Nothing to report really - same same not different (SEA private joke) - The wicked witch of the North (Hanoi Hannah) is actually a really nice place - alot older feeling than HCMC mainly I guess because the Yanks didn't get this far north in the war. The people are much more persistent though and a couple of times yesterday I nearly lost my rag (Dan in shock horror temper losing outburst) but managed to control myself and walked away...it's just the way they hassle you...example conversation:

'Would you like to buy a book?'
'No'

'How about Two?'
'I'm not going to buy a book'

'A map?'
'No I've got one here already' (whilst showing him the map)

'Mine is better'
'No it isn't'

'Only 3 dollars'
'I'm not buying one'

'How much you pay?'
'Nothing'

(then I interject) 'Look we're not buying anything, please leave us alone so we can leave now and not get angry'
'Come on buy my map...'

Ad infinitum...and this happens literally dozens of times on your trekking around the City - really frustrating. Anyhow, rant over. Another thing, why is it that Germans have an aversion to cool winds...a couple of times on buses we've been asked to close the wondows (once by a bloke wearing a silk scarf - think it was messing with his hair or something - you do the math...) when there is no air-con and it is in the 30's and just now we;ve been asked to turn the fan off when it is again in the 30's in a poky little internet cafe...OK rant over, again and hey i've just turned the fan back on - what a rebel I am.

Tonight we might be meeting up with our old mates (of ooooh at least 3 weeks) Helen and Rich who are due back in Ha Noi. Just a small one tonight though as I still feel rougher than a roofer's glove. Tomorrow we're off to see the body ogf Ho Chi Minh which I would like to say should be alaugh but of course it won't. You are forbidden to speak/laugh/put hands in pockets/take photos - God what kind of tourist attraction is this?!??!

Tomorrow night we're going to The Water Puppets which Jen assures me will be fun - I always hated Punch and Judy as a kid so the jury's out on this one until tomorrow. Didn't get tickets for Beethoven last night - to be honest I would have got chucked out anyway as I spent most of the night hacking and coughing...

The day after is the flight to Hong Kong via Vietnam Airlines...should be a laugh, if the flight doesn't kill you off the flu will...then onto China and the Phillipines, two of the worlds most stable countries. On the way home we're going via Baghdad and Kabul to pick up some souvenirs.