abbie and Sarah on our beach..

Simple things...

... smiling eyes, sqeaky sand, sunshine, stars- all missing from life in Hong Kong and apparently make me abundantly happy!

We're staying in a little hut nby the beach- the view is amazing. This place is truely paradise. Not a lot to do and really underdeveloped, but stunning. I've straddled more Vietnamese men in the last 2 days than ever before (surprisingly?)- the only way to get around is on the back of someones scooter!

We went on a fishing boat yesterday and did some fishing (I cought my first ever fish!!) and snorkelling. The day before we wondered around tyhe 'town'. Vietnam is much poorer than thailand and you can see it - the marlket was fascinating. But what always gets me every time I visit SE asia is how happy and friends people are with what they have. It's so easy to llose sight of that in Hong Kong- a combination of chinese face and ruthless capiltalism means there are hardly any smiles there. I miss that and I keep forgetting I miss it when I'm there. It make a huge difference when people smile.

We're catching a boat from here to a place called Rach Gia on Saturday and then winding our way back to HCM through the delta. I can't wait to do all the history museum and the cu Chi tunnels- they're meant to be amazing (although I remeber having a panic attack in a tunnel in 'Tarazans' in blackpool when I was a kid- I'll let you know if I make it down into the tunnels!!)

i'm trtying to upload all the photos and stuff but this compuer isn't my friends- maybe when we're back in HCM

Happy New Year everyone- may it bring you everything you need xxxx

Vietnam

Hello, hello..

Arrived safely in Ho Chi Minh last night. Off to an Island called Phu Quoc this morning for a well deserved week on a beach! Cant wait- last night in Hong Kong only involved about 3 hours sleep and a lot of annoying bits to do.

Ho Chi Minh reminds me a lot of Thailand, but I guess thats the only thing I have to compare it too. Scooters with 3 girls in heels on the back, constantly honking and big hotels next to little shacks. Already the pace is so much more relaxed than HK though...

Apparently internet access if difficult on our island, but hopefully I'll be able to say hi!! If not, Merry Christmas, Danielle x

Leaving Hong Kong..

in 2 days!

Very, very strange! Up and down like a Wan Chai hooker at th emoment. One minute very excited and ready to go (loving the organising and packing) and the next back to where I was last week; scared, confused and freaking out a touch. Still this week has been better- it's like I hit my emotional bottom and have subsequently discovered I'm bouncy. Which is nice. Just still boinging around a bit in the reverberations of the collapse..!

People at work just said there goodbyes, and my boss cried! I really had no idea she would get so upset- we haven't been that close over the last 18 months. There has always been a supportiveness and a respect there though, maybe that's why...

2 more days to go.. x

I just wrote this to Thom, but thought I'd throw it open to the floor...

So, what's it all about? I feel like I'm constantly running away, pretending that I'll find the answers on the next journey. And I never do, but leave with a bad taste in my mouth and a feeling of dissapointment. Maybe I'm just using other things as a filler for that lack of meaning and emptyness, but finally I thought I'd found something worth making sacrifices for. Does life have meaning or is it up to us to supply that meaning? And then live in the delusion that it's some sort of universal rule? Gosh, I'm starting to wish I was religious. Then someone else can make up all the mumbo jumbo for you and all you have to do is follow the route- and huzzar- life has meaning! Genuinely if you have an answer I'd like to hear it. The last 6 weeks have felt like a constant test of my identity and intergrety. My confidense has been consistently challenged and, it seems, corroded. And now I'm just lost. Desperately afraid of coming home (because whatever I'm running from is most definately there) but now with no reason to stay here. And sounding like a melodramatic fool. I must say sometimes I badly miss Edinburgh people . But then again I never really wanted to face it even when I was around you all...

Onwards, upwards??

Fish farm in Thailand

Sarah's here...

I've shown Sarah the blog. I think she's confused.. she says...' erm, no don't write that, Danielle is a cow.' Thanks. AM miserable already. So thanks. thats really nice..