After we left Hoi An, we briefly explored Nha Trang, a very western styled city with a huge coastline of sandy beaches. Here we went to two aquariums, went on a boat trip around islands with a crew who were in their own band and played "yellow submarine" in honour of all the English people, the drummer was playing on a home made drum kit made out of bins, they were amazing!

We left Nha Trang for Dalat, and arrived right in the middle of its monsoon season. There wasnt particularly much to do in Dalat, the town only had a few shops and restaurants, so we decided to go on the "easy rider tour" which took us around the countryside of Dalat. We walked up a mountain, saw coffee and strawberry plantations, silkworm factories, waterfalls and the crazy house (see picture). All of the time that we did this I was struggling to walk around, escpecially the waterfall and the mountain as I was getting extremely painful stomach cramps.

The next day we decided to go to the hospital to go for a check up. It turned out to be a very scary experience. After poking me in the stomach repetedly, having an ultra-scan and blood tests the doctors told me in their very limited English that my condition was "very dangerous" and that I needed an "operation today". After about an hour we were told that I had appendicitus. They seemed to generally be extremely worried about me as the whole time I skipped every single queue in the hospital (or they wanted our money quicker!). Within 4 hours of arriving at the hospital I was in the operating room where they made me lie down on a bed with a plank of wood cutting accross the bed so it looked like I was lying on a cross. Next they tied my arms down to the plank of wood and tried to shove a pipe through my nose down into my throat, which I couldnt do, so they knocked me out as I was starting to get angry with them. I have now been told that in the operation they inflated my stomach like a balloon, made three cuts (one through my belly button so it has actually changed shape now!!!) so they could put an endoscope, and two sets of thongs to get out my appendix.

I then spent my first night in the hospital. It was very noisy and people came into the room I was in just to stare at me as though they had never seen a Western person before in their life. In the morning I managed to make the nurses understand that I hadnt had a drink of water in 24 hours and that I needed some water, they agreed and said they would get some but after 3 hours of waiting I realised that they were all just going to ignore me except when I needed painkillers or medication. This day people were still coming in to gawk at me and even laugh at me when I was trying to get up and walk around. The nurses in 2 days at the hospital did not bring me one cup of water or anything to eat, so I was completely reliant on Manon to bring me food and drink.

I was released a few days after the operation and went back to our hotel and there I managed to watch about 20 hours of movies and discovery channel... Though the next day for some reason unknown to us we were kicked out (I was standing up on my feet for over an hour which ended up tearing my cuts or something) and I had to go back to hospital for 3 more days. When we arrived back in hosptial, we were taken to A&E department, where we got to watch all the moterbike accidents come in, we saw too many small children with broken legs screaming as home made splints - literally more planks of wood - were tied round them. I spent 3 nights in a private room where no-one could come in just to laugh at me and stare at me. I ended up having over 10 needles (one of which they got horribly wrong and ended up spraying my blood everywhere while they went to get more help). I was released again and this time spent 3 nights in a new hotel that didnt kick us out but gave us presents, helped me get around and gave us a big reduction on the price! After the 10 days in dalat we were ready to leave, as even i couldn't watch more films or discovery channel.

I hope this gives you enough detail, but if it still isn't enough then you can ask me in person and i can show you my newly shaped belly button.