CNEWS Headline

---Transcript from CNEWS Website---

Death toll from Vietnamese floods rises to 21

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - The death toll from floods and landslides has risen to 21 and two people remain missing following heavy rains in central Vietnam where water levels continue to rise, officials said Saturday.

Up to 125 centimetres of water has been dumped on the region over the last four days and moderate rains were reported Saturday in low-lying areas in four provinces following the worst drought since 1998, officials said.

Disaster officials in Thua Thien Hue province forecast more rain for the next couple of days.

In Quang Ngai province, some 900 kilometres south of the capital Hanoi, six people drowned Thursday, a provincial disaster official said on condition of anonymity. Three family members were killed Friday and two remained missing after a landslide destroyed their home, he said.

Five others drowned in Thua Thien Hue province, four in neighbouring Quang Tri province and three in nearby Quang Nam province, disasters officials said.

An official in Quang Nam province said some streets in ancient Hoi An town, a UNESCO cultural heritage site, were submerged but no major damage was reported.

Vietnam's north-south rail link has been interrupted in Thua Thien Hue province since Thursday, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded, an official at Hue railway station said. It was unclear when the submerged rail link would be reopened, she added.

Despite the flooding, little rain has been reported over the last few days in the nearby Central Highland province Daklak, the country's largest coffee-growing region, officials said.

The drought there is likely to reduce the province's coffee output by 20 per cent to 40 per cent, said Nguyen Huu Trung, deputy director of the provincial agriculture department.

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Vietnam Number 2

Good evening and morning to you all,

Just arrived back from majestic Ha Long bay. (that's the one with the limestone cliffs jutting out of the water, and junks floating calmly on the still water). Been floating around for 3 days around the islands, while snorkling/kayaking/swimming. Been doing very posh things which we could never afford anywhere else. Feel like passengers on a rusty "Love Boat", then stayed one night in a hotel on an island there. Spent an hour at an internet cafe waiting for my mail to come up, and wrote you all a lovely letter in notepad, but it didn't get as far as allowing me to copy my message into my email so gave up, and paid a dollar for my time. Heading off to Hue in 2 hours.

Already done a week and a half in Hanoi and up in Sapa. Trekked Sapa and travelled all the way to the China border. visited the villagers, and mingled with the "minority peoples" there. Stayed in one of the tribal villages, and witnessed an insanely strange singing and dance/drunken kareoke party with a lot of roses, out of time dancing, off-key singing, and feedbacky speakers. Went to Bac Ha markets, and bought way to many traditional skirts and scarves. Planning on spending 4 days in Hue, then on to Hoi An, and further south to get lots of clothes and other treats. (Trying to delay going into the typhoon that's headed at Saigon.- Should miss it according to the weather forecast). Big happy birthdays to: Cain, John, Judi, Natalie, and everyone else in November!

And special congrats to Tara and Lee!!!!!
Bye, and love from Pip and Damen

Vietnam!

Gidday everyone from Vietnam!

Have been here for a few days now. kind of lost track of how much time we've been here, but it seems like weeks!

Had a very interesting day when we got here. Arrived at about 8 in the morning, then found a hotel really easily. Really cheap, in the middle of the old quarter. 10$ US/night. so we got up about midday, and went into the markets, (which is just outside the door) dunno what we were thinking, but we ended up getting lost, and forgot the name of the hotel, so we spent all that afternoon looking for it, then jumped on a cyclo-taxi thing, and spent another ages looking before we found it. So now
we've thouroughly done the whole town.

Went to the perfume pagoda yesterday... was lovely... really lovely. and we've spent today walking around. the day after tomorrow we'll probably be going to Sapa, which is an area near the China/Vietnam border, where we can walk around
the markets, do some trek, sleep in a minority village, and talk to the minority peoples! Can't wait!

Then onto Ha Long Bay, which is with the big limestone cliffs and water. Well, we spent today trying to find this statue of Lenin that we saw in a van, and walked for miles. Didn't find it. Realy tired, which is good cos it means we can sleep. (Everyone wakes up at about 5/6am. and we're sleeping in a hotel where there is a sound of a pump which goes all day, and late into the night. It sounds like a washing machine on permanent agitating cycle.)

So, hope ya'll are well. Catch up soon!

i'm gonna buy a Vinaphone card, then I can text, and you can text me. Then it'll be just like old times, and like I haven't left home at all! ahh, technology!

Alright.

Pip says hi, too tired to type right now,

Bye!!!!