YOBAMA, Where you go?

I will explain the title of this post at the end.

It was the evening of the world cup semi final on my last night in Bangkok and after spending hours searching for a cheap way to get ourselves across the border, and constantly being told the expensive VIP bus was the only way forward, Paul and I eventually got wind of a train that would take us to the border town (Poi Pet). It was a 5:50am train, third class, no air conditioning and jam packed. However, on that evening, we were merry enough that it really did not matter. It was a five hour train journey, a tuk tuk to the border (past the scam at the fake border, I guess it's worth a try) and an easy walk across the Cambodian border (just a small bribe). All that for the equivalent of about $10 for transport, nothing like the $50 quote of the VIP bus and some discomfort thrown in for free. On the other side we got the cheap bus to Siem Reap and finally arrived after four hours in our new destination.

I was warned that Cambodia would be the saddest place I visited in South East Asia and that is definitely true. It doesn't take long before a five year old walks up to you clutching a newborn baby in the sweltering heat begging for money and food. It began at the border and remained rife in Siem Reap.

We stayed at a place for $6 a night, and we'd been told there was a swimming pool and air conditioning and everything else a man could want in this one room (after two months, you do learn to take everything with a grain of salt.) In true style, the air conditioning was broken, the swimming pool was being renovated and was going to be ready in a week (the sign looked about five months old) and the bathroom had a weird black liquid seeping from the drains. I guess it's hard to complain, at least we had a roof over our heads (just about).

Siem Reap is known for its temples (Angkor Wat) and its bustling night market (seen enough of both to last me a lifetime). The temples are supposed to be beautiful at sunrise, and of course, we were up at 4:30am to go but our tuk-tuk driver arrived an hour late (patience really is a virtue). We spent one day at the temples and that really was enough for me; I'd definitely describe myself now as "templed out." The children around the temples are pretty impressive, they don't just beg, they normally give you some kind of act and then expect some money. You name what country you're from and they can tell you your country's last five leaders, capital city, currency and the current political situation. If that doesn't quite real you in, how about a five year old who can count to ten in ten languages (I added one more to her list by teaching her some Luganda). The poverty here is so much more apparent than everywhere else I've been and it can be difficult walking around.

Siem Reap is also famous for its beautiful waterfall, which really was the highlight of the city for me. It's a bit of a drive by tuk tuk, after visiting the driver's home and waiting for him to do his shopping, we did eventually arrive. It was a great sight, with monks jumping off of trees into the water and doing tricks etc. The water was cool (not true for a lot of the region) and swimming was a lot of fun. After this and a few interviews in the city, we moved on to the capital, Phnom Penh.

Just a short bus journey this time, an easy tuk tuk and a quick look around, we decided to stay at 'Okay Guesthouse' (not the best name for your guesthouse, but at least it's not a lie). We got a good price for a room, it was not too far from the centre and I could get to my interview locations pretty easily.

Phnom Penh is where they really store the history of Cambodia. We visited the S21 Prison, where you can see the pictures of the many people massacred, tortured and killed by the Khmer Rouge during the genocide in the country. Despite being on the move for so long, the things humans can do to each other continue to shock me. In addition to this, there were the killing fields, where you can see the trees the Khmer Rouge would bang the heads of babies on to kill them and the remains from the mass graves of the regime that were excavated by the new government. It's not a place you want to spend too long.

For my interviews, I rented a motorcycle (sorry Mum) and rode around the city, in a place where traffic lights, no entry signs and even the side of the road to ride on are all just suggestions. It made it slightly easier to get around than tuk tuks everywhere but was definitely a steep learning curve dealing with this type of traffic. Cambodia was a unique experience for me because all of the NGOs I visited were local rather than international and I focused specifically on legal assistance for victims, it was really interesting learning about the legal system in the country.

