It's nearly been a week and i'm still here

On Tuesday i didn't head up north i went down south.
Day one:I went by boat along Saigon and Mekong Rivers about 84 from Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) I got to a look at a wide variety of the life and the scenery on Vietnam Rivers from the exciting, developing cities to the peaceful Delta. I arrived in the afternoon, by hand rowing boats. which where like two pieces of wood on the bottom and one on each side. i went along a very narrow waterway overhung with dense to the orchards islets.. where they farm tropical fruit. I also enjoy traditional music and learn how to make coconut candy and collect honey from the gardens. there are no bee suits. (they don't believe in safety first here) i went for a bicycle ride in to village. Afterwards i went on a first class boat (which is not first class in our standards) I sat on the roof top of the boat watching the sun set. The food i had eaten that day was something i thought i would never do. I had roast snake and rat spring rolls. very yummy. For dinner i had elephant fish. they fry the whole fish and serve is standing up and you pick the meat out yourself. (Stanley think iron chef). The accommodation that night was the worse place i ever stay in. (a back packer place)

Day Two: Chau Doc -long Xuyen -can Tho I went by boat again to a riverside commercial center not far from the Cambodian border, i walk up stairs for two hours (would of kill Jazzie) to the Sam mountain to visit Cave pagoda (temple). I learnt how to pray. the view was beautiful, i could see the Cambodia border. In the afternoon back on the boat again (getting sick of a boat that has no bathroom but sells beer) i went to mosque land, where children learn Arabic. I got to see into there life style and i can say its not my thing. The accommodation that night was better, i paid for a up grade.

Day Three: back on the boat i went to Can Tho - Sai Gon. i went to the floating markets. I eat alot of local fruit. Once back to dry land (four hours later) i went to a rice husking mill and a rice noodles factory. I went and had a look at the floating town. These people hardly go on land the woman and children don't only the man. After all that i we head back up the river but stop after sunset and got on a bus and went back to HCMC. The tour guild (tan) was great and could speak enough english for me to understand what was going on. The children along the river where so happy to see you, i bought coconut lollies to take home )very yummy) but i gave them to the children. Along the river they cook, bath and go to the bathroom in the same area. I don't know how they can live like this. And their house or i should say hut, your not going to believe the photo i have taken. I meet some really nice backpackers on the tour. This Scotties girl and i got along great. she from the same town ryan is Glad....something. When we got back we went out for dinner. This afternoon (Friday) we went looking around the city together and had lunch. This morning i went to a temple for morning pray. it was called the Jade emprtpt pagoda. it was built in 1909. Its is truly the gem among of all the temple i was seen. The colours and details to everything was great. plus it had the Hall of the Ten Hells. Tonight i flying to Nha Trang where you can dive the offshore reefs, cruise to outlying islands. I really looking forward to laying on the beach doing nothing. I'm also going to monkey island. Which ofcourse is a island fill with monkeys. I dont know how long i will stay there. but i'm trying now to make my way up north so i can go shopping. I still can't believe i haven't bought anything yet. (very unlike me)
I'm really missing be able to ring people and tell my stories, When i return i'm going to be like ryan (or more so) a story for everything. There just so much to see over here and do. The prices are okay, I've decided that backpacking isn't for me. I need my western toilet and hot water. I surprise i hadn't got sick yet (touch wood), and i have been eating food from the markets on the Street.

Oh one a SUPER BIG and even BIGGER happy birthday to RYAN, may you have many more to come....Ofcourse in Oz land.

I'm still here

Just a little update tomorrow I’m heading down the river (or is it up) I’m doing a tour mostly by boat for two nights. I will be heading to the floating markets and staying in the floating village. should be a bit different... I still haven't bought anything....(very unlike me)

Today I went to the zoo, I was horror in the standard these poor animals live in. I saw this little boy pee on a corrodible head. And at the monkeys centre a adult man was throwing rocks at the monkeys for it to do something. (I wish someone started throwing rocks at him)
For lunch today I decided to eat someone from a street market, yet again I have no idea what I’m eating but it was okay. It keeps raining here every afternoon, and I mean the big storms like we should be getting at home. So I make sure I have everything down by morning.
Tonight I'm going to a live play. Okay I have to run. I wont update for a couple of days, because I heading into the middle of no where. so will send update when I get back to Saigon on Thursday.

What a spin out.....

Wow I can't believe I’m here.... where to start and it’s only been one night...

I nearly missed my plane from Brisbane to Sydney. Once in Sydney I had a couple of hours to kill, so off I went to the Qantas Club. Where they have you own cocktail bar, which you can make your own cocktails for no cost. The advantages of flying first class.
The plane ride over was fun, once on the plane I was serve a glass of wine and didn't see the bottle of that for a couple of hours and than I move on to the Vodka. Usually airplane food is not the best but I have to say it was at a high standard. The flight in total was about nine hours, but didn't seem that long. The staffs really go out of their way to make it the most enjoyable flight. I had a window seat with no one sitting next to me.
When I arrived it I got a taxis to my hotel. People on scooter keep offering me a ride, but I pick the safely ride by car. I never in my life had seen so many bikes. I didn't realize that they drove on the opposite side of the road too. While driving to my hotel my driver hit a person off the scooter and to my horror keeps driving...WHAT the....
Once at the hotel I check in and it likes a palace. I decided to go for a walk and have a look around. I nearly got hit by a bike the first time I try to cross the street, so I decided to go for a walk about the block.
After a great night sleep, I went down for breakfast (including with the accom), Stanley and Ryan would love the food, and there everything and more you could want. The room was set up like it was a wedding going on. But the bar is open 24 hours (my fav).
I decided to be a big girl and went for a walk around the city, I went to the war museum and it was very shocking and upsetting to think what these people went though. I had one person with no arm following me around the whole time trying to sell me a book, I keep saying no, no but the guy wouldn't get the hint plus to make matter worse he made me shake this arm (well what was left from it) Rocket would of love this....The shopping from what I can tell isn't that good. But I haven't been to the markets yet. The clothes are very cheap looking. Every time I need to cross the six-line road I pay a kid to help my cross otherwise I would never get across. I went for lunch at this little place down a side alley and I have no idea what type of meat I had but it was very yummy. Talking about meat on the side of the roads they sell puppy's (live one) for cooking. These poor puppies's I wanted to buy them all and set them free. I went for a ride around the city on a bike this afternoon, where I sit in the front and someone pushing from behind. Tonight I went for a walk along the river and saw a bus hit a scooter (with a family of five) off. The man start yelling and at the driver signing him to get out of the bus but the driver wouldn't (I don't blame him), so the man starting throwing rocks at the windows and braking the windows, this big flight start, so that when I decided it was time to move on. I found a bar with backpacker (thank god); I had a local beer with them and went out to dinner. They were all from Scotland. Afterwards I decided to head back to the hotel but ofcourse I was lost. I decided to keep walking around until I found it; it took about two and half hours later. I was very happy to get into my room. The weather over here is very hot but I can live with it, it’s a very busy city and I’m looking forward to heading north on Tuesday. Tomorrow I am heading to the zoo and a ride up the river (which is black worse than the Brisbane river). I will stay in HCMC until Tuesday and I will let everyone know tomorrow what I town I will be travel to. Take care and been safe.