We are officially in paradise. This is just the best place ever!!! At the moment we are sitting on the green sofas overlooking the sea eating Vietnamese fish caught today soooo delicious I don’t want to go back to beans on toast that’s for sure but if either of my children are offering a roast dinner on 2 April we would be delighted ( hint hint) Our fishermans cottage is a wooden small building with a pointed roof and a veranda and an open air bathroom. It feels funny doing a wee in the garden but nice and breezy. There are two beds with beautiful flowy Mossi nets over them I feel like a princess in my pretty bed at night and what’s better is that I can’t hear happy Buddha snoring so much in his own little bed. There are hammocks on the beach tied to trees so I thought I would have a go. I got on really easily and layer there swinging reading the problems started when I needed to get up!!!! I thought surely if I just do what I did to get on I would be fine but as soon as I moved the hammock started to spin and I got caught for what seemed like ages. I called for dave to rescue me before anyone saw me dangling but he was asleep  – or ignoring me and two passers by just laughed. I did eventually release myself somewhat ungratefully though but it was funny. I also fell over on the beach – the sea when it comes in makes a small wall of sand, everyone just slid their feet down it and walked into the sea but I put one foot on the sand and my foot just went straight out and I unceremoniously slid into the sea to the sound of sunbathers laughter. My third embarrassment was when rolled over on my sun bed to speak to dave but didn’t realise the mattress and slipped sideways so as I rolled over to speak to dave I rolled off the sun bed for all to see me looking like an upside down tortoise !!!

We have seen lots of wildlife here. Because we are at the edge of the jungle there are lots of creatures. Long scary snacked that May come into your cottage. If they someone comes and catches them and takes them away to eat them! We have also seen lizards that are about 30 cms long and very colourful, they don’t hurt you they just run away if they see people. Yesterday someone’s cows came walking through just past our cottage and it was like no one even noticed. They just carried on walking. I really won’t want to leave here ever but tomorrow we have go but Cambodia will be lovely I Am sure. Have to go and do some more relaxing now – hard as it is I will volunteer for that job ha ha xxxxx.

Today we flew from ho chi Minh City to phou quock the Vietnamese sea just below Cambodia. Loved it on site very hot pretty and we were really excited to have four days  living as five star mr and mrs Robinson Crusoe . As we got closer I was a bit worried. It had stopped looking pretty and was now only jungle and very bumpy unmade roads. Then the car stopped in the middle of nowhere and a man opened the car door and said welcome to mango bay  we had to laugh as he led us down a jungle path but at the end of the path we could a beautiful beach and the the reception bar and restaurant all open and on the beach   The man showed us to our accommodation , on the way we were worried that it might be awful but it is the most beautiful building on stilts on the beach with hammocks tied to trees for sunbathing and handmade beds with mosquito nets and an outside bathroom which is lovely. It is soo rustic and real unlike the five star manufactured dream we thought we were going to get.. The foo sis unbelievable an delicious we have beds on our veranda and our own hammocks and sun beds right by the rippling waves. I may never leave!! Our luggage has just arrived as they didn’t put it in the plane but it didn’t matter it’s here now. Not washed and ironed unfortunately

Hi there  – I don’t know if all my blogs are getting to you but you are probably glad if they are not ha ha

Today we flew from hue to saigon/ Ho Chi Minh City

From 1964 to 1975 there was a war in Vietnam between the north Vietnamese (Vietcong)and the Americans. The war began because North Vietnam was governed by Russia who are communists. America was frightened that other countries would be invaded and made communist so they invaded Vietnam to chase the Russians and communist North Vietnamese out. The war ended when the Americans withdrew on 30 April 1975 at 12 midday when a Vietnamese tank crashed through the gates of the palace that the Americans had overtaken as their head quarters in saigon/ Ho Chi Minh City

Our new guide vu and driver Hahn collected us and took us to cu chi to see the tunnels that the Vietcong lived in and fought from during the Vietnam war. It was interesting learning about how clever they were at digging a vast tunnel system   Apparently the Americans had sophisticated weapons and vehicles which the Vietcong could not compete with so ho chi Minh said ‘use what you know, you are farmers and simple living people who know the jungle and village areas so use your local knowledge.  They are quite short people only 5 ft tall and slight of build so constructed a tunnel system of 3 levels travelling for miles. The tunnels were only 1 1/2 metres tall and 1/2 metre wide which although difficult was possible for the Vietcong to travel through. They experienced various problems using the tunnels such as how to get air down, how to get rid of smoke used for cooking etc and how to get water and stop the tides from flooding the tunnels. They also had to make the entrances difficult to see and find and to deter American army dogs from sniffing them out ( as you can imagine because there was little or no ventilation human smells could come out of the ventilTion pipes and so could be smelt by the dogs searching for tunnels and people. When the dogs barked because they could smell humans the Americans would bomb the tunnel and kill everyone. To avoid this the Vietcong used old discard American uniforms and wet them and stuck them 1/2 mtr into the tunnel so if would travel through the uniforms and then t he dogs could only smell Americans and so did not bark to alert the soldiers of people in the tunnels

