Malaria

God I feel terrible. It makes no difference whether I sit back, sit forward, stretch out or ball up, everything hurts. I woke up at four this morning with a temperature and flu like symptoms and frankly the last place I want to be is on this train doing a ten hour journey.  Liz did query malaria at one point, but i don't think it's that.
Poor Cheryl Cole (or is it back to Tweedy?)
This journey takes us to Vinh, where we'll spend a night or two before carrying on back across the border into Laos where there is still much to see, taste and smell.

So, that was three wonderful days and nights in Hoi An, which turned out to be a bit of a high note. Though it rained the first day as hard as it snowed in England, the old town was charming, lit by hanging orange lanterns and decked in places with fairy lights and Christmas trees. The people are wonderful, especially beautiful were all the ladies at the tailors, who measured us up for some clothing, as were the fine ladies who cobbled us some footwear to replace our ugly crocs and flip flops.

Then there was the receptionist at our hotel which became the kids favourite stay to date. I think the outdoor pool helped. Luckily the weather warmed up on the second day.
We found a great cocktail bar on the last night, all purple lit and playing great music. We had one in there and then Stash and I went and hit the nightlife nearer our hotel, leaving Liz and Oskar to pursue a night time Vietnamese cookery lesson.

And now it's bloody miserable, only four hours into this journey, though the stuff going on through the window is pretty special. Sometimes it looks very much like bits of England out there, but hang on, that's a row of palm trees so maybe not.
It's Christmas carol karaoke on the screen in the carriage (Vietnamese style) for our entertainment.
The ticket man walks through the carriage wearing a head set microphone and as he talks into it his voice comes out through a speaker he has strapped to his waist.
Oh and now we could quite easily be next to the A5 in Milton Keynes...but there are some water buffalo...and some ladies wearing those funny cone shaped hats.
Hmm, i wonder if they really do love you long time...

Location:Vietnam