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