So that they could breath in t he tunnels the Vietcong constructed lots of air pipes that went from the tunnels up through the ground to the surface where they were camouflaged so not visible   When they cooked in the tunnel it was possible to see the smoke from the surface so they made lots of pipes that travelled a long way from the tunnel and place lots of material fabrics along the pipe to filter out smells and colour from the food. They only cooked at around 5am so that the now white smoke would look like early morning mist and therefore fool the Americans who wouldn’t see the smoke. The tunnels were constructed near the river so that the Vietcong could draw water from the tunnel or swim across the river to another district. So that the water odd not flood the tunnels when the tide was high dams were constructed to shut off the tunnels. These ‘lids’  ere also used when the Americans tried to look down the tunnel or to get down it. Then the Americans thought that the tunnel was not completed so left it alone.    Because the tunnels were so small children and women were often used to plant bombs and throw hand grenades , they could pop up out do the tunnel and pop back down easily and quickly. The Vietcong lived in the tunnels for 10 years.

The Vietcong used many traps to catch the enemy too using trap doors in the ground with large spikes and spike frames behind doors so that when the door was opened the spikes would crash into the soldiers.

Dave went down an enlarged tunnel purposely built so that tourists could experience what it was like. Dave had to crawl because he was too big. He said that it was dRk and small and scary and he was only down there for 20 mtrs and for 5 minutes. !!!

We saw a lady making rice pancakes and a man making flip flops out of car tyres. The Vietcong used these car tyre flip flops because they only left a track mark in the ground like a bird or an animal so footprints could not be seen.

We took lots of photos of tunnels , traps , guns and bullets, rockets and machine guns, hand grenades etc for you all to see. Dave could have used some of the guns with live rounds but he didn’t .

We then went to the war museum which showed us lots of guns tanks helicopters etc and photos which showed us how awful a war can be and how badly people get hurt and how many get killed.

We went to the palace to see where the Vietcong smashed the gates down and ran up to the roof to put in their flag to say they had won the war   We saw the last American helicopter to leave Vietnam. After this vie5nam was not devised in the south and the north, it became one country.

Vietnam used to be a communist country .  Communism believes that all people are equal and should have equal rights money and opportunity   In Vietnam there is a party committee ruling the country with representatives from all over the country. However, because t eh party members have large cars and big houses and earn lots of money and the farmers and local people are poor it is thought that it is a democratic socialist republic .

After this we went to the catholic cathedral , the old post office etc.  We then went shopping and then to the pool which was lovely. We sunbathed for the first time this holiday!!!!! Wonderful!!!

In the evening we had dinner and went to the bar where everyone was dancing and singing to a Vietnamese band singing English songs. It was fun. We met some Australians and people who now live in Rosales near us in Spain! Small world!!

Today we re on our way to pho quick. A deserted island in the Vietnamese sea to stay on a beautiful mango go resort in a small fishermans cottage with no roof!!! I will let you know what it’s like but maybe not from there because I may not have reception.

Weather very humid today but warm too   We have been to some beautiful historic places today and seen some pretty villages and countryside. I have made a nonsense stick and helped to make a Chinese hat. This afternoon I had a cookery class with a famous chef from Luxembourg. I will make you the recipe for dinner when I get home.  I will send a photo of it to you. Later on we are going shopping and tomorrow we fly from hue to Saigon where we will go to the cu Che tunnels that the Vietcong hid inside during the Vietnam war. We have seen many signs of the Vietnam wR even bullett holes in walls etc. 

Old Chinese proverb

When dragon fly fly low it rain when he fly high it  sunny when he fly in middle he thinks- sun or rain ?

Happy Buddha is still happy but has been bitten four times and cannot imagine how poor Jessica felt he said he has been awake in agony all night. Agony sounds a lot like snoring then ha ha

We are at the hai van pass as featured on top gear  it’s really steep, narrow with sharp hair pin bends and the clouds are lower than the top of the mountains. There is very little traffic control so a little bit scary but beautiful. At the top we saw a bunker used by the Americans in the war width lots of bullet marks. Dave went inside the bunker and was surprised that anyone could stay in there at all especially not for long periods of time like they had to. All the Vietnamese people are friendly and always smiling. Things are very cheap but touristy. There are trains taking passengers from the north to the south of Vietnam they are small and the tracks run at the end of small front gardens and across roads but do not have barriers or No warnings. They go from one stop to the next only  and then back again so if you want to go on a long journey it takes a very long time because you have to get on and off at every station to change trains So a long journey could take for ever.

