We're off to the northern mountain region of Sapa, up by the Chinese border, tonite on the overnight train. We have to vacate our room by mid day, and again its raining in the morning. So we spend the morning loafing around our room (taking advantage of the aircon while we've got it!), updating a bit of the weblog and other internet jobs and get...

Hellooooooo Boys and Girls. Sorry I have been slack of late with the blog updates. The best week of my trip was swiftly followed by the worst 10 days, during most of which I was ill! I am currently in Lijiang, China, and four blogs behind! Most of you are probably confused by the blog title, but any Jay Z fans would have got it. This blog is for...

We flew up to Hanoi from Hoi An on an hour long flight (whereas the bus would have taken us about 18 hours!) and booked into a nice little guesthouse. The weather here is pretty bad, cold and windy and not really what we're kitted out for so we're all layering up! There isnt alot to do in Hanoi except wander the streets, which are mad. Every str...

We visit the Military Museum which is fascinating housing relics from the conflicts with France and of the Vietnam War with America. Actual tanks, planes and other military vehicles have been put on display. It is of course very biased towards Vietnam and doesn't really give you the historical background of the conflicts mainly centering on the ...

Yup. I'm already leaving. Just got here today at 4 and I've already booked a trip out. I'll be back though. I'm heading up to Halong Bay for a couple days on a boat tour - not more boats!!! I think this one will be better. Then after that . . .I dunno.

Hanoi is overwhelming - crazy, chaotic and deafeningly loud. Walking around the city is like taking part in an extreme sport. I am delighted I took out extra insurance to cover me for such things. The traffic never stops, sometimes not even for red lights. Overloaded motorbikes, cars, vans, push-bikes, cyclos, vans, trucks and people veer toward...

I had gotten sick after the Perfume Pagoda trip. I had a cough and a fever. I had a sore throat. I had the bird flu. I had Japanese encephalitis, yellow fever, West Nile virus, and malaria. I had a cold. I took cheap antibiotics and DayQuil. I spent a week in bed watching HBO and $1 DVDs. Lindsey brought me take out sandwiches and croissants. It...

Jag har nu spenderat lite drygt tva dagar i Hue. Staden som sadan kandes inte sarskilt spannande sa efter tva dagar dar som till storsta delen handlade om Vietnamkriget sa anlande jag i mandags till Hanoi. Har har jag bott mitt i den s.k smeten i de gamla kvarteren en stenkast fran en av de stora marknaderna och knappt fem minuters promenad fran...

10/04 Arrived in Hanoi after a couple of Air Asia flights. A taxi from our guesthouse met us at the airport, which was great. Iy was a reasonably long trip into the old quarter of Hanoi and the streets were crazy. We didn't realise that people drive on the righ-hand side of the road, so that was a big surprise! I really can see why it's hazardou...

We had one day to relax and explore before leaving tomorrow. We walked around the Old Quarter and then the area around the Ho Chi Minh Masoleum. This was what we pictured "Vietnam" to be like. Large tree-lined boulevards, big streets, and old architecture (embassy area). The weather was beautiful today. Sunny with a little breeze. Todd went to w...