winter in Vietnam....

....because of the Tsunami in Japan?

Anyway the weather in Vietnam is really unsual for this time of the year. It was snowing in Sapa....and that never happened before! At the moment it's raining...raining...raining in almost whole the country, even in the south. I don't know where to go!!! I was 'complaining' that I didn't have a winter this year. Well... it's cold now I can tell you. I've been sleeping with three blankets to keep me warm, unfortunately there was no person next to me, to heat me up ;-(

But as you all know, more things go crazy in Asia. Latest is the earthquake in Myanmar, I'm still waiting for a reply from a dear friend who is travelling there at the moment.

Because of this whole weather thing, that I can't controll...I'm not able to do the things I would like to do. Actually since my last blogstory about 'is this it' a couple of things happened that influenced my journey a bit. Now I'm wondering if these are signs to tell me something like: 'he kid you get a second chance to make your journey more usefull' or 'stop complaining, keep on enjoying' or 'India wants you...right know!' Maybe I've figured this out by the time the sun get's back to Vietnam.

What I've been doing so far in Vietnam? I crossed the border from Muang Khau in Laos to Dien Bien Phu (DBP) in Vietnam. This bustrip was the one with the most beautiful view, despite the rain and fog, but the worst roadconditions so far. In DBP I wasn't lucky because my phone and all my US dollars got stolen from my room while I was having dinner in the lobby downstairs. Suspectives are the daughter and granny from the guesthouse.

I stayed almost a whole week in Hanoi...this is a crazy city! The traffic just doesn't make any sense. It's not the cars...but the thousands of motorbikes that just drives one crazy. They have no rules, they don't look where they drive...and if you want to cross the street it's like a 'run or die' situation. Very scary I can tell you. Despite the rain I did some sightseeing in and around Hanoi and because of the rain I had to do some SHOPPING! I really needed some warm clothes before I made my way to the far north of Vietnam, with temperatures between 0 and 10 degrees.

Sapa is the place to be in the north. I was so looking forward to go there. Renting a motorbike and cruising around, go for walks in the mountains and enjoy the scenery. The landscape must be incredible...but only if you see something! I'll have to keep on dreaming of this beautiful landscape, my pictures are grey and filled with rain...it was so foggy! It's was terrible cold too and after one night, with again a lot of blankets and no one next to me to heat me up, I gave it up and left Sapa to continue to Bac Ha. Bach Ha is still in the mountains, with still a beautiful landscape...if you see something ofcourse...but just a little bit warmer than in Sapa.

Bac Ha is where I am at the moment and unfortunately I will leave this part of Vietnam tomorrow without being able to really enjoy it. I'm going to try to get to Halong Bay...but there it's raining as well...and otherwise...you can find me for the next couple of weeks somewhere...down south...in Vietnam on one of the hopefully sunny beaches of Phu Quoc island...

hug carry