Hello all! Once again its been a little while since I last posted, but we've been busy and the internet here has generally been pants. After staying behind an extra day in Hanoi so that I could see the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum (where his body lays embalmed in a seemingly peaceful slumber heading a backdrop of 2 imposing symbols: the Vietnamese flag and the Communist hammer and sickle), I headed to Hue to rejoin the others, courtesy of a 15 hour bus journey. Hue (pronounced Hway) is a fascinating city by the coast about half way down Vietnam. On the first day there we took a motorbike tour around the countryside which was so much fun! Theres something about SE Asia which is so raw and full of life that you want to take a huge breath of air sometimes... even if it is mainly smog and fumes. And riding on a back of a motorobike through rice fields of the purest green beneath the bluest skies you cant help but feel exhilarated. However, in Hue we were once again reminded of the recent dark past of this beautiful country. For those of you who dont know, Vietnam was split in 2: The democratic republic of North Vietnam, and the Republic of South Vietnam. The Americans joined the South to fight against the Communist north. The Ben Hai River goes through the middle of Vietnam and through Hue, and this was the border between North and South. Around this border was a supposed demilitarised zone, and on the second day in Hue we went on a tour of the area. One of the first things that was noticeable is that despite replanting forrests, a lot of the ground in the area was bare- the intense bombing from the US had left the ground infertile for years. Further on our driver stopped to let us out to see the remnants of a US tank by the side of the road. He said to take pictures but not to walk off, a few km down the track were unexploded land mines. Next up was amongst the most fascinating things I've seen so far. The Vinh Moc tunnels are a network of underground tunnels where 600 villagers lived for 6 years during the war. What basically happened was an entire village moved underground until the war was over to escape the US carpet bombing. Some of the tunnels were as deep as 23metres. Over the years 17 babies were born in the tunnels, and they never got to see day light until the war was over. We walked through the tiny tunnels, crouching at times, and saw where there used to be kitchens, phone lines, maternity wards, hospital fascilities, sleeping quarters, ventilation holes and meeting rooms. Their resourcefulness and will power was inspirational. Mince had to leave the tunnels after less than a minute; he got claustrophobic. These people lived here for years. Also in Hue we visited the war cemetary where the bodies of over 10,000 Vietnamese lay in a beautifully sad final resting place. Never has the horrors of the war been so literally evident before me- there were rows upon rows of seemingly endless graves. Emblazoned upone each grace was "Liet Si", or martyr, and saddest of all were the disturbingly high number of graves which said 'Chua Biet Ten', or 'name unknown'. And, speaking of martyrs, we also visited a Buddhist monastery which had been the home of a Buddhist martyr. The ruler of the South was a Vietnamese Catholic who repressed the Buddhist religion. So this monk drove up to a rally where he was present, got out of his car and set himself on fire in protest. The car was on display, as was a genuine picture of the monk on fire. For anyone who listens to Rage Against the Machine, this is the 'burning buddha' photo which is on the cover of their first album. I wouldnt want you to think that us lot were only immersing ourselves in the culture, however. We are English, afterall. So this was all interspersed with drinking, one night of note included a trip back from the pub where we got cyclos home, but rather than letting them drive us back, we drove them! Since Hue we've pretty much just been chilling out. We went from Hue down the coast to Hoi An, where we did little else other than lay on the beach and relax. From Hoi An we again went further south on the coast to Nha Trang. Here we spent our time drinking and beaching, with a couple of highlights. The first being J breakdancing at a club, where breakdancing involves him lying down on the floor and me grabbing his legs and running in circles. The second, more sensible highlight, was island hopping around Nha Trang. We saw saw beautiful sites, went snorkelling, ate fresh seafood on the boat, and our crewmen just so happened to double up as a Vietnamese boy band! It was classic! From Nha Trang we move ever closer to the main Southern city of Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon as it was formerly known), but our last stop off b4 we arrive there is here, Da Lat. So far its been a quaint, picturesque town where you can see the French influence. Incidently, both sides made a pact not to bomb here during the war, so it's 'Frenchness' has remained intact. And thats pretty much everything up to date! Thanks for everyones messages, please keep posting. I'll upload some photos v soon. Take care all. Si