Phnom Penh was also our hub for the world cup final at 1:30am. After a couple of movies in the room, we went outside to start the night with the tuk tuk drivers who had begun at sundown and then watched the game sitting with a bunch of Dutch fans (I really had hope for them). Disappointed by the result, the night ended for us there, but I am beginning to take it to heart that every team I seem to support can never seem to pull it out the bag (that's enough about England).

The food in Cambodia was great, especially the barbeque, and definitely some of my favourite in South East Asia. It's a common sight to see dogs spinning on the barbeque (not a great taste) but when street dogs are being extra mean and barking at me, I am consoled by the fact that they will soon be on a plate.

It was a flying visit in the country and after my final interview at the United Nations Inter Agency Project on Trafficking, we took the VIP bus (a bit of a cop-out but VIP literally means a seat and air conditioning) to Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City, swept through the border and arrived eight later in the city in the South of Vietnam. I have to say, I like Southerners in Vietnam a lot more than I liked the people up North, maybe it's just something about Southerners everywhere (UK, USA, Vietnam?) but they were definitely a lot nicer than their Northern counterparts.

I had my final interviews in Saigon and then paid a visit to the Cu Chi tunnels, which exhibit the conditions the Vietnamese lived under for 20 years and how they were able to win a war against the "capitalist devils" (their exact words not mine). It's a series of tunnels that apparently spanned 220km and was crucial to the Vietnamese winning the war. We then visited the War Remnants Museum (these guys really don't hold back) and saw the vivid images of the effects of chemical warfare and how the Vietnamese population continues to suffer the effects of the chemical bombs dropped during that war. The museum was filled with propaganda but was another stark reminder of some of the inhumanity that humanity can exude.

After a few days in Saigon, we got a little bored and had plans for a big adventure to a small town on the Mekong Delta. However, it monsooned, we copped out and ended up taking the first bus to a random town further down South. We found ourselves in the small city of My Thao, a land where English was scarce and so were foreigners. Dropped off in a random part of the place, we walked around searching for some kind of civilisation and our manger for the night. We found a guy who spoke a little English and told us to jump on his motorbike for a random destination (it is often hard to decipher if people really understand or are just agreeing for the sake of it). That said, we arrived at a hotel that was slightly better than okay (apart from the cockroach and leaking air conditioning but there is a such thing as too needy) and found or hub for the evening.

We decided to go out to this seafood barbecue place we had heard of. However, there were of course, no English menus and we'd forgotten the word for fish, so we found ourselves making signs and putting on quite the show. We thought we'd done pretty well until our food arrived, and every dish was a different variation of shrimp (what a dissapointment).

The next day we rented motorcyles again to have a look around the small city, although this experience was also hampered by the two hour monsoon. We then made our way to the bus station and found we had spent most of our money, had no access to an ATM and the last bus about to leave. We had 50 pounds, 50 dollars but not enough Vietnamese dong to pay the 24000 VND (1.25$) bus ticket. She refused our dollars (on the count of them being too old) and we ended up running around the place looking for a place to change our money (with the last bus soon taking off). Eventually, the motorcycle taxis agreed to change $1 dollar for 15000 VND (the normal rate is 19200 VND) and we made the exchange in desperation. Even after this exchange, still not enough and no more small change in dollars. We searched our bags, eventually found some left over Riel from Cambodia, changed that, paid the money exactly and found ourselves sitting comfortably on the last public bus out (a huge relief).

Back to Saigon for one night and then I needed to start heading north for my homeward bound flight from Hanoi. Paul left for Bangkok to get home and I took a taxi to the train station, because I wanted to take the 22 hour train to Danang (right in the middle of the country). As one can expect, no train seats available for the next three days unless I was willing to sit on a plastic chair in the middle of the aisle for that length of time. I gracefully declined and with no buses for two days, booked a Jet Star Airways flight at 4pm for $50 to Danang at 11:50pm. As I'd been warned, Jet Star Airways was three hours late and I arrived in Danang at 4am.

