Getting up at 7am after coming home at 5am was like swimming through a bath full of mud, but I got on my bus. I had an argument with the driver as he was trying to put me in the middle of a huddle of people at the back of the bus – it’s a large array of what looks like bunk beds with a platform of 5 aside at the back, being in the middle of there with a hangover would have been hell on earth, so I negotiated a bunk by a window that I could open for some fresh air.

I thought that the idea of a sleeper bus would be a good idea but this wasn’t a good one, I have seen others since being here that look very natty but this one was more like a mobile prison camp, I welcomed the odd breaks to be able to get out as I couldn’t sit up in the confined space and the bunks were not long enough for my legs, never again – I have booked a flight to Hanoi tomorrow as the weather is not good enough for diving here and without the water sports it’s an odd cultural spasm here that reminds me of Koh Samui in Thailand, I’m sure I’d enjoy it more when the water is inviting – having said that I have met some great people here, I was out with a bunch of Aussies last night that were great value, one of them, Mario, a trainee doctor, was the kind of person I’d like to meet when my brain is a little less anaesthetised, but it’s all grist for the mill. I also met up with an interesting English bloke also called Dominic that had ridden down from Hanoi to Saigon on a moped, everyone is doing interesting stuff around here which makes for good conversation.

So, today I went out to an island off of the coast here that is linked by the most amazing cable car, but the bar I am in is now closing so I am going to have to sign off. Tomorrow I go to Hanoi, see you there.