There was a god damn cockroach crawling on my keyboard about two seconds ago. I let it live, I am that kind of guy but it best not test me by crawling back this way. Cockroaches are one thing, people are a completely different thing. I like people, they can crawl all over and around, they are all right. I've been meeting more and more. A lot of people, from what I have gathered, vacation to Vietnam alone when coming to Asia. I have not really been around too much of this area; Vietnam, Cambodia, Loas, China and Thailand but I think this is such a pity. I feel like they should see not only Vietnam but other places too. I guess as long as you get where you are going it does not matter but if you are going to get out then you might as well get around.

North Vietnam is a very different place than south Vietnam. The people here in the north are much colder. There is much more pressure to buy and they are flat out rude when you are being a cheap ass like I am being. I am only being this cheap because I litterally had a new wardrobe tailored in Hoi An. For 300 U.s. dollars I got, four pair of shorts, one pair of pants, a pair of sandlas, a pair of slick black dress shoes, a 'two button' black suit (fit to perfection), and nine shirts (5 fitted button-downs and two collored Lacoste shirts and two Vietnam t-shirts). Damn good deal, right? I thought so. The shorts are the exact style and colour I wanted and fit perfectly to both my waist and my legnth specifications.
I was going to buy a red tie with a sickel and hammer sown into it but I figured, considering the emblem, I would have to buy them for everyone and we all know my thoughts on that commie shit.

Buffalo, buffalo, buffalo, buffalo, buffalo, buffalo, buffalo, buffalo.


Last time I wrote to you all I was in Nah Trang I think. Or I had just left there but anyway. I am in Sapa now, very close to the Chinese boarder. It is a hill station, filled with tribal people, recent commercialism to support tourism and is surrounded by a bunch of beautiful mountians covered in rice patties. The rice patties are small but numerous, the mountians at times are very steep so you cannot have the patties too large. A picture will show you.

Here is a nice waterfall in Sapa. I walked there two days ago and decided to do it again today cause it was nice out.


Just before Sapa I was in Hanoi where I saw a water puppet show. Curious? I sure was. What the hell is a water puppet show? Despite most theatrical or artisitc performances being evasive in name this one was litterally a water puppet show. Puppets, on water, in a theater. I am glad I went, I do not think I would go again, but i sure felt cultured, if only for a moment. I ventured outside of Hanoi to Halong Bay for a three day trip within my trip. Damn roach just tried to get into my motivational writting beer. Back to Halong bay. The Vietnamise people are trying to get this geographical phenomenon to be one of the seven wonders of the world, I guess they are trying to get it to become the eight wonders, I confess, this confuses me because if it were to become one of the seven wonders they would no longer be the seven wonders. I am rambling.

Below you see only a fraction of the beauty that is Halong bay. Honeslty the tour was shit, the people had us waiting all over the place and the drinks on the boat we took and slept on were so unreasonably priced I almost tried drinking some of the sea water to save money and still get a buzz.


The region itself though was one of the most beautiful places I think I will ever see, in my entire life. The weather was not the best but the region is also known for this. It's wet, foggy weather. We had one great day while on the boat so it made up for the rain.
Here is me on the boat. Can I get a whoo whoo? What I can't hear you?

We saw a beautiful cave on one of these island, there are about 3000 islands in total. Below is the cave, or is it some great holy figure, no no it's just bowman being bowman while in the cave.

Here is some local ladies selling fruit and other goods to the hundreds of tourist that come to Halong Bay each day.


I am on my way back to Hanoi on a night train tonight. I love train travel. I had not taken a train since India and it was amazing. Train travel gets a ten in my books. Once in Hanoi I have an exhasting day of sight seeing and sitting around before boarding a night bus to Vientienne, the capital of Loas. My vias is up the day after tomorrow so I best get out before I turn red.

I plan only to spend a day in Vientienne for heading to Vang Vien. Vang Vien is famous for it's tubbing. You rent a tube and are driven about 3 km up stream. You then lanch yourself, after having a few beers at the drop point into a river for a 4-9 km ride down, depending on your willingness. On your way there are many many bars who have people throwing you a line to pull you in so you can stop in for a drink before continuing down stream. Sound dangerous? You are telling me. We all know me and well I know I must be careful so there is no need to tell me.
I'll let you know how it goes or rather how it flows.

Long live the travelling ox.