Hi Everyone! Hope you haven't missed us too much, as we haven't updated our blog for over a week!

Well, the first few days were spent in Hong Kong, where we comsumed a lot of noodles and dim sum (or sum dum thing, as my Dad and Dave Schnoll like to call it!). The weather wasn't great - very foggy, so we didn't get up to much, but it cleared up for one day and we went up the 'peak' to see the views over the harbour... very impressive!

I also had my palm read. Dan wouldn't have his because he says it is all mumbo jumbo, which to be fair is true, but I thought it would be fun and wanted to see if I got the same fortune as last time, when I was told that I would die young from a liver related disease! So, this time, I was told that I would live a very healthy and happy life until the age of 46, and then between 46 and 76 something serious would happen that would hospitalise me for 10 days. But I could live until I'm 80, but more likely not beyond my 70s! He also said that I shouldn't have more than one child because I wouldn't be able to cope with the stress and it would also make me fat! He mentioned the getting fat quite a few times and said I should spend my money on shopping and not eating - cheek of it!

Next stop was Macao, to visit Chris and Sue (I worked with Chris the summer that I spent in Macao). We had a great few days mainly because Chris and Sue were such great hosts! (THANKS!!). We saw a New Year lion and dragon dance in the main square and went to what I think Sue said is the oldest temple on the South China coast. It was buzzing with New Year activity. They were burning HUGE insense sticks, literally over a metre high, never seen anything like that before! And setting off fire crackers constantly - it was great fun!

Then, we had to of course go and visit one of the big casinos - the Venetian, the biggest casino in the world and second largest building in the world.. (prize to those who know what the biggest is - not tallest?! ). We went in the morning and it was still packed with thousands of people gambling, some who had obviously been at the tables all night It was then up to the first floor to visit the canals and shopping arcade. As you will see in the photos, they have literally built an indoor reconstruction of Venice.... quite impressive really (if a little plastic and tacky!).

Then on Saturday night we arrived in Ho Chi Minh (Saigon), Vietnam. On arrival we could not believe how many mopeds and motorbikes there are here... never seen anything like it (mum, dad and Mike - it was a bit like the number of bicycles in Beijing the first time we went... Katie Melua should do a new song!). Our first days was spent visiting a Cao Dai temple. Cao Dai is a religion that fuses together Buddhuism, Hinduism, Confusionism and Catholicism.... this leads to quite a different style of temple than the ones we have seen so fat, very colourful. Then we went to visit some tunnels, used by the Viet Minh and Vietcong. The tunnels or minute, it is unblievable that whole communities lived in the tunnels during the war. We had an opportunity to walk through one, which has been widened for tourists, it was still very small and very dark... but Dan chickened out and I had to brave it alone!

The last three days have been spent in the South of Vietnam in the Mekong Delta region. The Mekong flows through five other countries (I think?!) before getting to the south of Vietnam, where it goes into the lowlands, resulting in a huge area, with hundres of rivers. The area is covered in paddy fields, stilt houses, floating markets and house boats. It was a really enjoyable few days, with lots of great scenery and relaxing boat rides. Tomorrow we're off to central Vietname, to Hue and Hoi An, before heading up further North to Hanoi.

Happy Birthday to Amy, Jo and Michael! xxx