Singapore to Vietnam

Dear all,

Well it has been a bit busy for the last 2 weeks!!! I fine and well and have just gotten back from the tailors in Hoi Anh to get some clothes made... Anyway the story so far:

I landed in Singapore 2 weeks ago and spent a night there which was enough time to eat and walk around a little. Singapore is like Selfridges, Harrods and Oxford St on steroids with a Swedish cleaning company! Very clean, very efficient and with great weather... it was 32 degrees. It also has massive Xmas decorations with big musical xmas trees. One night didn't seems enough as although many people don't rate Singapore I think it probably deserves a little more exploring... maybe on my next stop. (Seems like ages ago now).

I landed in Hanoi a day later and was relieved to find that a transit had been booked and I was driven straight to the hotel through some very poor countryside. It looked quite run down. The driving and traffic became a little mad and after Singapore it was quite a shock. I was really jet lagged and so when I checked into the hotel I went to sleep. When I woke up it was evening and as I stept out for a walk I must admit I was a little intimidated by the atmosphere.... it was very dark with lots of side allies and noise and I clung onto my belongings as I walked through the old quarter where I was based. It was dry cool and very sunny...PERFECT! The whole place runs on Honda C90's and you are asked if you want to hire a motorbike taxi at every corner. After a walk round the lake and dinner I went back to the hotel wondering if I was happy to be there. I didn't sleep that night and trhe next morning I decided to go out a 6am and walk around. This turned out to be a great idea as the town had not woken up fully and as I walked the city began to wake up so I could slowly get used to the madness that is Hanoi!!! The people doing there excersizes by the lake in te morning is great and as the town wakes up it changes throughout the day. You soon learn that saying no with a smile has a great effect and people smile back with a big grin and leave you a lone (you get hasstled a fair bit but as you get used to it it becomes 2nd nature).

After exploring Hanoi for a couple of days I found that it is very much like Tehran! Justa replace taxis with scooters! I met up with the group I would be touring Vietnam with and found that I was very lucky to get suck a great bunch of people and by now was very relaxed with in Hanoi, especially the old quarter.

After 4 days we left Hanoi with a guide and went off to the Hoa Binh province for a 2 day trek over 25 kms in the hilltribes. The first day was easy but as we arrived at the first tribe 1 of us showed signs of food poisoning... 1 then became 3 as the night went on including myself and a honeymoon couple!...That night we all froze...it was soooo cold. The next morning the other 2 ill people went on by jeep but I decided to give it a go although I felt awful by now and the sanitary conditions were pretty disgusting... I won't go into detail but the experience of going to the toilet made 1 person vomit. As we walked my condition got much worse... the walk was very steep and downhill for 8 hours and I could not eat of keep any food in me at all. We reached a village after 6 hours and I was totally gone so I got a bike ride to the homestay village where we would spend the night. A tiny girl on a Honda C90 drove me across some pretty demanding roads like it was a trip to school and I was so greatful to get to the stilted house and collapse into a waiting bed... the hospitality was amazing. The honeymooners turned up at the same time after a 3 hour jeep and scooter ride which had taken it's toll. We all died!!

I had pretty bad dissintary now and was very weak and tired. I didn't eat and was so sick of going to the toilet...but somehow still glad to be there.

The next morning I managed a pancake and began the 2nd 10km walk, this time much easier. The group were great and I was looked after well. This is also where I found out that 'Kaveh' means prostitute or street girl in Vietnamese. The walk was good but I was struggling with food and just carried on because the villages were so great and the tribal people so sweet especially the children who shouted hello all the time.

We got to the bus and then were on our way back to Hanoi... such a relief. In Hanoi we had 2 a free day the next day and I began to recover quite quickly. The following day we departed for Hoa Long bay. The weather wasn't great and despite my illness I missed the hilltribe areas. Hoa Long bay was relaxing though and we went Kayaking and played cards and got very drunk on the local rice wine.... WOW!!! I nearly went blind! Hoa Long bay was a short stop and the weather was not so great with wind and rain and it was pretty cool.... cold.

When we arrive back at Hanoi we were greated with the news thatTyphoons had caused severe flooding in central Vietnam and that our night train to Hue was cancelled. This was dissapointing as we were all keen to get out of Hanoi... (it's great but it can drive you a little mad). Fortunately our tour leader Noah, had a friend who lived in a small farming village which rarely saw foreigners (who they call potatos by the way) and had invited us to come over. This was a very rare and fortunate opertuntiy to see the real Vietnam.

I've just type a whole section and lost it as the internet is not good so i'll retype in brief. After the village we managed to get the train to Hue (which is not worth a mention) and then a bus the following day from Hue to Hoi An passing through a fantastic moutainous drive, Da Nang and also China beach. On arrivla in Hoi An we all went to the tailors for our fitting and over the next 2 days enjoyed having our clothes made and walking around the relaxed market town.

I am now in Na Trang having made the 9 hour train ride from Hoi An where I started writing this, to Na Trang where we will get the bus to Whale Island in the morning. I'm not home sick yet but it has been raining a lot and amd keen to move on to somewhere new with maybe some better weather. I am really enjoying Vietnam though and would lobve to come back again at a slower pace. Hanoi is great and the hill tribes were wonderful.

I miss you all,

Love,

Kaveh.