I heart Vietnam

My time so far in Vietnam has been exceptional, and the more I see of it the more I love it here. The rest of my time in Hanoi was fantastic, and I would have liked to have stayed in the city for longer. I managed to get a free trip to Snake Village to make up the numbers on a group's last night in Vietnam. Snake Village isn't a village, but a restaurant that serves...well, snake. The "appeal" is that you kill the snake yourself, and for the extra crazy people: eat the beating heart. Yuk. I didn't kill a snake, nor did I eat one's heart. I did however watch the experience through my camera to distance myself from the scene a bit. We then sat down around a table on the floor and prepared for our snake feast. Declaring myself a vegetarian after my chicken/rat fiasco in India, I was sure I wouldn't take part...but a few rice wines later and I was chowin down on a snake spring roll. Good experience, but I don't think I'll be ordering it on the menu. The good news is that the rest of the food in Hanoi is delicious and I was never hard pressed to find a yummy place to eat. During my wanderings around I really enjoyed pulling up a stool with the lunch-break gals and joining in on the Pho or Mien, which is basically noodle soup. I have become a noodle soup addict. I have also surprised myself by adding spicy sauces and tobasco to pretty much everything. Its like I've discovered a whole new world of food...SPICE! The art in Hanoi is breathtaking, and I managed to find loads and loads of galleries. I couldn't help but buy a painting and sent it to myself in Tring...now I just need a house to put it in! Wandering through all the little streets in the Old Quarter and beyond has a very unique Parisien feel to it, and makes it incredibly pretty. Lots of nooks and crannies full of cafes and restaurants in old buildings, fantastic.  My last night in Hanoi Luke, Kelly and I went to the Water Puppet show around the corner on the lake. It was most definately an interesting experience. The live music was fantastic, and it was great to see the musicians in traditional Vietnamese dress. The puppet show was pretty trippy, but great to see. On my last morning I woke up early and when I got outside the whole city smelled of cinnamon and spices which was incredible. The weather in Hanoi wasn't great, but I think it added to the appeal...somehow.
One of the things I really like about Hanoi is how nice the people are. The girl who sold me the painting was quick to get me on facebook, and I got lots of email addresses off a group of girls I met in a club. People love to wave, smile, and say hello which is really refreshing and welcoming. And then ofcourse there was the heroin man, and it seems a lot of people are willing to share a smoke with you on the street. Don't worry Mum, I said no every time. I'm super bummed I didn't have time to get to Halong Bay or Dalat, but will definately be returning to this country, so can just do it next time!

My next destination was Hue. I met some great people on the 12 hour sleeper bus journey, along with a couple I had met previously in Laos! The people that work on the bus are less than gentle, and give you a good ol' whack when its time to wake up or if they want you to move for one reason or another. Luckily, I met Helen who is brilliant! and turned out we had booked the same hostel so made our way there and then off for some exploring. Hue is quite a small town, but with lots to see. We made it around the citadel and had some fantastic food. We checked out the market which was just toally crazy, and had everything and anything you could ever need or want. We stayed in Hue for a day, and then it was off to Hoi An!

Hoi An is by far my favourite place I've been to so far. We got off the sleeper bus around 6am, dumped our stuff off at our hotel, and then rented some bikes to make our way to the beach. Hoi An is super chilled out and very very pretty. Its known for tailoring, and its not hard to find someone eager to make you a suit or a ball gown to take home! We met a group of guys traveling together at our hotel, and went exploring with them in the pm. The town centre is just incredible at night. Its lit mostly by small colorful lanterns with big BIG lights floating in the river. The river is lined with restaurants and galleries, and it was just very pleasent to walk around. I bumped into loads of people I had met along the way from Laos and Hanoi which was fun. Helen and I managed to beat the locals at a game of snooker that night at a local beach party...don't think they were too pleased, but we were very proud! The next evening we all made our way to Nha Trang and arrived in the early hours once again. Seeing as we couldn't check in until 12, we had no choice but to lie on the beach until lunch time. Helen and I rented some bikes again and took ourselves 5k out of the city to the mud baths. I've come to realise that biking is such a great way to see a city! The mud baths were pretty cool, but I enjoyed getting there and back even better. On the way back to our hotel we stopped for some lunch/dinner at a local restaurant in the back streets after getting a wee bit lost. The local eateries don't have menus, but just give you what they're serving that day. So we sat with the locals, enjoyed our dog noodle soup, and then made our way back to the hotel. Being a temporary veggie saved me once again, and I didn't actually eat any of the dog...and neither did Helen after she found out what it was. I went out on the crazy Nha Trang town and had lots of fun with a bunch of other backpackers. You really are never alone here if you don't want to be, there are so many people and lots of familiar faces! I bumped into the crazy Canadian girls from my bus from Laos to Hanoi, and my friend Page who I met in Veng Vieng so it was all good!
I arrived in Mui Ne this afternoon, but am eager to make my way to Saigon tomorrow morning. Not a lot here other than kite surfing and beach resorts. Uploading photos is almost impossible to do in Vietnam, but I will keep trying! Can't wait to get to Saigon tomorrow as I have only heard good things!

Lunch time view

Hanoi

bucket o' eels

VIETNAMESE MIN PIN!

Lake in the Old Quarter, Hanoi

Having some Pho with the gals

Big Phil and Ash workin on a snake...yuk!

Boat ride in Hue

Goldfish?

American tanks from the war

These things are HEAVY!

Bottoms up! Market in Hue

The greenest green I've ever seen!

before and after...Saigon

The traffic in Saigon is CRAZY!