With no place to stay, I met this Spanish guy in the boarding queue, I agreed to take a taxi with him to Hoi An (a city about 30 minutes away). We arrived at 4:30am, he went to his hotel, I looked in my guidebook and rang the doorbell of a hotel I'd read about. Somebody came out, told me they had no rooms but they allowed to sleep on their bench until opening time (thank God). I did that and now find myself at Green Field Hotel, paying $6/night for a dorm room, with free access to a pool, sauna and the internet. In addition, there are free cocktails from 6:30pm-7:30pm by the pool every day, so who would want to stay anywhere better.

I'm in Hoi An Town, a world heritage site and really one of the more beautiful places in Vietnam. It is a place where tailors constantly invite you into their shops for "free looking," motorcycle drivers bug you a little bit less and the market is a great place for a bargain, if you can handle the stress.

With regards to the name of the blog, throughout South East Asia, I have really learned that Obama is a worldwide brand, something like Coca Cola or McDonalds. People constantly ask me to come into their shops, offering to make me a suit just like Obama, or in restaurants I have had a restaurant owner respond to my order with "Yes, Mr. President." The line in the title however is one I got about an hour ago from a motorcycle taxi soliciting work. He then held my hand next to his and uttered the famous line, "you, me...same, same...but different."

On that note, I'm going to end here. I'm heading North, back up to Hanoi tomorrow, two days there, a flight to Hong Kong, a day there and then back to London.

Now I really have to stop because free cocktails are calling.

How much is it for the good luck?

Two days on a boat, one day on a bus and finally Northern Thailand, Chiang Mai. Supposed to be one of the calmer cities in the country, it was a great chance to recoup and settle into the crazy world that is Thailand, quite the contrast from the calm and serenity that is exuded by Laos. Chiang Mai was also filled with a few more interviews for my research and soon enough I was on a flight down south to the islands.

I spent a few days at the islands (Ko Samui and Ko Tow) with the major highlight being the world famous full moon party on Koh Pahngan at Haad Yao beach. The first night on the islands was rough trying to save some money but I have to admit that I was eventually forced out of my first (very cheap) choice for accommodation after begging the manageress to remove the two (huge) screaming geckos from my room (the decision was made easier by the trickling cold water, the broken fan and slightly soiled sheets). I was also joined on the islands by my friend Paul from London.

Touring the islands was a lot of fun; the beaches are as beautiful as they say but you definitely pay the price for them. After a few days spent there, it felt a bit much like Brits abroad and I was ready to move on to Bangkok. I should mention at this point that I had met up again with the Scousers (or at least Scouser educated) I met in Vietnam and they bit my head off the last time for not mentioning their names in my previous blog, so hello to Andy, Johnny, Connor, Paul and of course, Tommy.

Paul and I took a boat to Chumpon (the mainland town), a town not frequented by travellers (a relief) and later that day we found ourselves watching a Scout Parade (just to add some more randomness to the trip). We decided to take the overnight train the next day from Chumpon to Bangkok and I must take this opportunity to commend Thailand on its train service. The bed on the train was clean and built for individuals of taller than 4 foot, I could actually lay down and enjoy a good night of sleep, not quite the same experience as the Vietnamese sleeper bus. That said, I definitely paid for the difference. The train was late (but I wouldn't expect anything different) and took approximately nine hours, a very bearable experience after some of the transport I have been on.

We arrived in Bangkok at 6am and made our way to the backpacker street; however after the realisation that everywhere along this street was way out of our price range, we settled in the slightly calmer (and cheaper) street down the road. Bangkok is as vibrant, crazy and unpredictable city as you can all expect and it is also a focal point for my research, with the reality of human trafficking so prevalent in the city.

Upon arriving in in the city, it immediately hits you that the Thais will attempt to sell you anything. At this stage, I've been sold luck, squares of toilet roll in a toilet and even a picture taken on my own camera. On the main tourist street, there are children selling roses, tailors pushing you to buy a suit next to street vendors encouraging you to try a new Thai taste. It can be exhausting constantly being approached but is part of what adds to the craziness and excitement of Bangkok. Not all is as cheap as I had expected and the cost of traveling in South East Asia is definitely on the rise (which can be possibly negative or positive).

