A time to reflect

14 August

As predicted, there was no hangover- amazing!

We woke up and headed out for breakfast where we finally met Sam.  I know Sam through Sylidiya, a lady I met on my trip to Kanchanaburi.  Sylidiya had kindly passed me his details, as he works as a tuk tuk driver.  Unlike other countries that I've visited, Cambodia tends to let the drivers take you around.  This definitely has its positives (same driver etc) but also it's negatives (you lack a decent tour guide).  That being said, I hit a winner with Sam.  He speaks impeccable English, which believe you me, makes a massive difference.  

That afternoon, Sam took us (Jacqui and I) on his bike to S-21, also known as The Genocide Museum.  Situated in the centre of Phnom Penn, it's quite distressing to think that this building was once a school before it became a prison, and later a museum.  However, it's clear from your arrival that the building used to be a school, as it has all the familiar layouts- courtyard, buildings at each end, classrooms etc.  The museum itself isn't particularly well laid out but as you wander through the corridors into each building, viewing classrooms that were turned into tiny cells or torture chambers, you cant help but feel sick.  As we were just about to leave, I said to Jacqui that I couldn't buy anymore souvenirs or books, yet as we approached the gate, a lady stopped us to show us her father.  An elderly man who was sitting at a table.  This gentleman is one of the last survivors of S-21.  I chatted to him briefly through broken English and agreed to buy his book and read his story for $10.  The man was old and frail and as he signed my book, I noticed his hand shaking.  It reminded me of my gran and instantly made me think, how would I feel knowing my gran had been through such a terrible ordeal? 

15 August

I'd spoken to many people about the killing fields and s21 and most said that for my sanity, I should avoid doing both in one day.  I now realise that they were absolutely spot on.  As Sam drove us to the site, I couldn't help but ponder what it would be like.  Having never been to anything like this before, I didn't have any preconceptions as to what it would be like.  The road leading up to it was almost a dirt track.  It could've given the roads in Vietnam a run for their money.  I was also constantly on edge watching my handbags as locals would come up so close to you as they tried to cross the road.  As we arrived, we were greeted by 2 large white gates and a booth where they gave each person an individual headset.  At first I thought that this may make the tour a little lonely, but infact it proved to a god send, allowing you to process your thoughts at your own pace.  Wandering around, I found myself getting more and more emotional.  It seemed that different people were affected by different sections.  For me, it was undoubtedly the killing tree.  This was a tree that was used to kill tiny babies or infants by throwing them by their legs and banging their skulls into the tree.  I stood there for what felt like hours, just thinking, how on earth did we let this happen?  

I think what I found hardest about this part of my tour was the reality of this tradegy.  Every person over the age of 31 was affected in some way.  I can't quite grasp the fact that this occurred in my parents lifetime.  Some say that Cambodia shouldn't capitalise on such an event for the sake of tourism.  My answer?  If it prevents such an atrocity from ever happening again, then I am all for it.

In the afternoon, I took the bus from Phnom Penn to Siem Reap with Jules.  The journey had been going so well until we broke down at the side of the road.  As per usual, no one told us what was going on.  Eventually some 30 min later, a new bus arrived and we were back on route.  Jules and I watched a movie on my ipad.  We arrived at about 9pm to find a tuk tuk driver waiting with a sign with my name on it - result!  The hostel (Siem Reap Holiday Garden Villa) seemed nice but pretty basic.  Who was I kidding, I was asking $5 a night.  I can't expect luxury!  There were 2 girls in my dorm (Spanish and American) and one Spanish guy.  They all seemed very friendly so a great start.

Entering Cambodia

11 August

So now my true trip begins.  Other than a few days in Bangkok, I am going it alone.  In some ways an exciting feeling but in others a slightly lonely one.  I took the bus at 8am from Saigon to Phnom Penn using the Mekong Express.  I'd heard really great things about this company - free wifi, water and biscuits for starters!  I liked the fact that they gave you a tag for your bag so that they knew it was yours!

