Hello From Hanoi,

My first Gap tour finished on Sunday and it was quite sad and strange saying goodbye to everyone. Even though we had only been all together for around 20 days it felt a lot longer. Possibly because we had seen and experienced so much together and we all just go on really well. Woke up Monday morning and it was a strange feeling having breakfast all alone! Made my way to my own hotel called the Golden Sun 2, which is much closer to the old quarter in Hanoi. This is where everything is and is at the top of Hoan Kiem Lake. The hotel for $12 a night is fantastic and they are super friendly. Did some laundry and gave it to them around 3 pm and was all back, washed and ironed in my room by 8pm. Can’t really ask for better service can you?!

The last few days I have been just wondering around the old quarter and soaking up the atmosphere. On Tuesday I went to the mausoleum as I missed it on Sunday with the group as I was not feeling well. What a strange atmosphere is this part of town. There is quite tight security and trust me they soon tell you off for doing something wrong. I tried to get to the royal palace but entered the wrong side and got whistled away by a guard. What I tried to ask which was to go then…his response was a ‘what do you want?’ eeeekkk. I met an English girl at this point who was also trying to enter the wrong side and we ended up doing the Ho Chi Minh museum together. What a rubbish museum – it was more an artistic impression of his life rather than the history. Took me about 10 min to walk around it all. Didn’t really fancy seeing a preserved Hi Chi Minh esp. as I had heard security there was even worse. You breathe at the wrong time and you get told off. They have such respect for this guy and you feel the real communism atmosphere here.

Then went to the Van Mieu, the temple of literature which was nice and relaxing but once again not really much to see. I then went for lunch with Vicki and some of the other backpackers she had met previously. Was nice to have some different company and to learn what was good to do in and around Hanoi. Spent yesterday shopping and managed to pick up a few bargains, which should hopefully make there way home in the next 3 weeks after sending a parcel today. Hadn’t planned to send anything till Singapore but I guess I have done too much shopping already – opps! Things are so cheap here for example a silk dressing down will only cost you about $14.

Feel ok wlaking around here on my own although you get a lot of people approaching to practice their English and you never can quite tell who is genuine etc. But so far so good. They try and sell you everything here although yesterday I tried to buy some tape to stick things in my diary and they refused me! Strange. Still can’t quite get over how they majority of women here where long trousers and long sleeved top to keep there skin pale. It much hotter here now and will remain like this now for the rest of there summer

Flying to Bangkok early tomorrow so fingers crossed everything stays quiet there. Although sounds like tension is building. My hotel is the other side of the city more or less to the trouble so I should be ok. Worse come to worse I stay in the hotel which has a lovely pool to enjoy! Hotel has organized a private taxi for me to the airport for $15 which once again is really good as the airport is about a 50 – 60 min drive away.

I am sort of ready to leave Hanoi now and looking forward to my next tour. This will take me north initially to do a three day trek around Chiang Mai and we stay with local villages. This should be a real experience esp the use of the their bathrooms if you can call them that. Will also be interesting to see how trekking for 3 days in this heat will be but I do get to ride and elephant which should be good.

Bye for now till I reach Thailand….xxx