We have now arrived at hue(pronounced hway) and are staying in a villa type very Vietnamese hotel which is used to train young people to work in hotels and restaurants. They are third year students and overseen all the time so the service is perfect.. Our suite is huge and there were lovely orchids and fresh fruit in the room and before bed they came and turned down the covers and placed chicks And little hand made biscuits each side of the bed. Ahhhhhh!

This afternoon we went to have a look around and had a boat ride in a dragon boat across the perfume river to a local market. Dave’s tummy keeps being patted by smiling Vietnamese who call him happy Buddha   The market was really hectic And we were the only white people there a lady hounded us to look at her stall where she sells silk pajamas and I thought it would be nice to get some for the girls. She took us into a labyrinth of tiny alley ways between stalls PC,ex to the rafters with goods. If the boat lady was no with us we would never have found our way out. All the people were trying to take us to their stalls and calling out to us. I was a tiny bit scared as you can imagine but we made it out in the end but sadly without the pj’s. Perhaps I will try a shop next time. Looking back it was fun though  after that I went to a spa ( small shop with one bed and a box of nail polish!) and had hands and feet done and foot leg and arm massage. Very nice

The chef came to discuss dinner choices with us personally describing all the ingredients and flavours and after questioning us on our tastes created the most wonderful meal, we had a prawn and mango etc etc stater and a chicken roulade stuffed with? With a sauce and bachoy etc delicious and one of the best meals ever. Oh and the bar manager was teaching the staff about cocktails and asked if we would mind sampling for free – what a question – I am no 4 and not had desert yet. Lovelyeee surprise desserts are on the way I a told!!! I may never leave ha ha

Hi everyone

We are still having a fab time. Last night we went to. Traditional Vietnamese restaurant and had the most delicious food ever. We sat on a little balcony in the candlelight it was so beautiful. Everyone here thinks Dave’s wonderful because of his shape and they all call him laughing Buddha ha ha. At 7 am we were driven to halong bay and stopped off at a craft centre that teaches and employs disabled young people to paint and embroider etc for tourists to buy and for export. There were lovely things there and it wS nice to see the young people feeling good about themselves because normally they would just die in an orphanage but here they have lovely homes and friends and a job. We arrive at halong bay at about 11 and boarded a lovely old boat callEd a junk. It was very nicely decorated with lanterns floweres and lovely teak wood everywhere  when we got to our cabin ( only 10 on the ship) our bed was covered in red rose petals and a gorgeous red rose and gypsophila bouquet and chocolate ( I could get used to this!!) we then had afab 6  purse lunch and set sail for the floating fishing village where little boats filled with all sorts of food and goods float around selling things to people who

I’ve in little boat houses. They have a temple and a floating school which is sponsored by an Australian town. It is so smal, only one classroom that children have to take it in turns to be taught. We then went back to the boAt in our little row boat for a demonstration of food carving. I can now make flowers and a swan from apples carrots and peppers. The dinner was a lovely as the lunch and after happy hour we watched the top gear programme they filmed in Vietnam. It seemed so different watching it again after we had been to so many of the places.today we did ti chi ( exersices) on the deck at 7 am then went to a huge cave. We had to climb up 400 steps and down 500 ( dave couldn’t go because of his achy knees and hangover from happy hours!) the cave had stalagmites and stalagtites and was really awesome. Then we had breakfast before leaving the boat at 10.30 for our trip to Haiphong   We went to a little village and saw a cat and dog meat shop! A beautiful lake where all the frogs sang and there were lots of water lilies, it was very pretty but I prefer to live in walderslade. From there we went to the airport which took 2 hours only to find that our flight was cancelled and we had to drive another 3 hours to the next airport which we are arriving at now so I keep my fingers crossed that we can get a flight. I will let you know!  We have met some lovely people and had lots of laughs. Some people come from Orpington and some from Arlington!!! Some Australia too.

Hi
Our day started at 6.30!  We had had lovely tropical breakfast and now I want a chef ! Our your took us to hoh chi min mausoleum where his remains are in a glass coffin from 1975. They have to go to Russia for chemical maintenance every year !!! Then your of city  which is amazing. I have lots of photos to send you. There is a huge turtle lake you would like Viki with the biggest turtles on the world!! Ha ha. Now out to have look around and dinner and drinks we saw a man during a scooter with a sofa on the back one with nine people on it and a photo of one with a live cow tied on the back I hope you like the photos – it’s very different here. Xxxx take care cxx