Central Vietnam

Vietnam is great because it has a railway system. The only problem is that it is slow. The overnight train from Hanoi to Danang, halfway down the coast, was 14 hours. Fortunately we had the bottom bunks of a soft-sleeper and the Australian women in the bunks above us were very quiet sleepers (and very considerate when awake). We arrived and made our way to Hoi An, home to a UNESCO protected old town and some impressive temple ruins.

It is a lovely place with cafes, loads of nice crafts, tailors to replenish your wardrobe and good food. We spent a few days there visiting the sites and enjoying the atmosphere and some excellent meals, one of which we helped cook in a class with a very entertaining chef. After that we decided to head slightly north to the border with Laos. We didn't stay long in Hue, the first city we encountered, mainly because of the hassle we received. Instead we went up to the Vinh Moc tunnels to see what the villagers on the De-militarized Zone in the war had to put up with. After an informative tour and a good meal we stayed the night in Dong Ha. The next day we got the bus to the border with Laos. E