The border crossing was pretty simple.  I'd read a lot of horror stories but thankfully, that wasn't the case for me.  This being said, it was made easier by having a tour party an guide on my bus!  We were asked to hand in our passports and get off the bus with our bags at the Vietnamese side so that they could be scanned.  We then got back on the bus for 5 mins before getting off again to get our fingerprints etc scanned at the Cambodian entry border.  I got to the Mad Monkey hostel at about 4pm.  The dorms were modern and lovely.  At first I thought 12 girls might be too much but in fact it's so well laid out that space was never an issue.  Not long after I arrived, a British girl called Laura arrived.  She is doing some volunteering nearby.  Laura kindly invited me to a gig nearby to watch her brother's friend, Sonny.  We stayed there an watched 5 or so sets of different solo performers and I demolished a plate of fajitas (this place did Spanish food) before heading back to the dorm.  As we arrived, the dorm was full.  Girls from all over the world.  As Laura was off to a work meeting, I went to the restaurant with Leanne, Jules and Caiohme (keeva) for a few drinks. 

12 & 13 August 

Given the intensity of the last few days, Jules, Magda and I decided to explore the city instead of heading to the killing fields with the others.  We wandered along the river front and stumbled across a Kasha restaurant.  It was an all you can eat...for 8$, so we reserved a table for later.  One thing I have noticed here is that food is more expensive than in Vietnam.  Anyway, we walked for miles (quite literally) searching for the palace and eventually found it only to discover that you needed to be dressed appropriately (arms and legs covered); we were wearing shorts and a vest top.  Magda decide to head off to the museum  whilst Jules and I wandered the streets to find some clothes.  Just to go off on a slight tangent for a second but  how difficult is it to judge a distance?  'How far is it to the market?' There are various answers in a number of different forms - 500m, 10k, or more simply 5 mins? 10 mins?  The reason for my slight digression is that we must've asked 20 people about a market or clothes stall all of whom came back with different answers.  Over an hour later, just as Jules was about to give up, we found it!!  It was like an episode of supermarket sweep, we were running up and down the isles, conscious that the palace shut at 5pm.  Eventually we stumbled across some traveler pants (trousers with elephants on them) but a long sleeve t-shirt was harder to come by!  We found a stall but the woman wanted 15$ per t-shirt!!! I think not.  Luckily for us, her English wasn't great so we somehow managed to persuade her to take $10 for the 3 tshirts.  Judging on her facial expression, she had no clue what we'd just done.  

We finally got to the palace in time for closing and in our fashionable outfits.  We wandered around for an hour or so but considering its a copy of the palace in Bangkok, it really didn't come close.  Most of the rooms were shut or out of bounds and then the heavens opened!  I think it was a sign that the palace had not been worth the admission fee, let alone the cost of our clothes too!

Arriving back at the dorm, we got ready for dinner and managed to persuade a few lads to come too.  Before heading over, we stopped off for a cheeky free beer at the bar (I gave mine to Leanne).  I don't think any of the girls quite realised just how far we'd walked that day.  The restaurant was miles away!!  I'm surprised none of the lads moaned.  Thankfully, we arrived and quickly sat down to eat.  The food was lush.  There was a hot BBQ so you could choose what you wanted to eat and a noodle stand.  Amazing!  We arranged to meet the Swiss boys back at our bar but when we got back it was closing.  Thankfully, mad monkey organise an after party at another bar and everyone follows in tandem.  It's such a good idea as it means you don't lose your friends.  We headed to love bar, who handed out free shots and played music off YouTube (I kid you not!).  Eventually, it was time I head on and we went to Pontoon which is the club.  I felt bad for not getting in touch with the Swiss lads but there was no wifi anywhere.  Just as we walked into the club, we opened the door and the boys were there.  We danced the night away till 4 when Michael and I chose to take the lead and drag Magda home.  Such a good night!  Fingers crossed for no hangover, although, as I don't drink beer and alcohol is expensive, its pretty doubtful. 

