Arrived in a freezing cold Hanoi at 4am. As soon as we got off the train a guy grabbed me and asked which hotel i was going to. I had just picked one out of Lonely Planet so i told him that and he told me to follow this younger lad and he would take us. After we had got our bags in the car we realised we were in an unmarked taxi, and there were 2 young guys in the front. WE were both a bit nervous, but there was no need as he took us straight to the hotel i had told him. unfortunately as it was 4:00am it was closed, so instead we went to the taxi drivers hotel. They couldnt check us in till 7am, so i ended up sleeping on some chairs and Gem went to check the net.

We were planning to stay in Hanoi one night before heading into Laos, but the bus was fully booked up for the next day so we either had to go that day or 2 days later. The weather was awful, v cold and windy so we decided to go that night at 5. We spent the morning in hanoi town, which isnt that great to be honest. the people are very rude, and the only good place ho chi minh's mausoleum (where he's buried) was closed so really there wasnt much to do. I managed to buy some perfume as i had run out, and some cheap tigi shampoo. I had been using a 2 in 1 which has pretty much ruined my hair (ever the traveller ha ha ha).

So at 5pm we were waiting for our bus when 2 motorcycles pulled up. we had to get on the back with our rucksacks on, and it was awful. they just dont care. its everyone for themselves and apparently 5 people die everyday. luckily we were not one of them.

The bus journey was the worst experience of my life. i thought the one to Cambodia was bad but this was ridiculous

We got on the bus and the vietnemese men were so rude, they were like pushing us about and shouting at us. they made us all go to the back of the bus even though it was completely empty. then 3 hrs later we got woken up and shoved on another bus full of vietnemese people who were not happy about having to share with westerners, they all had their seats fully reclined so we could barely move!!

We stopped every five minutes so that the bus guys could load on god knows what. there were fridge doors, computers, cement, a box of raw fish and a folding table...all shoved in the ailse of the bus...it was a nightmare. And the vietnemese people were just so rude. The guy behind me was kicking my chair and then had his foot on my arm rest...there were flies everywhere because of the meat. The guy behind Gemma pulled her chair so she was totally upright and this other girl we were with had a bladder infection and one of the guys sat on her so she couldnt get off to go for a wee...At one point me and gemma got hauled out of our seats because 2 vietnemese people wanted to sit there, and a sweedish guy got forced out of his seat into the ailse, and when the bus braked got hit in the face with the folding tabel.

My money packet must've have fallen out of my bag at customs or have been wedged in my passport and one of the guards took it and wasnt going to give it me back until i ripped it out of his hands...they made us pay to leave vietnam and then pay again to enter laos on top of our visa payment, but there was nothing we could do as they had our passports, and we had heard cases where people had been abandoned at borders for being uncoperative!!

So i was in a very bad mood by the time we reached laos!