The mode of transport for the week of Bangkok was the continent famous tuk-tuk, to which the standard starting price for a foreigner seemed to be 100THB , whether the journey was five minutes or 30 minutes. "Oi you, where you go"is a common sentence as one traverses the streets, a sentence the Thais have literally translated. Haggling often got us down to a much fairer (or so it seemed at first) 10-50THB with some consideration of the distance and time. However a cheaper tuk-tuk price in Bangkok usually meant a quick visit (or three) to the driver's sponsor(s); that being some kind of travel agent, tailor or other establishment that provides him with coupons for petrol. We were instructed on how to act inside these shops for the short visit, with the driver ensuring we maintained the facade of being genuine visitors, a ploy most business owners are aware of and one for which the foreigner usually takes the most grief (for the tuk-tuk driver, it always seems to be worth a go). Although it started off bearable, as one can imagine, this made it impossible to use a tuk-tuk when in a rush as multiple unplanned visits were a necessity, adding a ridiculous amount of time to our journeys, with night trip usually meaning visits to some less wholesome establishments.

It appeared these coupons were more important to them than our fares and if we did one of these visits, we could get a highly reduced fare for the rest of the day (a fact discovered when one of the drivers offered Paul 50THB to visit a shop). Trying to stay ahead of the game, we made friends with a driver 'Wee,' whose local knowledge really made the remaining days in Bangkok that much better. We even agreed to do a daily coupon visit for Wee and in return he invited us into his home to watch the World Cup and became our guide for the city. He even offered us some lessons driving the tuk-tuk, which is actually a lot harder than first appears, even for a driving pro like me.

We also made the decision to get haircuts in Bangkok, an experience that trumped the fear of bungy jumping last summer. Trying to explain to somebody how you want your hair done when neither of you speaks the same language could become a British A Level, definitely one of the biggest challenges of the trip so far. The "barber"was as terrified as me, had never cut hair like mine before and the end result was not phenomenal, but a definite 'A' for effort. Luckily, she did not cut it that short and I have plenty of time before I get home for it to grow back (for all those who were hoping for a laugh).

There was quite a large work component to my time in Bangkok, with visits to a number of organisations that work in the area of victim assistance and rehabilitation with regards to human trafficking. The most memorable being the home for former sex workers run by NightLight on the other side of Bangkok. NightLight encourages the women to apply for jobs with the organisation, learning to make jewellery as part of the charity's business and offering them an alternative life (about 10% of the women the organisation works with are trafficking victims). I would encourage buying some jewellery online: http://www.nightlightinternational.com/

It wasn't just through interviews that I learned of the trafficking and huge sex tourism issue that encompasses Thailand and the rest of South East Asia. It rarely takes long on the streets of Bangkok before you are offered a massage with some extras or just some straight out "boom boom" from a man/woman/both for the evening. That's in addition to everything else you are being sold as you walk the streets (e.g. ping pong shows, tuk-tuk, accomodation, some pointless good or pad thai). This was not only my experience in Bangkok however and was also the case other parts of the country and some of the other places I have visited on this trip.

My time in Thailand also involved a day trip to the outskirts of Bangkok, where we visited the Floating Market, the famous bridge and Tiger Temple. Tiger Temple was probably the biggest disappointment; it was an opportunity to take some pictures and play with tigers, although we arrived two hours late and were taking pictures with some of the most lifeless animals I have ever encountered (definitely not worth the ridiculous price we were charged for it all). Oh well, I guess it's another lesson learned.