Cuchi tunnels and final thoughts on Vietnam

10 August

Today is our last day in Vietnam.  Before I ponder on my many highlights of the last couple of weeks, lets start with the days events...

In my opinion, a trip to this remarkable country would not be complete without a visit to the famous underground tunnels.  So we decided to do this on our final day.  On our way, we stopped at a factory where they make artwork designed and created by disabled workers.  The term disabled is familiar within western vocabulary but I've noticed that its seen a quite the opposite here, almost taboo.  It was only a small factory but the standard and volume of work they create is quite impressive.  So much so, that I purchased a small piece of art.  For those that know me well, I am not particularly into my art but this piece (a Vietnamese lady walking along the Mekong) reminded me of my trip.  The colours are also striking.  I'm looking forward to putting it up in my home.

Upon our arrival at the tunnels, I felt like we'd been well briefed.  This wasn't going to be easy but it was important.  Our guide took us to see one of the original tunnels.  I can't get across to you just how they were.  Incredible.  Within our group was a Polish lad, I would assume ex military too.  He was the first to go down.  It amazed me that someone so broad and tall could even fit into such a tiny hole, particularly given the lack of ventilation.  Impressively, he did it.  Bravo!

Our next stop was looking at a military vehicle, the different types of traps and trying out an AK-47.  Not quite on my to do list, I left that up to the boys.  Raj looked like a kid in a sweet shop and has ticked something off his bucket so I'm told!  Back to the tunnels, it was now out chance to do the tourist version.  Although they have been increased in size, they are still very small.  The heat was unbelievable and it wasn't even at film capacity.  It was pretty tough and mentally draining but I'm so glad I completed the whole route.  

Back in Saigon, after some pretty below average food, we walked to the war museum.  It was particularly distressing to see the effects of not only the war but also agent orange.  Heartbreaking.

That evening, we finally got to see the water puppet show!!  It was actually quite good considering the story is hard to follow and the puppets look nothing like their translation but judging on the locals reaction, it's pretty popular here.  Then we took a river boat cruise down the river for dinner and ended it with a Bollywood dancer juggling fire.  It was quite hilarious watching all the men drool over her and the woman (some anyway) stand in contempt. 

So, my final thoughts on Vietnam: 

1. Motorbikes- Easily this countries biggest obsession.  At the start of my trip, I hated them!  By the end...they're  not so bad, providing the driver is safe.

2. Favourite Place: Halong Bay- spectacular and exactly like the photos.

3. Favourite City: Hoi An - a quaint, beautiful city that I didn't want to leave.

4. Highlights: rowing down the Mekong Delta, getting tailor made clothes and completing the cu-chi tunnels.

Well it's time to bid farewell to Vietnam.  It's been a great trip and cheers to Raj for experiencing it with me :)

Next stop: Phnom Penn, CAMBODIA 

Rowing down the Mekong Delta

'Thursday 8 and Friday 9 August

Even though our hostel was pretty basic, it did the job considering we probably only managed 6 hours sleep.  

Today, we took a tour to the Mekong Delta.  We were told to be at the office for 7.30am which we were but didn't leave until 8.30am.  Our tour guide was called Chau.  A rather friendly chap with a very dry sense of humour.  The journey took approx. 2.5 hours from HCMC.  Upon arrival, we took a boat passing the Qui (Tortoise) Phoenix and Unicorn Islets before entering the Ben Tre Province, which is allegedly known as "the county of the coconut".  We hopped off the boat here and visited a coconut candy mill where we got to sample some candy and quite nice it was too!  Much to my surprise, the next item on the agenda was to hold a shake.  Now I'm not scared of them but I don't particularly like them but for once I thought, what the hell!  So yes, I held a python.  Crazy huh?

