So I will finish off where Mattie began on 25/02/09...

We arrive at the national park and get a local guide who points to this massive peak and says we will be going up there but not to worry because it will only take an hour to get up there. We begin walking through the small settlement of houses there and there are loads of dogs, there seems to be a lot of dogs everywhere, they obviously like them and no we have already asked they're not for eating!!

We get to the foot of the mountain we'll be wlkng up and there are loads of steps which then turn into jungle like rocky mud type paths, the going is quite tough as it's really warm in amongst the trees. As we get closer to the top it feels more like we should have brought rock climbing equipment with us and not for the first time I begin to wonder how on earth we are going to get back down.

Eventually we get to the top and the views are beautiful the trek was well worth it! At the top there is also a viewing tower which you can walk up for even better views, it's old, rusty and looks like it's swaying in the breeze, I'm not 100% convinced but decide to give it a try - it's a white knucle walk up as I cling to the handrail which is again very old and rusty and feels as though it is crumbling in my hand!!!

The walk up was bad but when we get to the top the step is missing - AARGGH! Don't look down they all tell me just swing across - I finally do and the top is not much better, it IS swaying in the wind, there are gaps in the floor, one of our group loses his battery for his camera. I cling on for dear life and again am worried about how I will get down! I look terrified in most of the pictures and I am.

We all finally make it to the bottom and then get the bus to our hotel on Cat Ba, Mattie takes a xe-om (mopehead) to the beach but it is getting dark so they don't stay too long, of course he goes in the water but it's not very warm at this time of year!! When they return we go out for some dinner but it doesn't live up to the meals we had in Hanoi, I'm missing the good food.