Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Friday 5th September (photos)

Well, here I am, once again (I visited Vietnam in 2003) in Ho Chi Minh City and my fears about how it would've changed for the worse are completely unfounded. Yes, it's changed a helluva lot to a barely unrecognisable degree but definitely for the better. It's even better than it was back then and it was my favourite country at the time (now superceded by Laos). Having said that, I'm really, really glad I saw it 5 years ago as there were some special things about it back then that will have gone forever with all this development. Having the comparison gives me an appreciation for how far the country has come in such a short space of time.

I won't go into too much detail now as this blog is looking mighty bland without photos and I'm very pleased to report that today I managed to find a camera cable. So here, without further ado, are those promised photos from all that watery fun in Laos. Tomorrow we head for Cambodia and I've heard nothing but good things about it so I'm quite looking forward to it and, after all the recent drinking and partying, a change of pace to something cultural. My liver will thank me. Enjoy!

The lovely Kuang Si waterfall, Luang Prabang, Laos - 18th August 2008

Ooh, is that Cindy 'The Body' Crawford? Oh no, it's 'lil ol' me. Haha! And John's head.

Same falls a bit further downstream. Thanks to Jan for capturing this mid-air action. Good shot!

Luang Prabang underwater. Those little cones are the roofs of the formerly riverbank huts.

And let the Vang Viang Tubing fun begin! 20th - 21st August 2008.

I warned you about the showing off :-)

And after a bit more Dutch courage. Yea, I know it looks like I just got my foot stuck. But I didn't, honest!

The Crazy Spanish contingent.

Oh no, looks like the beer's all finished. Time to move on to the mud.

Bring it on!

And on! Zander, with whom I went biking and kayaking on the two 'lost' days when I mislaid my bag and 'had' to stay behind to find it. Like that was a hassle :-)

Zander moving on to the next bar. Or coming in to land...the chronology is all getting a bit hazy by this point. Nothing to do with Beerlao, I'm sure.

Bar two and day two in the mud.

Ollie. The very kind chap who loaned me the moped for the day and then had the panic the next morning when we couldn't find the blimming thing. It all worked out okay in the end. Phew!

Zander, caught unawares. He's a tricky one to catch I tell ya. Must be all that slippery mud.

Crazy, muddy Spaniard.

Zander and the crazy, muddy Spaniard.

Zander, not caught unawares.

Aargh, get that mud away from me. Actually....maybe not :-)

And...finallly, the end of the tubing fun at Jaidee's where I lost my bag. Looks like I gained some friends though. Can't complain. Mustn't grumble.

Zander, de-mudded and ready for some kayak action. 23rd August 2008.

Rapid's survived. Hoorah! Time for lunch. Zander being camera shy again and Andre from Durbs.