Hi Everyone, So I`ve made it to my hotel in Hanoi no worries - it ended up being fairly uneventful and not the saga I expected! The place is pretty well organised for for the tourists. Hanoi is a pretty cool place. Actaully though, not cool temperature wise - hot and humid most of the time with a break for rain everyday! Everyone drives around on motorbikes or bicycles and there`s horns going off continually. Just cross the road when there`s a gap in the traffic and walk slowly. I`m told Ho Chi Minh City is way worse, so I`ll see in a couple of weeks. The people here are extremely friendly, you`re not totally barraged all the time with people selling stuff, again, I hear its worse in Ho Chi Minh. I checked into the hotel where I start my tour this morning and met the guy I`ll be sharing a room with for most of the trip. Seems like we have a bit in common so that`s a relief - I bracing myself for sharing with a freak. The tour officially starts tonight and we leave Hanoi for Halong Bay tomorrow. Had my first real Vietnamese meal. Crabmeat soup and deep fried squid. The soup was OK, but the squid ruled - some sort of herb they put in the batter. Well thats all I`ve got for the moment. I haven`t uploaded any photos yet cause I forgot to bring my camera. I`m not sure how it will go connecting to computers in internet cafes and it is, but I`ll see what I can do on the next visit. Thanks to Deb & Co for the message (Customs wouldn`t let me take the ironing board throguh and yeah, this is a world away from Bicheno!) - I`m expecting everyone now to follow suit, especially everyone at work - cause I know you`ve got nothing better to do. Cheers, Pat