We spent a lot of time looking for the cheapest way to get to Cambodia for the next part of the journey. Travel agents fed us the same rubbish about how dangerous it would be for us to organise the individual legs of the journey alone, explaining how we would be dodging bullets to get past the border at Poi Pet. Sadly the journey was not that exciting or story filled, it involved a just about bearable 5am train for 5 hours in third class with minimal ventilation. That said, after the game the night before, 5am would have just been bed time so I had no trouble sleeping sitting up and in these conditions (apparently not so much the case for the people around me). Following the train was a simple border crossing and a three hour bus to Siem Reap, for a fraction of the price of the buses offered by agents in Bangkok (paid for in some slight discomfort and uncertainty). I had no choice but to leave Thailand on the 7th as this was the last day on my visa and the 500 THB per day for overstaying did not look very appealing. Lucky Paul did this journey on his birthday (as some kind coming of age experience I guess, he turned 20).

Thailand was great and I would definitely return. Despite a few negative experiences with people changing prices after agreeing a service for a certain price, the Thais are a really hospitable and friendly group of people (I do miss Wee). This is as many stories as I could possibly expect you to read and there are far more from this part of my journey those that are interested.

Time for Cambodia.

Same same (but actually different)

"Sa-by-dea," is the way everybody greets you in Laos and they never forget the accompanying smile (can't quite always say the same for the Vietnamese).

As mentioned before, the sleeper buses are not designed for sleeping really but the journey was not as diabolical as I had expected it to be. Crossing over into Laos was as chaotic as one can expect, with EVERYBODY'S passports collected at once together with ALL the money for the visas and then returned by holding the pictures up to the window for the owner to recognise him or herself. I have to say, it was a funny (and crazy) sight.

After a 21 hour sleeper bus journey from Hanoi to Vientienne, one immediately notices the differences between the capitals of Laos and Vietnam. There are no horns, the traffic flows in an orderly and calm fashion and the people smile!

We arrived in Vientienne inthe mid afternoon and caught a tuk tuk into town where we were to look for a guest house. Armed with our lonely planets (seemingly the traveller's bible out here), we moved from hostel to guest house hoping to find a place for the night. We knocked on doors and were repeatedly told that there was no room in the Inn until an hour later we found our manger and finally were able to settle in what was supposed to be the capital of Laos. Vientienne isn't exactly known by travellers to be the most happening city and so most just use it as a point of transit.

I had arranged some interviews in the city and had to spend a few days there gathering material for my research. As expected, the evenings weren't particularly exciting, perhaps not helped by the state curfew of 12am (not enforced for tourists), at which time everybody is expected to be in the place that they are legally registered to be spending the night.

At this point, I was travelling with a Malaysian and British guy, whom I had met in my new hostel. Our most exciting night involved following the music in the streets (not that there's much in Vientienne), which led us to a party. We stood there for a second and observed what appeared to be some type of Laos celebration. In true Loas style, we were invited in, placed at a table and had a lady walk up to us, smile, and say "Welcome to my wedding." She then proceeded to bring out the Beer Laos (a Laos delicacy), which continued for the remainder of the night. As 12am hit, the band stopped and we were sure the fun police was on its way to end our joyful evening.

Quite the contrary, just because the band was gone, it did not mean the party was over. We all then sat around a huge table and continued to devour Laos food and beer. When somebody said, "When in Rome ...." they really should have added the appendix "but don't try and drink like them," a price we all paid dearly for the whole of the next day.

After a few days in Vientienne, we set off on what was the normal route for most, off to Van Vieng where Laos really doesn't sleep (in Van Vieng it really is curfew, schmurfew!). This journey was another four hour bus (I've become pretty immune to these), dropping us at a beautiful hostel, where we decided to stay.

