I was in Hai Phong when the motorbike helmet law was officially launched last year. Overnight it seemed that the traffic scenery changed from a few wearing helmets to a few not wearing them. Leaving my apartment that morning I forgot to put mine on, but thankfully remembered it just as I rode off to work. An hour later I was invited by a school ...

Introduction to Cat ba island Cat Ba Island is situated a mere 50 km east of Hai Phong city in the north of Vietnam. Cat Ba Island is part of a chain of 366 islands that lie within the larger area of Halong Bay. At over 200km2, Cat Ba is the largest island in Halong Bay. The island is easily accessible and matches neighbouring Halong Bay and Bai...

On Thursday night I was invited out for a drink with three other guys to a bar to eat buffalo and dog. We went to an outdoor place made of bamboo, where thankfully we were not served dog but rather three different dishes of buffalo, and three small bottles of rice wine. The first dish was a spicy buffalo and vegetable stir-fry. The second dish w...

For the past week and a half I have been living in my own appartment, which is a welcome change from guesthouse life. First of all it means that I can actually make my own food. I enjoy eating at restaurants, but it gets tiring having to go and eat every meal out, especially breakfast. Secondly, there is no nightclub opposite pumping out dance m...

The problem with having a few days in a row where you are travelling a bit each day is that you suddenly find yourself with lots of blog entries to write to keep upto date. I say 'problem': its not nearly as hard to solve as the problem of third world debt or the troubles in Sri Lanka, but it certainly keeps me exercised. The obvious answer woul...