Well have finally arrived in Hanoi in one piece after a 26hour bus journey!! Cant say I recommend it haha but what do you expect for less than $20!! hahaha. Bus journey didn't get off to best of starts however as bus didn't turn up at guesthouse for me so I had to get on owners moped with my backpack strapped to the front and me on the back to get me to the bus station! haha Quite an adventure although terrifying at the time!

Time on bus was interesting and gave me a lot of time to think (a difficult concept I know haha). But as I sat on the bus leaving Vientiane in the dark I think it finally began to sink in what I had achieved in last 8 weeks (visited Thailand and Laos :check, teaching experience: check, new language: check, multitude of new food; check) and as I sat there feet dirty from the dust of wandering Vientiane, multiple cuts and bruises covering my legs and arms, my wrist now adorned by a whole host of new bracelets and my semi-suntanned skin looking rosy verging on red (haha) I could not be happier! Its a far cry from my usual appearance but apparently I can live without fake tan and hair straightners! haha.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank Mr Apple for the Ipod is thee single greatest invention ever, forget the wheel, electricity, even the phone (well maybe not that far haha) it has made the many long journeys bearable and helped save many an awkward conversation as everybody has an opinion on music haha.

They say we are racist in the UK that is nothing to Laos all "flaneies" (westerners) were ordered to sit at the back of the bus and basically shut up charming we all thought! There was about 10 of us all from Europe and all covered in the same cuts and bruises as me haha. We chatted away before all trying to get some sleep not easy on the bumpy roads out of Laos. After about 3 hours driving we stopped at a hotel for the driver to then get put and stop for 5hours whilst we all shifted uncomfortably on the bus trying to grab as much sleep as possible I think in whole 26hours I managed about 4 at the very most!

We finally go going again and made our way to the Laos / Vietnam border. well that was just chaos! Everybody literally flung there passports at the open window so after being shoved and pushed we all decided to do the same and hope for the best!

We eventually got our passports back and were then sent form one desk to another desk and back around again finally getting out of customs and immigration 3 hours after we started! And were back on the bus!

Stopped briefly for the driver again and then were travelling up and down the Vietnam mountain roads not the most fun in the world haha.

We eventually arrived in Hanoi around 7:30 and got a taxi into the Old Quarter where most hostels are. Mine is just outside old quarter so I hopped in another taxi and was outside the Drift in no time! It was hidden away on the street but as soon as I got out was welcomed by the smiling girl on reception who gave me some details bout hostel and then showed me to my room! Apparently a suntan can actually hide how bad you might feel as looking in mirror didn't look half as shattered as I felt hahaha but still was badly in need of shower haha. I have never been happier to have a hot shower in my whole life!! haha was amazing then made my way down to restaurant for something to eat (settled for an exotic baked potato with cheese and can of coke hahaha). before heading to the super comfy movie room and watched some of Superbad before being beaten by sleep and heading to be at around 10pm how rock'n'roll haha. Think I was asleep before my head even hit the pillow! haha.

Woke up this morning feeling very refreshed and headed down for breakfast of tea and toast amazing!! haha and got chatting to a Malaysian girl that is in my dorm room. Sadly she is leaving today but gave me some good tips of where to head to and what are best things to do! So am now getting ready to venture outside into Hanoi!

Love

xxxxxxx