The itinerary in Van Vieng seems pretty set for all that dare to visit. Start at noon, pay 50000 VND (approx. $2.50) for an inner tube, use the tube to float down the river, being pulled in by the young boys who work for the bars that line the journey. Stop at a few bars, don't forget the slides and the flying foxes along the way and just work your way down. You need to be off the river by 6pm, at which point you have visited your fair share of spots and are definitely ready to end this portion of the day. Go home, grab a shower, take a nap, then wake up a few hours later to start your evening. The evening may involve eating (but that could be classed as cheating) and then enjoy the party scene, which does not exist anywhere else in Laos, until the early hours of the morning. Som travellers have chosen to adopt this lifestyle for a few weeks, we stayed a couple of days and decided our bodies would probably punish us quite dearly if we stayed any longer. Van Vieng really is the Ibiza/Ienappa/Cancoon of Laos.

We then took an overnight bus to Luang Prabang, back to the serenity and calm that is the real Laos. Luang Prabang is a world heritage site and you really feel the history of the city that is alive around you. The night market was worth a visit, we continued to enjoy the hopsitality of the Laos people and made a trip to the Old Palace. It was a great point to relax, learn a little more about the country and also gather some morefor my research. I also did some elephant riding, some swimming in a natural waterfall and just continued to enjoy what really is one of the most amazing countries I have ever visited. It was a great point to recoup and prepare for the next part of my journey.

Rather than just stare, the people here smile, talk to you and really make you feel welcome in their country. Laos really is a place that people aim to stay for a week and find themselves trapped for a month.

However, I knew I had to leave and booked myself on the two day, one night bus to the Thai/Laos border to make my way to Thailand. Whoever told me that was a pleasurable joruney, I hope you are reading this and realising that it really was not. The boat was from 8am - 6:30pm, on hard wooden benches, for two days. It was fun for about ten minutes and then I realised this was a twenty hour ordeal. We stopped in Pak Ben (I'm probably butchering the spelling of some of these places), where I slept in a not so nice place, but I guess the benefit is that it was easy to wake up at 7am to catch the boat the next day.

That said, I eventually made it to the border, got my Thai visa, took the six hour bus to Chiang Mai and am comfortably sitting in my hostel, being bitten by something and writing this blog.

Again, this is longer than I had hoped, but in my defense, my internet access has been a lot more scatty and I have been meaning to write it for a while. I'm in Thailand now, for what is definitely going to be quite a different place from where I am leaving. I immediately recognised this fact on the other side of the border when I was confronted with a McDonalds and a KFC (completely non-existent in any of the places I visited in Laos), this place is a lot more developed.

I really did love Laos; the people were the nicest I have encountered in Asia thus far and it was a very welcomed break from the craziness of Vietnam. There really is something about the place that I can't quite put into words. The people here like to say "same, same," but Laos really holds something quite different.

So anyway...wish me luck in Thailand!

Discovering the North

So to start on a negative, I've spent the last three days suffering from pink eye (Conjunctivitis); all jokes aside, it's a simple eye infection that is very contagious that I probably caught from my time in the water at the beach in Cat Ba Island. It's the first time I've ever had it, it's very annoying and was pretty painful. Luckily however, there was a doctor in the last hostel I stayed in (purely by coincidence) and he gave me something for it, so it has cleared up by now. I can tell you:
1) I will never make fun of somebody with pink eye again.
2) If you are ever in the vicinity of somebody with pink eye, STAY WELL AWAY (you will truly appreciate this advice)!

That said, it didn't completely ruin my trip for the last few days but I guess I'll start at the beginning.

After some initial reading, I started some actual contact time, interviewing three organisations on Monday and another three on Tuesday that are all engaged in victim assistance and rehabilitation work with regards to aiding victims of human trafficking. These interviews were particularly insightful and although my plan had been to approach the practitioners rather than the victims (recognising my own limitations), I found more and more often that those engaged in this type of work were actually former victims themselves and this work as part of their own recovery, something I had not completely expected.

