I am just back from Halong bay, an area that is vying for status as one of the 7 new wonders of the world. I am hoping that Tooting Bec Lido pips it to the post but I reckon Halong will win.

The great thing about booking a tour on a junk is that you get to bob about right in the middle of Halong bay whilst getting wined and dined, all for the cost of a ticket to see Spurs play at white hart lane. Sitting on the top deck of the boat surrounded by impressive limestone monoliths has become one of my favourite things to do, give me a g&t and it becomes even more fun, then if you have a bunch of good folks on board you get the chance to chat away into the early hours watching the twinkling lights of the other boats reflected in the calm waters of the bay. Not much more I can say about that, I’ll just put up some more pics..

And another one, yup, it’s nice big rocks all the way…

So that’s that – I’m back in Hanoi now building the website for the hotel. I got to rename the hotel too which is nice, they wanted some western name and were going to go for the Birmingham hotel, I suggested that this wasn’t the most attractive name in the world and that they should go for linking up the fact that they have a ‘sword in the lake’ thing going on with our sword in the lake thing. Maybe there should be a global ‘sword in the lake’ collective reaching around the world, speak now all of you that have swords being chucked into your local lakes by ancient types with no care for the environment. I aks you. Anyhow I suggested either the Hanoi Avalon or the Hanoi Camelot, I preferred Avalon but not too many people knew that Avalon was an Arthurian thing, it would probably be more associated with Bryan Ferry – Ferry – Lakes, it all fits somehow.

I’m of to China on Tuesday, until then I’ll enjoy my coffee’s in lakeside cafe’s around here where they intersperse cool jazz with christmas carols. I love it.