Huynh Anh Hotel Ho Chi Minh City

... further south I’ve got, the more I’m growing to love it.

My first trip was to Halong Bay. Unfortunately it was pretty cloudy so the scenery probably wasn’t looking as spectacular as it can but it was still really nice. We spent one night sleeping on our boat and a night on our very own Castaway island. It turned out to be a bit of a booze cruise but was a good laugh. Then it was up north into the hills of Sapa. I was ...

... were but spending much longer doing it. There was a guy called Jamie who was an ex-politics student from London, smart guy who worked for a little while for an MP. Chloe, who was also cool but spoke really quietly so I found myself smiling and nodding along without really hearing what she had been saying, bad I know but I couldn't seem to stop myself doing it! Sorry Chloe! And finally there was a northern girl called Amanda who was unfortunately very ill ...

... Ho Chi Minh is loud, with motorbikes beeping & has some lovely parks & old French colonial buildings tucked away.

Hoping off the bus at Pham Ngu Lao Street a tout approached us about staying at a guest house & suggested we follow him and because it was only a 3min walked we decided to have a look. We followed him down this narrow alley full of people about their everyday lives; washing ...

... in hunger to survive. However all I did was pick him out of a barrel of snakes (not unlike a barrel of fish) and then wait a grueling hour while he was cooked. Tastes like chicken, if chicken tastes like snake. Soya sauce can make rat edible, so what it did for old snakey was nothing short of...delicious.
Anyways, after a far too comfortable sleep, me Chau and the toothless boat driver made our way out onto the delta with the young english speaking Dai. We ...

... worn Cam's kilt and caused much hilarity all round - the lack of underwear with kilts appears to be known here - he says there were some attempts to verify the fact !!! Was useful for getting across the road - literally stopped the traffic!! We join the Cambodian leg of the tour tomorrow with a new guide. Four of the original tour are continuing with us so won't be all new people.
Tired again so will close off - hope all is well with everyone.
Lots of love - Russell & Mary

... to overtake a bus as it was passing me. Saigon streets sure aren't pedestrian friendly! Out for more drinks that night – back to our usual place – Eden. Chris was watching TV when we ordered our second round of drinks. The waitress asked him if he wanted another ice coffee and he seemed to ignore her. She asked me if he was deaf so I told her he just didn't like girls. She said: "Is he a ladyboy?! Does he like you?" So I told her s/he (Chris) liked Andy. I think she ...