I have become accustomed to using the motorcycle as my normal mode of transport when trying to navigate the city, aiming for a good enough helmet every time. Motorcycles seem to run this city, with the piercing sound of their horns best compared to the serenity of the sounds of the sirens that fill the streets of East London. The heat can be pretty dire with the humidity not much help either (quite the opposite to the drizzling summer of London that I left in June). It is this fact that means my desperation sometimes leads me to pay 50p for a 1.5l bottle of water, when I know it should only be costing me 30p (I guess it's all about sacrifices).

Probably one of my favourite moments of these first two days was being walked back to my hostel, quite late in the evening, after asking for directions from a lady old enough to be my grandmother. She went completely out of her way to get me back, acting as if she had done this all before; i.e. returned the lost child to his nest. She was testament to how much my sign language continues to improve and although our walk home was pretty silent, we did enjoy each others company for those 20 minutes.

After some work, I set off on Tuesday for a three day, two night, trip to Ha Long Bay, which is supposed to be one of the nicest parts of Northern Vietnam. By this stage I'd met another group of travellers at my hostel and we decided to undertake this trip together. Despite being warned, I booked myself on one of the cheapest trips down there, hoping to have the experience of a lifetime. As you can imagine, it was quite the contrary. My trip was gifted with the tour guide from hell, a Vietnamese man who hated his job and was sure to share this distaste with those on his tour. He took us to the "Amazing Cave" and where others received amazing tales and stories of the history behind this Natural Wonder, we were endowed with the knowledge of what the different rocks looked like; a "jellyfish" or "horse" for example. We spent that first night on a boat, cruising down the river and the beauty surrounding us was the only thing that made up for he poor attitude of our host.

Nonetheless, he was as glad to say goodbye to our group as we were to see the back of him when he handed us over to our next guide for the second part of our trip to Cat Ba Island. This next guide was ten times better and the island was a great place to spend the night. The beach was exhilarating and with all of the Vietnamese schoolkids off for the holidays, there was a mass of Vietnamese families out for the holidays. The beach was full and it appeared that I was quite a strange sight for most. My visit received a lot more attention than I had hoped, with families asking for photos and others even paying a third party (a photo company that took beach photos for families) for my picture. Those without the funds decided to sneak a picture on their phones when they thought I wasn't looking. It was quite an interesting experience overall.

Next day saw us take the bus back to Hanoi, arriving at 4:45pm, catching the 5pm (or so they say) sleeper bus to Sapa, where Dickens described the mountains as "awe-inspiring" (ok, he didn't say that at all, but I didn't know how else to reflect how phenomenal these mountains are). Sapa is an area frequented by travellers and a lot of people book tours out here. After my mixed experience with Ha Long Bay, I decided to just set off to Sapa and work the rest out when I got there. It was a ten hour "sleeper bus" (at least that's the idea), designed for individuals no taller than 5'6", so not much sleep was going on. I guess the whole sleep thing wasn't helped by the blaring Vietnamese music at the back of the bus where they shove all of the Westerners and the Antarctic style air-conditioning. This was also when my pink eye was at its worst, so it was never going to be the most pleasant journey.

We left two hours late and thus arrived much later than we hoped and were greeted to a storm (both heavy rain and a storm of Vietnamese hotel owners asking us to spend the night at their place). I stayed somewhere around the corner from the bus station and took another nap, waited for the rain to cool down and then met a travelling French Canadian who I decided to share the room with to save some money. He and I later took his motorcycle out to discover the beauty that is Sapa, a trip that was well worth it. We just rode around for a few hours, stopping at the mountains, a village and a waterfall. Sapa is filled with different ethnic-minority groups to Hanoi and so it was interesting to observe the difference. The second day was pretty similar, spent on a motorcycle exploring the mountains, devouring some good Vietnamese food and even managing to get some material for my research. It was then back on the sleeper bus to the city (just as uncomfortable as on the way there). The displeasure of this journey was made worse by England's poor performance that evening (something my American friends were quite happy to rub in). A draw to the USA, really England?

