We are back in Edinburgh! I have just finished the first coat of dark wood stain on our bookshelves in a vague attempt to make the flat look more like our awesome hotel room in Hanoi. As Heather previously said the Internet was a bit non-existant on the last bit of our holiday hence I'm writing up the last few days in the office.

After my understandable slip up with flights and our accomodation in a muddy field, the traveling from Hue to Ha Long bay went very smoothly. We flew back to Hanoi and then hopped in a taxi for a 3 hour drive to Ha Long Bay. Heather has said I should be putting more facts in my posts, so here are some facts about Ha Long Bay:

1. It is the flagship tourist destination of Vietnam

2. Its name means "desending dragon bay" as it was formed by a dragon landing in the sea and thrashing around. Fact.

3. It covers an area of around 1,552 km squared including 1960 islets, most of which are limestone

4. If you do not believe the dragon story another theory is that it has been formed through a period of 500 million years of different weather conditions and environments.

5. It is home to 14 endemic floral species

6. And 60 endemic fanual species.

7. I saw a monkey on one of the rocks.

Sorry about the lengthy radio silence (I like to maintain the illusion that anyone might mind, or indeed notice) - internet connectivity has been a bit hit and miss. When Mike left off we were about to head into Sa Pa, the district capital of the highland region we''d been staying in. Sa Pa is a funny sort of place - it's usually characterised as a quiet and characterful mountain town, but after the remoteness of the Eco Lodge it felt like a bustling metropolis brimming with tourists. About 85% of the inhabitants are from ethnic minorities and their health is apparently often poor, partly because of food shortages (due to the climatic conditions in the mountains, only one crop of rice can be grown here a year), and partly because the town is typically wreathed in mist, which lends it an ethereal atmosphere but aggravates respiratory conditions. The streets are lined with rickety building sites and Black H'mong women - dressed from head to toe in black and deep indigo, their sleeves, collars and sashes highlighted with vivid embroidery -  peddling silver earrings and embroidered textiles but in a rather desultry way, as though resigned to the low likelihood of anyone actually buying something. Supposedly many also sell matchboxes stuffed with opium, but we weren't offered any - I can only assume we looked too square and/or down at heel.