We now only have 10 days left on out Vietnam visa and it feels like we only just got here. We arrived on xmas eve in Hue and looked for some room at the Inn, which resulted in taking a room in the first hotel we found with air con and cable TV (we knew we'd need a bit of luxury to nurse hangovers). The bus crossing from Laos went well and we met some good people to celebrate xmas eve with. The night went very well, but after two Christmas' away I was starting to crave Band Aid 'Do they know it Christmas....' etc etc.

Christmas dinner was ordered from the room service menu as there was no chance we could have coped with the 7 flights of stairs to get out of the hotel! On boxing day we got glued to BBC World watching about the earthquake.

Our next stop was Hoi An down the coast where we had suits made for us. We thought we wouldnt have enough time to get measured etc, but the tailors work all night to get the clothes finished. So we are now lugging around tailored wool suits- not very practical in the 30 degree heat!

We spent New Years eve in Nha Trang which was is a resorty type place and good for finding a cheesy disco. We also had a mineral mud bath (my idea, not Phils), but he admitted his skin felt nice afterwards!

We spent a couple of days in Mui Ne by the beach where they make fish sauce so there was a stink in the air! That brings us to today, where we are in Saigon. We just visited the underground tunnels where the Vietnamese fought the Amerians from and they were tiny. Luckily I didnt show myself up by getting stuck in the small narrow hatch that you lower yourself down from!

Thanks for peoples worries about us and the quake. Looks like we timed it all pretty well.

Take care and pictures on their way I hope if we can download them.