Lunch was served in the middle of the orchard garden.  It wasn't anything to race home about but it was alright.  We then took a stroll into the nearby village.  It amazing to watch just how different it is.  One noticeable feature was the number of gravestones along the road.  As the families don't have the space nor the money to build a proper graveyard, they bury their beloved on the side of the road or on their land.  

Finally, it was the main event- rowing down the Mekong Delta.  We took a boat from the restaurant and went through the shrubs and tributaries for roughly 20mins.  Thankfully, we could just enjoy the scenery whilst 2 ladies did all the hard work.  It was an amazing experience and something that I will hopefully never forget.  Incredible!  We were then treated to some tea and fresh fruit before listening to some traditional Vietnamese folk music which was quite frankly, odd!

It was now the end of a very busy day. We got back on the bus for a 2 hour journey to our accommodation for the evening.  There were 2 options- a home stay or a hotel.  We went for a hotel only because it was cheaper.  As we drove down this bumpy, almost desolate track, Raj and I knew that we'd made the right decision.  The next morning I heard mixed reviews as to what it was like, but overall, it didnt sound great.  The hotel, however, was pleasant.  In the evening, we wandered around for about 45 mins trying to find somewhere to eat.  Eventually, we stumbled across a large building that was lit up.  We headed towards it and it was a market and restaurant over looking the river.  We had a lovely dinner with the exception of 3/4 cats who frequently made me jump out of my skin.  My phobia is certainly not getting any better and I probably embarrassed him a tad!

The next morning, we walked down to the river for about 8.30pm and took the boat to explore the floating markets.  It was amazing how they transferred stock from one boat to another and how the women selling drinks would latch onto the side of the boat.  We visited a Vermicelli noodle factory which was really interesting and headed back to Saigon that afternoon.  In the evening, we went to Allez bar to meet a French couple we'd met for drinks and dinner.  Tomorrow would be our last day in Vietnam, so it was nice to head to bed early. 

K x

Nha Trang

6 August

We woke up fairly early so that we could get an early start.  We were only on Nha Trang for the night so we had a lot to do. It was raining yet again so the waterproofs were on.  We wandered around the town centre, took a walk on the beach but in all honesty, there wasn't much to do.  

Over lunch, Raj decided that we should hire a bike and explore the temples and Alexandre Yersin museum.  I really enjoyed both.  The temple gives you a beautiful view of the city and for a French geek like me, I found the museum fascinating, particularly as it was all in French.  We stopped by a cafe before delivering the bike back, to have a coffee.  On the pavement in front of us, there was a guy cooking what looked like sausages in red wine, so I decided to try one.  I now know that it definitely wasn't any  sort of meat but more likely a vegetable and a horrid one at that!  In the evening, we had dinner and an early night as the bus was due to pick us up at about 7am.

Hoi An - A shopaholic's heaven

2 August

You cannot come to Hoi An and not get clothes tailored.  It's like...going to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower.  This quaint city is famous for its tailors.  What started as a few guys running a shop on the corner of the high street, has now taken off and made it what it is today.  So how do you choose the right tailor?  Our hotel gave us the name of one they recommended and forewarned us that many of the street traders worked off commission.  So how did I choose mine?   

Firstly, I am a sucker for great customer service and I hate pushy sales people.  As my boss at S1865 said; "people buy off people" meaning you are more likely to buy off someone that you like rather than off someone that is trying to force you to buy something.  So as I was walking into the old town to meet Raj for breakfast, a lady stopped me in the street.  She introduced herself as Ann, asked how long I'd been in Vietnam for, what I thought of it and where I was from etc.  She thought I was Australian and she's not the first- result!  She also complimented me on my slender figure and as all ladies know, this means you're surely onto a winner!  Ann explained that she had been a tailor for some 15 years and invited me into her shop. Even when I said I was meeting a friend, she didn't push it and simply gave me her card.  I already felt comfortable with her but likewise I wanted to shop around.

