(Sorry for all the accents over a lot of these words, using a Vietnamese keyboard.) So we finally left Hanoi, woop! Although to leave Hanoi we had to get on board our first night bus. This one was only 2 and a bit hours long (pretty sure it was meant to be 3 but the driver was crazy) but gave ús a taste òf what is to come. Because we were getting off at the first stop we were right at the front on the top bunk beds. The beds are a perfect size for me, so múst...

On Sunday the 15th Mike and I left for a trip to Ha Long Bay after our first couple of days in Hanoi. This was the trip I was looking forward to most in all of Vietnam and couldn't wait. (Mike was looking forward to Sapa the most - a mountain trek which unfortunately we didn't get to do as I was too ill, again, poor Mike. During the Ha Long Bay tour we met a group of three travelling together who said Sapa had been the best thing they had done during thier previo...

First got to Hanoi on Sept 11th after flying from Delhi via Kuala Lumpur (met Mike at the airport in Kuala Lumpur for our onward flight). I was expecting the cars/streets to be on par with India, but it is all so much nicer here, and far more developed. Our hotel is on a quiet road in the Old Quarter of Hanoi (necessary as Mike had flown 3 days in a row with a total of 12hrs time difference). The rest of the Old Quarter is busy. It seems to get busier and busier ...

Got to Agra quite late on the 7th and arrived at our home stay. The family were extremely welcoming, especially the mum of the house. They were a Hindu family, and Liz explained that it would be my birthday the next day and she replied that we must celebrate which was exciting! On the 8th we woke up earlier as we had planned to see the Taj Mahal at sunrise - early start at 5am! I opened all my cards that I had been saving since the start of the trip, (I had trie...

After a packed day in Mumbai we took the first day in Jaipur at a pretty slow pace, partly because we were tired and also because I was still ill and had decided to go to see a doctor to sort out the stomach infection I had had for about two weeks. Luckily the hotel was really nice and clean, and there was a great rooftop restaurant to look over Jaipur from and take in some of the city. The Dr's surgery was anything but clean- a nurse (some guy who Liz and I ha...