welcome to vietnam! Arrived late in Saigon on the 4th after 2 delayed flights and a stressful connection in qatar. waited over an hour for a visa stamp. the officials took our passports and eventually called out namés in no particular ỏrdẻr to collect them with the vísa stamps. thểre was a huge scrum òf people waiting and it was vẻry hot! cab ride to hotal was an ẽxpẻrience. thêre are 30 million scooters in vietnam due to the price of tãx on cars, making for búsy roads. No-one takes much notice of traffic lights, and some bikes had entỉre families on them, as well as masses òf cargo. Evẻryone wears a helmet though, so it múst be safe (!). First night and day spent sleeping off jet lag. Saigon ís a metropolis, hugely crowded. it's also very humid here.

welcome meeting on the 5th, met the group. Most have travelled togther with oủr guide from Bangkok. Learned the trick to cross the road is to walk at a steady pace and never stop or run, ever! Nice bunch of people in the group! went for dinnẻr- the food here really is ás good ás they say- and on to a bar for a quiet drink. Naturally we drank several shots and ended up in the hotel pool in our clothes at around 3am.

woke early sunday and met for 9am coach to Cu Chi tunnels, a network òf undẻrground tunnels dug to aid the guerrilas during the vietnam war (they call it the Amẻrican war hểre). Extremely intẻresting! hidden entrancés, air holes and traps. they are very proud of theỉr achievements in the war, quite rightly. went in the tunnels themselves but not for long, bloody dark, hot, claustrophobic. some families lived thêre for yeảrs, underground. That took all day. back for dinner, market and on to bús to station. Sleeper train overnight. Shảred a room ưith four others and several mice. Spent most of the night playing poker.

Arrived in Nha Trang at 5.30am. To hotel and to bed! This afternoon, explored the beach. Far quieter than Saigon! Meeting for dinner as its someone's bday. Then more quiet drinks i expect. Tomorrow, mud baths!

Sorry about the keyboard problems! Missing you all.

Rox xx