Update from Hue, Vietnam

We’ve now made our way down into Central Vietnam. Local transport often runs on haphazard schedules, and timetables are almost impossible to figure out, so the best way to get around is on the back of a motorcycle. Under the “road rules” section of our guide book it says “basically, there aren’t any.” And we can vouch for that. The tourists who have just arrived stand out a mile, they’re the ones who stand looking nervous at the side of the road for 10 minutes!! Us old hands just walk straight out, expecting the traffic to flow either side of us, which it does every time. Still unnerving though…

Vietnam is very beautiful. We spent 11 days in the North, taking in Sapa (idyllic, tiered paddy fields, tended by Hill tribes), Halong Bay (swimming and caving in a cool and misty bay), and Hanoi (busy, exciting city, loads of interesting sights, sounds…and smells. Ate pigeon).

We now feel like hardened travellers as we keep bumping into people we’ve met before. Some very friendly Aussies have invited us to look them up in Torquay (just outside Melbourne) and Sydney, and told us to look out for Drop Bears. Apparently, drop bears hang around in trees waiting for English people to walk along, then they drop down onto your head before scampering back up the tree to wait for the next English people…something tells me they’re pulling our legs….

In other news: we’re covered in cuts, insect bites, dirt, suntan lotion, bug spray and a tan. We saw our first live snake in the wild. It was a little ‘un, but it was a cobra and therefore quite deadly. Phil is still working on his Steve Irwin - Crocodile Hunter impression (“Crikey!"). Emily thought the snake looked ‘cute’, so maybe she’s getting over her fear of snakes. And Phil has survived his first dose of food poisoning (2 days in bed - but 100% better now. Might have been the pigeon…).

Next up, we’ll be spending 2-3 days here in Hue, exploring the DMZ (old Vietcong tunnels and battle scenes) and the Royal Tombs of the Nguyen Dynasty before heading down to Hoi An for some r’n’r. Then onwards to Saigon and Cambodia.

(2023 Update: Photos from Vietnam can be found here)