After breakfast said goodbye to the Moonlight Hotel Hue and headed to Da Nang. We passed through some fishing villages along the way and over a mountain pass which was partly covered with cloud. Also a village of Lepers! These are elderly people apparently, still suffering the effects of Leprosy. Also went through a couple of mountain tunnels which appeared well built. Arrived in Da Nang, quite a modern port city and visited the museum. Quite a Hindu influence he...

After breakfast today the plan was to travel by boat down the Perfume River, around which the city of Hue is situated. The whole family live on the boat which makes money by taking tourist trips up and down the river and also by selling souveneirs. This one took us to the Thien Mu Pagoda, a place where monks are trained. We also went inside the walled Imperial City, which was a palace from the Nguyen Dynasty. Unfortunately it was heavily damaged during the Vietna...

Today's program begins with a tour of Hanoi. Before we began, the girl from Vietlong Travel through whom we have arranged this holiday wanted to meet us. We met in the hotel lobby and she was lovely. She even brought us a gift each which was unexpected. Off then on the city tour by car with the chap we had on day 1. We visited the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh and his residences then to the history museum, the One Pillar Pogoda and the Temple of Literature. Lunch was ...

The boat was absolutely flat on the water overnight and we slept really well. Managed to avoid Thi Chi on the top deck at 6.00am by pretending to be asleep, although some of the participants reported enjoying the experience! I enjoyed the experience of sleeping! We did manage to get to breakfast by 7.00AM and then onto the tender for a trip to a cave known locally as Surprise Cave although the Vietnamese name was quite a bit more involved! Steep steps up to it bu...

I wrote the last Blog entry on the bus from Sapa to Hanoi. We arrived about 9:00 and the city was noisy and crowded as I suppose it always is. We checked into the Golden Silk Hotel and headed to the rooftop bar for a pizza! (The first non Asian food for the trip.) A couple of noteworthy items. Since our arrival in Vietnam we have had nice music playing wherever we have gone. However, after about an hour after we departed Sapa and possibly because now we were una...