We had breakfast in the same restaurant as the night before ( Bees Knees) and wandered into the main quarter. Raj had researched the name of a road where all the good tailors were based but on our way, he spotted a green military style jacket and that was him sold.  I had a look around and spotted a shift dress which would be perfect for my next job and some fabric for a day dress.  What I liked about these girls was the fact that they were all well dressed and all knew the key trends.  They weren't afraid of giving their opinions either which was perfect.  The tailor spotted a blue pattern which at first I wasn't a fan of I must admit, but she was adamant that it suited me...and she was right!  Once we negotiated the price (a must do here) we continued to wander down the side streets and I stopped by a leather store to see how much a bag would be for Callum (brother).  We took a few prices down and a sneaky picture (technically this isn't allowed) and were on our way, or at least that was the plan.  The shop next door also made leather shoes.  The next thing I know, I'm sitting down with 6 books of shoes choosing designs that I like.  How did that happen?  Raj chose 3 pairs of shoes, matching belts and splashed out on a beautiful leather weekend bag.  The first colour he showed me was, well...horrid, so I'm glad he changed it!  I eventually settled on 2 pairs and shoes and a brown leather handbag with suede interior.  It's so pretty :). I am a sucker for bags!

I headed back to Ann's shop and got kitted out with 2 pairs of trousers, a shift dress and a blazer all for 80$.  The same price as the 2 dresses from this morning.  Not bad for just over £50!

It was slowly beginning to dawn on us, just how much money we'd actually spent.  So, after a minor freak out and a spot of lunch, I headed off to find a bag for Callum.  I was under strict instructions to spend no more than £80 on a black overnight bag.  I spotted one and managed to get it custom made for £54!  He wanted it slightly smaller than the picture, which i requested but I adidn't realise until I picked it up the next day, just how small it was.  Still, fingers crossed he likes it.  We ended up in the sports pub a few doors down from the leather shop and spent the evening watching the ashes and talking to the other travellers about what had been a memorable but expensive day!

3 and 4 August

Both days were much the same, I seemed to go from tailor to tailor re-adjusting items to make sure they fitted.  On the 3rd, we took a wander into the Ancient Quarter followed by a walk along the river.  Again, it was a hot day so numerous stops for drinks and the use of their AC were made.  As we turned the corner by the river, guess who we bumped into? James!  (That's the dude we met on the bus).  He was staying at our hotel, so we agreed to meet up for happy hour.

Time flew by and between reading, popping down to the pool for a swim and checking emails/submitting my final TEFL lessons plans, it was time for drinks.  We resided by the pool for most of it and soaked up the free cocktails (sadly there was only 1 choice but you really couldn't complain).  About 7.30ish, we headed down to watch The Ashes before heading off to bed.

On Sunday, we popped in to get our final bits and pieces and I popped by the post office to send the parcel home to Cal.  Our plan was to take the overnight bus that evening to Nha Trang but again it was full so we stayed an extra night in Hoi An which neither of us moaned at, as I think we both quite liked it.  Still, eventually the time would come where we had to leave, so we booked our places on the Monday night bus.      

If no one else is on the bus, something is wrong!

31 July and 1 August

There is nothing quite like waking up, sitting on the top deck and floating past some of the most idyllic, breathtaking scenery I have ever witnessed.  Luckily for us, we had 4 hours of sailing to enjoy before we had to depart and head back to Hanoi.  The weather was perfect - sunshine, blue skies and not a cloud in sight.  It truly was relaxing and will undoubtedly be one of my highlights of this trip.

Just after lunch, we took the bus back to Hanoi which arrived at about 5ish.  Our plan was to take the train down to Hoi An but much to our surprise, every train was full.  We didn't even consider pre-booking a seat on the basis that its off-peak season.  We had 2 options; take the bus which left in 15mins or wait another day for the train but even then there was no guarantee.  The 5.30pm departure not only meant that we would have to get a shift on but also that we'd miss the water puppet show.  

