Chuc Mung Nam Moi! Happy Chinese New Year!

I was lucky enough to get the timing right, as we were spending New Year's Eve in a communist country closely linked with China and as a result the celebrations were great. Am currently in Hoi An in Vietnam, a Unesco World Heritage Site. And admittedly, since my travels in Asia, it is the first town with some character, some charm. There was a brilliant fireworks display at 12:15am (a bit random, I know) and it lasted for around 20 minutes. By the time we got back to the hotel it was well gone 1am and we all had a lay in this morning. Well, if you disregard all the chanting that was going on outside on the roads at 6am and then again at 7:30am, that is. Day off today, with no activities planned, as everything is shut anyway. Good excuse to respond to all these emails that you have been sending me and update my blog, I thought.

Having spent nearly a week in Vietnam, I have started to get a feel for the place. It is very different from Cambodia, more modern and much wealthier. But the mentality of the people is also different. People are more rushed and less friendly, although you couldn't say that they were unfriendly by any stretch of the imagination. Kids here are much cheekier than in Cambodia, to the extent that they just come up to you and ask you for coins or a dollar, without giving you a reason or even saying please. And they don't even look as if they'd need it. So different to the places in Cambodia. The traditional clothing of women is this spiky hat, shaped like a cone. And everyone is wearing one. If it wasn't such an unpractical thing to travel with, I'd buy one myself, they are kind of cute these hats. (I'll upload some photos later so you can see what I mean). There are lots of old people around and whoever said that beauty disappears with age, they can't have seen these people. They all look absolutely beautiful, with all their wrinkles, their life experiences written into their faces.

The scenery has also changed. Where Cambodia was generally very flat and dry, it is a lot hillier and green here in Vietnam. Lots of rice fields again and everything just looks really lush, so different from what I had imagined it would be like. I am regretting the fact that we are travelling on a bus and that we can't stop when we like to enjoy the beautiful scenery a bit longer than just a glimpse. It may be worth coming back here and doing it all over again with just a push bike. This way, you have a much better chance of taking the stunning scenery in.

Before getting to Hoi An, we stopped at Nha Trang beach, probably the last chance to take in some sunshine for the next couple of weeks. I used the opportunity to go diving at Vietnam's top dive site. Well, I must say, it was a bit disappointing. (Spoiled brat, you may say and you're probably right, I am just too spoiled from diving in Sabah.) Although I saw a lot of fish, it just wasn't a colourful and varied as in Sabah. But the main difference was that the water was absolutely freezing!!! I was wearing a long wet suit but the water was just 23 degrees and if polar bears could shiver, I probably would have done once I left the water! My god, it was so cold that I lost my feeling in my hands and feet completely and it took a good half an hour before it came back! Brrrrrr........

While staying here in Hoi An, I did a Vietnamese cooking class. It is amazing what you can do with simple ingredients, if you just know which ones to use in which order! The food that we cooked was absolutely delicious and no effort at all to prepare really. Photos will be uploaded soon. Tomorrow we are leaving for Hue, a few hours further up north before taking the night train up to Hanoi. Am really glad that the long bus journeys have come to an end. Spending more than 12 hours on a mini-bus is no fun by any stretch of the imagination. Am already looking forward to moving on, seeing something new again. It is nice to stay in the same place for a few nights every now and again but I sort of get itchy feet after three nights in the same place. Time to move on! As always, please stay in touch and keep smiling!

Yvonne
x