I arrived back in Hanoi this morning at 5am with most things closed, found somewhere to store my bag and grab a shower and am waiting for my next sleeper bus (25 hours) to Laos for the nest part of my journey (some research, some tubing, something different). I've heard some very good things from other travellers about the place. Northern Vietnam has been enjoyable and I have loved travelling here. The reality is, travelling alone, you're never really alone, as I have met some interesting people at every part of my journey. As always, some things have been frustrating, but all part of the learning experience. I hope I've got enough money for my visa to Laos and any hidden costs this may involve and look forward to some different challenges ahead.

I'm pretty hot and pretty tired so hope this has been a little bit understandable. It has definitely been a longer blog than I had expected. Well done for making it this far. I'll try and blog a little sooner next time.

A Whole New World

I arrived last Thursday, armed with my $200 and ready to settle into the world that is South East Asia. After quite an impressive flight on the world's number one airline, Cathay Pacific, I took a taxi into Hanoi City which was going ot be my first stop for the trip. It was the smells of Asia that greeted me, a reminder of the great times (and food) to come. Upon leaving the terminal, taxi drivers ran towards me, acting as if we were long lost friends with everyone attempting to pull the dumb foreigner into their cab for a ride. "How much to To Ngoc Van" I asked, and a different answer from all. However, I knew it was 250 000 VND to my first destination and I was determined not to pay a penny more. The reality is, I don't know what a lot of things cost in Vietnam, and I conned yesterday when I was charged 2000 VND (7p) for the toilet when I should have only paid 1000 VND, but I guess that's something I can live with.

As some of you already know, I will be travelling the region for two months and am doing most of it solo. The primary goal of my trip is to do some research, which I start tomorrow, and the other goal is to discover this world that is pretty new to me. Living out of a backpack is going to be interesting; I'm not exactly known for my ability to pack lightly. Being alone is going to be an experience, but the reality remains that you are never really alone when travelling. I meet a lot of people every day, travellers from absolutely everywhere (USA, Scandinavia, Germany, Australia, New Zealand etc.) and some Vietnamese, although the language can be a little more of a barrier than I had hoped.

If my memory serves me well, it's always an interesting experience being a black guy in Asia. These societies tend to me a little more homogeneous than the streets of Newham in East London so my face is definitely a weird face. People here don't mind staring and this is something I'm just going to have to get used to, so far returning a smile has been a good tactic. What I've seen of the Vietnamese thus far has been great; Hanoi is a city full of living culture and history and it's great to be here. If I can survive crossing the roads in this city, then I really will have achieved something in my life. The first few days have entailed using an old lady as my guard and crossing beside her, this seemed the best method as nothing here stops. My guidebook says "maintain a steady pace and just keep going," a technique that I have grown the confidence to use now. There is no 'stop, look, listen, think' here, just "Go!"

It's exciting being somewhere new. I am a different face around the place and am enjoying the challenge. The heat can be pretty killer, the sweat unbearable, but it's all part of the experience. I have grown to the motorcycle as a primary mode of transport, it's the default here but I'm not quite brave enough to rent. It's pretty interesting watching the young guys and girls zooming through the streets on their bikes, some carrying their babies or even goats on their laps. Apparently Vietnam has helmet laws, so you do see them around here, but some of these guys will put a piece of paper on their heads just to "abide" by the law.

It seems when it hit's past 6pm, the normal order of the day is to head somewhere where they serve Bia Hoi (a Vietnamese beer) and to drink the night away; at 4000 VND (15p) it's not a bad deal. I was in a club yesterday and the sounds of Jay Z, Rihanna and Jason Derullo have reached the deepest corners of Vietnam, which I guess is no surprise.

So, that's the beginning of my journey and some of my first impressions. I guess there's a lot more to see and do. I went to the Mausoleum to see the body of Ho Chi Minh yesterday, have been to a water puppet show and have just been exploring the city of Hanoi. I have plans to visit the Sapa region next week, Halong Bay next weekend and then eventually make my way to Laos next weekend (very tentative). I guess I'll keep you posted.