Reluctantly, I agreed that it was probably the better option and I'd catch the show in Saigon.  We quickly had time to run to the shop, buy some supplies for the 20 hour journey, before jumping onto a minibus.  Well, I say jumped...we were hauled (quite literally) and left standing.  Granted the minibus journey was short but it wasn't the safest way of travelling (sorry 'rents if you're reading this).  According to Raj, my face was a picture!  Luckily for me, a lovely French family took pity on me and let me share their seat.  They were a very sweet family from Lyon who were on holiday showing Mia (youngest) her roots.  The little lad, Paul, was the prefect distraction.  He genuinely seemed pleased that we were taking the same bus, so much so that he decided to move so he could sit in front of me (on the sleeper bus that is!)  Raj and I parked ourselves on the back row.  3 beds to ourselves...result!  Erm...not quite.  About 45 mins into the journey, more people joined including a rather tall British lad called James.  He joined our back row meaning that I was sandwiched between 2 gentleman for the next 12 hours at least.  In James' words "some ladies would pay a lot of money for the privilege".  I'm sure they would!

The journey was bumpy as expected so sleep would be minimal. The only thing that bothered me was sliding off the end of the bed as unlike the boys' beds, I didn't have a metal bar to stop me.  Still, we eventually stopped at a "service station" for some food at about 10pm.  I say food, the only thing even remotely edible was a "hot dog" and even that wasn't particularly palatable.  The toilets were horrid but once again, all I kept thinking was "it's all part of the adventure...".  We got back on the bus and I managed to get a couple of hours kip.  About 7.30am, we arrived in Hue and everyone got off the bus and unbeknown to us, we were meant to do the same.  Instead, we continued sitting on it, assuming that it would continue onto Hoi An.  As we approached the bus park and realised there wasn't another sole on the bus, Raj and I both looked at each other and thought it's probably best that we make the driver aware that we are still here.  With fury in his eyes, he yelled to the back of the bus and told us to get off.  We were quite literally stranded in the middle of nowhere.  We tried to speak to him numerous times but either got ignored or pointed to sit back down.  It was only when Raj went to check on our bags that we realised they weren't there!  Thankfully, the story ended happily, the driver took us back to the main office and we were reunited with our bags.  We now just had to wait until 2pm for the next bus.

To kill a few hours, we wandered around Hue and had a spot of breakfast.  It was a very hot summers day and we were tired from the bus so we spent a good hour or so chilling in a restaurant around the corner before it was back on the bus.  This time, the bus was a lot older and much less comfortable.  Clearly the first bus we took was first class.  About half way through the 4 hour journey, a mother and baby joined us.  The baby can't have been any older than 6 months yet not one man got up to give them their seat.  I personally found this appalling having lived in London where everyone gives up their seat for the elderly or mothers with babies.  Raj clearly felt the same and gave up his seat.   Manners cost nothing as my Gran would say!

We arrived at the bus park shortly before 6pm to be greeted by guys willing to take us to our hotel on a motorbike.  My bag is pretty heavy so we decided to get a cab instead of walk or risk the bike.  The hostel was nice and one which was recommended to us.  It was pretty basic but it was clean and did the job except the bath wouldn't drain and the sink was coming off the wall.  These were easily fixed with a trip down to reception.  Still, it had a lovely balcony and a pool so pretty good for 20$/night.  

We managed to catch the free happy hour and headed out for some food at a Vietnamese restaurant in the centre of the old town.  Within a few moments walk in the old town, I knew I'd love it here.  This is how I imagined Vietnam.  Surprisingly, I still hadn't seen as much of a French influence as I thought I would but I assumed that was because we were still quite far up North.  

Tomorrow was set to be a busy day so we headed off to bed for 10pm...hardcore!

Good Morning Vietnam

Sunday 28 July

Today, Raj and I started our Vietnamese adventure.  The 3.30am wake up call was just as painful as we'd envisaged, particularly as we didn't go to bed till 2am - damn Boardwalk Empire!  The flight was pretty good, nothing too dramatic.  We arrived at the airport, showed our visas and breezed through security.  What did become slightly irritating was our delayed baggage.  It would appear that Hanoi airport only has 2 baggage belts, which seems a bit ridiculous for a capital city!  Almost 2 hours later, my bag arrives and another 30 mins later, raj's bag comes through.  Finally, we were at last on our way.  We took a cab to the hostel which was a journey of approx. an hour.

