More Vietnam

Hello again,

As my time in Vietnam is finishing I have some time to write again.... thank goodness as it is all fresh in the mind. In my last email I was in Na Trang on my way to Whale Island. As we asrrived in Whale island it was still raining after a very nice drive. Whale Island is a small resort island owned by a Frenchman and his Vietnamese wife. It takes about 60 guests and is very pretty with white sand palm trees and blue water. We arrived for lunch and as we ate lunch the rain stopped and the sun came out... and I mean it really came out. 30 degrees with a sea breeze and 28 degree water! MMmmmm.

Everyone relaxed and had a swim and enjoyed the food and a sleep. We slept in bamboo bungalows which was so nice... ytou could hear the sea all night and the insect chirping. The next morning a group of us went to the reef (it's a bit rich to call it a reef... a few rocks and some coral) for a snorkel. This was great fun and the water was perfect. Lots of clown fish (Nemo).

We went back for lunch, meals were served in a bamboo shelter over looking the beach. Most of the group played games on the beach after lunch. I went for a siesta which I had only planned for 30 mins but which went on for 3 hours. The island was a great place to rest and be away from the crazy cities and most people would have happily stayed longer that the 3 days we had but upon arriving back at Na Trang I was realy happy to be back in husstle of proper Vietnam.

We had one more night in Na Trang where we ate at the Sailing club on the beach. This is very expensive by Vietnamese standards at about 3 pounds with most meals costing about 1 pound and it was excellent. The relaxation was soon over as we had to catch the reunification express to Ho Chi Minh over night, soft sleeper this time and I find that I would rather be on the hard as it's cleaner. In Ho Chi Minh or Saigon as the centre is known to locals, I met up with Vu a friend from London and we went out for the afternoon and evening. He got his friends to take us everywhere on motorbike taxi and we went all over district 1. It was great to see the town like this and too get away from the group too. After the pagodas, Ice coffee, head massage, hair cut, and dinner we went to a local bar and had the local beer. I was the only non Vietnamese person at most of the places he took me which was cool. Lonely Planet has got this city all wrong!!!

Next morning was an early start on a bus to the Mekong Delta. After the bus we boarded a boat and toured the delta and local businesses all day. This ranged from tile making to pottery, but mostly farming with something like 80% of Vietnams produce coming from this area which takes up 10% of the country. In the evening we stayed with a family in a dorm they run on a river. The Mekong Delta is basically an extremely fertile swamp area interconnected by rivers acting as roads. It reminded me of the Grand Union canal and spending the summer on Jon's boat. Just a lot more humid!!! I'm actually enjoying the humidity.

In the morning another early start took us by boat to the water market and to watch the locals making rice paper which I had a go at and also sweets and pop corn. This was great fun! Vietnamese people work and eat all the time!! I haven't mentioned the poverty but this is a poor country. There are hardly any beggers though which is a strange contrast to London with dozens of beggers down Tottenham Court Road.

Anyway... I'm in Saigon till the day after tomorrow where as part of a slightly different group I'll be leaving for Cambodia for 1 week. I'll be going solo once we reach Siem Reap and Angkor though which I'm looking forward to now. I like the people in my group a lot but I am starting to crave my own schedule and pace (and so is the Hasselblad... note to Adri ;)...).

I hope you're all well and miss you all.... keep in touch. It's good to hear from people.

Lots of love,

Kaveh.