2nd Jan 2008

Well the new year has begun and the festivities are over, we can now settle down for another year.

I have just booked my flight to Vietnam today, the travel business over here is abysmal, at this moment in time I have a flight but nowhere to stay yet. I have no worries though as Vietnam is geared up for tourists... nothing is a problem there.

It's sad really as the Phils is a great place to be for tourists, there is so much to see, the weather is superb and they speak English... but they have no infrastructure at all.... " you wanna go where" ??.......... "ok you can stay here it will cost you so much".......... but I want to have a choice..... "What do you mean...a choice ??"

Anyone that started a "proper" travel business here for foreigners could make a fortune, of course he would have a lot of setting up to do but it would be very financial rewarding in my humble opinion.

Anyway I wanted to fly into Hanoi, stay there for a couple of days then take the train down to Saigon ( Ho chi Minh city.. but everyone still uses the name Saigon), travel around a bit there then fly back to Manila. No-one flys to Hanoi so that's a bummer....I would have to go via Saigon which isn't really sensible as it would cost more financially and time wise too.
I have an American friend( 68 + ex US Air Force) that has asked me to take some photos of Nra Trang as he was stationed there, he is in bad health now so I thought I will do my best to get there for him. I haven't met him yet but he lives in Manila, we met on the net. Everyone has a story to tell and i think his will be intersting.

Vietnam for those that didn't take notice during the war there, is a long strip of land, north to south attached to Cambodia, Laos and China, Hanoi is in the north and Saigon is in the south. I remember all the scenes from the Vietnam war in the sixties, I will be visiting the tunnels that the Vietcong lived in underground when they were being bombed by America.

It is about 3+ 1/2 hours flying time from Manila, I got my business seat for £400 to go this Saturday morning at 7.20am.... yes I am normally sleeping at that time but beggars can't be choosers. I just have to find myself an hotel but Vietnam have a great infrastructure for tourists and travelling, so much so that I have no worries at all. I could land there and find an hotel within an hour...... reminds me of when in 1999 I landed in Honolulu at 1am with nowhere to stay, I met 3 sheep shearers from N.Z that were in the same position and we still managed to find a room.... I never forget the name of the hotel.... it was called the Banana Bungalow.... so Jean if you are on the big Island.... have a look at the BB. !!

Below is a video of the New years party here in Makati, I only included 50 seconds of the 20 mins fireworks so you didn't get bored. In the streets they have these firecrackers, about 1000 tied together, it takes about 5 mins for them all to explode, the noise is deafening but exciting too.

If you want to see a bigger picture then click on the link under "my videos".