We stayed at the May de Ville Backpackers hostel which is located in the centre of the old town in Hanoi.  As check-in wasn't until 2pm, we left our bags and took a wander around.  Hanoi in brief, is a city filled with motorbikes.  Pedestrians really don't get much of a look in.  To cross the road, you quite literally walk into the middle of the road and the bikes/mopeds will glide past you.  That really is the only way to cross a road, trust me.  The rain was chucking it down, so much so that the option was to grab a coffee somewhere.  By this time we were drenched but thankfully my stuff was bone dry (cheers to the peeps that bought me my rucksack liners and industrial plastic holders for my phone etc , I will now never travel without them).  We headed back to the hostel and caught the end of the Spider-Man film before finally checking-in.  

To say this place is a hostel would really do it no justice.  It's a decent hotel.  You can stay in a dorm for $4/night or have your own private room for $10.  A no brainer as far as I was concerned!  The room was really nice with a lovely large bathroom and hot water, which is considered somewhat a luxury here.  The rest of the evening was pretty boring, I had a nap and we ate dinner at a French/Vietnamese restaurant which was delicious.  We also took a brief walk around the night market but it wasn't anything to shout home about.  The only drama was Raj losing the key to the padlock for his bag.  We almost had use for my Leatherman (cheers Iain and boys) but as I was fast asleep, Raj had to resort to asking the little handyman at the desk to hacksaw it off.  Luckily, it worked and he didn't have to spend the next few days in the same clothes, something we were both very thankful for!  Before hitting the hay, we managed to secure the common room to catch the Hungarian F1 GP.  For those that know me, you'll know that this made a me very happy lady.  Hamilton even won, result!  

Monday 29 July

We woke up fairly early, ate breakfast and headed out to explore Hanoi in a little more detail.  The city itself isn't that impressive but certain streets in the Old Quarter are rather quaint.  Yet again, the heavens opened so out came the umbrellas and pac-a-macs.  Weirdly, I packed waterproof bags for my belongings but forgot a coat for me...oops!  We wandered over to the Pagoda which is on the edge of the north lake.  A very pretty building but not particularly tall so can easily be missed.  We also explored parts of the South side where the other lake is situated.  It was a fairly pleasant walk, particularly as the sun had decided to come out.

In the evening, we were hoping that we could catch the water puppet theatre but it was full!  Instead, we went for a wander.  Neither of us had remembered the map, but this didn't deter us in the slightest.  We even managed to find the Knightsbridge of Hanoi with all your classic fashion houses.  The highlight of our evening was the restaurant we stumbled across for dinner.  It somehow caught my eye as we walked across the street.  It was heaving with tourists as well as locals, which normally means the food is good.  I ordered crab for dinner.  I love seafood and I had heard that it was amazing in Asia.  Well, they are not wrong.  Expecting it dressed, I was pretty shocked when a whole crab landed on my plate.  Not to be out done, I finished the whole thing.  It was out of this world and well worth the walk.  The trick now was finding our way back.  I don't think either of us had quite grasped just how far we'd walked...

First impressions of Vietnam:  it is and it isn't what I expected.  There are certainly some elements which haven't surprised me, such as the culture and general appearance of the country but there are also some that have.  Street food is famous all over Asia but I've yet to see it be eaten on little plastic chairs and tables.  I had similar furniture when I was a kid!  This may sound like I'm being negative but actually, I love it!  What's better than watching the world go by whilst eating amazing freshly cooked food?  Nothing!  I wasn't expecting the roads to be quite as bumpy as they are.  Bus journeys can be painful on the old bottom!

