the feeling Nha Trang is a seaside resort that can get busy.This evening when i went down to the beach to see the sun go down the place was full of locals on a day out or maybe this is how they spend their evenings.

Hanoi however was very impressive,loved how busy and alive it was,the traffic was mad.Crossing the road was always a gamble but you learn to brave it and the motorcyclists all seem to weave around you.Being on the back of a taxi motorcycle was also an experience,i have to say i felt safe and loved weaving in and out of the traffic and travelling along side other motorcyclists.The bicycle is big here too.Four million people live here and half of them own a motorcycle of some sort.Speaking of four million people in a city,two of my truck buddies who have been off the truck and i've not seen them since the 10th,they've being doing a bit of independant travel,i bumped into them in Hanoi a city of four million people and i bump into them.Mad.

Stayed in the old quater of Hanoi,checked out the colonial buildings,visited a few of the sights.I didn't get to see the resting place and the man himself Ho Chi Minh as closed each time i was in town,so another time.I did however join the locals on my last morning there jogging around Hoan Kiem lake a few times before joining in with a few ladies practising t'ai chi,i decided i'd run over to Lenin park to join in with the locals there but you had to pay an admission fee,i came out without my purse so settled to running around a lake just across from the park and then back home for a shower and breakfast,all before eight.Hoan Kiem lake has a legend,that in the mid 15th century heaven gave the then emperor Ly Thai To a magical sword that he used to drive out the chinese from Vietnam.One day after the war whilest boating on the lake,a giant golden tortoise swimming grabbed the sword from him and disappeared into the depths of the lake returning the sword to it's divine owners.

Hanoi was also a culinery and gourmet delight,some fine dining was done.The recommendations for evening dinner have to be the Green Tangerine,an exceptional menu to choose from and how the chef decided to put such foods together is simply magical.We got all dressed up and sat for hours enjoying our meal also had some lovely Australian and French wine to complement our meal.The reatuarant is set in a restored colonial building,we could have been in France that evening if it wasn't for our vietnamese waiting staff.Also another favourite was a place called KOTO which stands for "know one,teach one" i like what this place is doing for Hanoi.It's owner takes in disadvantaged people and gives them mentoring in culinary careers,very admirable and the food is exceptional.A bit like what Jamie Oliver is trying to do for the kids of London. Koto was so good we went twice during our stay there.Another great thing about Hanoi was the coffee served,coffee back on the menu and so good to be enjoyed again.Hats too are big here,everyone has one to shade the sun from their brows,all sorts,i loved the green safari hats especially.

Halong bay was great,magnificient with lots of tiny islands rising up out of the sea,so many of them,some just great big tall rocks.I found it amazing to be among it's scenary.At one point i was in a kayake on my own and the realisation of where i was and what i was doing hit me yet again,and then i shared the moment with those around me.Tom was in another kayake while Alex and Sos were swimming around us.Halong bay was spent on a big old junk boat out at sea for two nights and nearly three days in the company of Tom,Alex,Grant,Sos and Mush.Lots of seafood was on the menu every day all locally caught and sourced each day.Got a few swimming lessons from Sos who helped me get in the water with lots of encouragement from the others and i swam in the gulf of Tonkin in the South China sea.Slowly getting braver in the water.So much so i went out kayaking also,thankfully i didn't tip over managed to stay afloat at all times.It was incredible,i hope Halong bay stays undisturbed for as long as possible.It is a place spotted with many islands all heavy with vegetation and numerous caves to be explored.One cave we visited on Cat Ba island is know as hospital cave because in the war it had been used as a secert location to nurse the injured,an amazing piece of engineering born out of necessity.Although our weather was beautiful the distant views were often hazy but the water always was a clear turquiose and so warm to swim in.Halong means "where the dragon desends into the sea" legends tells the story of how a dragon plunged into the sea creating the islands.The mystery and intrigue of it all,a holiday within a holiday.Halong bay has also been on the set of 007 according to Alex.

I've left behind Laos which i feel i didn't really get to tell you too much about,but another beautiful place so lush and green while Vietnam is all these things too but seems to be under more water or maybe thats all the paddy fields floating around the countryside.I have been amazed by both these two countries beauty,again the list of places to visit gets re-shuffled.