vietnam.

The fact I am skipping Laos is that the events since my arrival in Hanoi (yesterday) have been quite intense, considering the difference in personality of Vietnamese citizens to those of Laos and Cambodia.

I was terrified by the reports I heard from other travellers and wanted to see for myself but I got to the point where I don't want to but have to agree that communication can easily turn directions within a milly second.

It all started with the airport pick-up which was adequate. Adequate until we reached the first hotel the drivers would get a commission off. I insisted on staying in the car, knowing a cheaper place to crush. The driver tried desperately to get me out of the van by ignoring my words and telling me how cheap $12 for a room a night were. "I know, mate, but I want to go to this place I saw in my guide...it's $3 a night and that's better, innit?" Didn't work. With the time driving around the driver got really annoyed with me and that contributed to my mood. I was having a blast with some other travellers, telling him I actually got a reservation in that place, which of course wasn't true. Funny thing was: He would have only had to drop me off at that place and his suffering with us would have ended. He decided against it and we went to the next hotel of his choice. Now, I was getting a little annoyed and he was having a red head. I started teasing him a little and - none of us believed it - he went to the place I told him to go to. Got off, got a cheap room with a Finnish and a Spanish, sorry, Basque, guy and went out to get hot pot while feeling like one.

This morning I got up and went to book my trip to Sapa, in the North of Vietnam. Paying about $100 for train (back and forth), accommodation (1 night homestay with local family, 1 night hotel), food and anything else but personal expenses. We'll see how it goes.

Done.