Bridge over the River Kwai

25 & 26 July

I've never been very good at early mornings and as much as I have tried to get better with age, I haven't.  Therefore, getting up at 5am with a little over 2 hours sleep, meant I was probably a little grouchy to put it mildly.  The bus driver eventually picked me up at. 6.30am after finding where Raj lived.  I was the first to board the bus destined for Kanchanaburi.  After almost 1 hour of pick-ups, we arrived at Khoa San Road to be greeted by a random lady who demanded our tickets and quite literally snatched them off us.  This was yet another lesson to be used going forward; always take copies of bookings and receipts.  A few mins later, she eventfully introduced herself as our tour guide.  By this time, I was awake and capable of holding a conversation without jumping down anyones throat!  I started talking to the guy in front of me called Mark.  He had just quit his job in the City and had taken 3 weeks off to travel SE Asia before starting his new job.  Although his journey wasn't quite as long as mine, it was still nice to chat to a Brit.

Our first stop was the Cemetery of the war heroes.  As you'd expect, it was a very sombre affair and it still amazed me at just how large it was.  Apparently, this was only 1/3.  By this time, it was lunchtime so we headed off to river.  We arrived at what could only be described as a raft, tied on by a piece of rope, but it was fine, we were only having dinner, how bad could it be?  The thing is, I wasn't just having dinner here, I was also sleeping here.  The words "you've come away for an experience and this IS an experience" were continuously repeated in my head.  This was my first real taste of travelling life.  Thankfully, I had got off lightly.  There were another 20 people staying too, some of whom had kids.  One family had even paid extra for 4 beds (family of 4, so seems logical) and AC but according to the manager, they'd booked a 3 bed room with a fan.  I felt so sorry for them.  Then there was another family who were American.  They'd paid extra for an AC room but were given one with a fan.  Nicole was my age so I offered for her to stay in my room so that perhaps her mum and Dominic could get some sleep.  The room was extremely basic and I am convinced the floor was cleaner than the linen on  the bed.  The shower was fixed to a piece of wrought iron which separated each room and the water was of course cold.  The toilet was typically Asian; a hole in the ground with a bedpan to wash down.  I thought I'd left those days long behind, but sadly not. The flooring was cracked so at times, you felt like Jesus walking on water, as there was a strong possibility that the floorboard would break under your weight and you'd end up in the river.  The saving grace was delicious food and excellent company.

In the afternoon, we were taken to the waterfall in Kanchanaburi.  We walked up steep steps and to be honest, it was a bit of an anti-climax, not to mention the fact that I didn't have a bikini as I hadn't been told to take swimwear. Needless to say, I now take a bikini with me everywhere.  We were told we'd have 1.5 hours at the waterfall, but in all honesty, 30 mins would have more than sufficed.  So to kill the remaining hour, Nicole, Dominic, Celia and I took a wander to find the cave.  We must've walked for about 30 mins only to find that it was shut due to a landslide.  Gutted.  On the plus side, we saw some beautiful scenery and butterflies.

We headed back to the bus and went onto our final destination of the afternoon; Death Railway.  We arrived at this train station with no guidance as to what we were doing.  We waited and waited and waited.  Eventually some 30min later, a large train pulled up and we got aboard.  The train was rammed so a seat was out of the question and taking photos was also difficult.  It seemed that everyone had got on at the stop before us, not surprising really considering how well organised our trip was...not!  Still, it was a gorgeous clear day so it meant that we got to see some of Thailand's less exposed countryside.  

We headed back to the hotel, had dinner and all congregated on the benches overlooking the river.  The benefit to staying in somewhere basic, is that everyone wants to hang out as opposed to doing their own thing.  As a single traveller, this is something that I was very grateful for.  After arguing with the hotel manager over borrowing towels (what place doesn't offer towels?!), it was time to head off to bed.  The sound of the water flowing as you fall asleep is very relaxing.  Perhaps if you look past the rotten wooden planks and basic facilities, this place wasn't so bad after all.