30th We wake up in good time for breakfast... But our room with a view is tempting us to stay put..... The boat drifts with the currents so the view is always changing and always impressive... We are in the place that postcards are made of.... We arrive for breakfast just as the first plates are being placed on the tables.... Thankfully breakfast does not consist of fish..... We are soon on the move... The engine is really quiet and the sea is like a pond as ...

Day 29 We are collected by a nice clean modern transit minibus and along with some other people we're whisked off to Halong Bay.... It's around 4 hrs north east of Hanoi so it's not going to be any warmer.... We are both looking forward to this junk boat trip so when we cross a huge suspension bridge close to Halong we're really excited to see the huge limestone karsts jutting out of the south China sea to our right. It looks stunning, even from the minibus an...

Day 28 Xmas Christmas Day really does feel like any other day here.... We've seen a few Christmas films on the telly and that's how we start today...... Scrooge is on and we are happy just to sit and watch it. We enjoy some simple cornflakes and wonder into the old quarter again..... Its a labyrinth of streets and feels new every time we venture in.... Shiree's had a massage and pedicure since being in Asia and hasn't really enjoyed either, but is looking for...

Day 27 I wake up.... Its 6.50 Christmas Eve and I start to email people about bikes I've founded listed for sale on "Craigslist Vietnam" that are advertised as being in Hanoi. It would appear that the four or five bikes that are available are all being sold by back packers...... There must be thousands of bikes available for sale in Hanoi but without being able to read Vietnamese we are limited to only a few... And come 9.30 I receive a reply whilst we are havi...