Vietnam - Hanoi/Halong Bay

30 May - 4 June '08

We arrived in the capital in the early hours of the morning and made our way to our nominated hostel in the old quarter.... it was shut.... but immediately a boy approached us who wanted to show us his hostel... so we followed. The place was run by an interesting outfit - a set of kids who looked between 7 and 20 years of age - we decided to stay because the smallest one was wearing an Arsenal top. After some rest, we walked around the old quarter... it was very claustophobic and you couldnt 'walk 5 metres without someone hassling you to buy something which was very 'Hanoiying' (sorry couldn't resist that one!). We visited Ngoc Son Temple which was situated on a small island in Hoan Kiem Lake (in the city centre), and then took shelter in a lakeside cafe whilst a short shower passed. The French influence in Hanoi was very noticeable, moreso than anywhere else we had visited so far. That evening we went to see a popular water puppet show... we were slightly anebreated when we went, but you probably needed to be on ecstasy to fully appreciate it!

The following morning after sorting out some overdue laundry, we walked a couple of miles to the Temple of Literature - a place where talented individuals from around the country would learn, adapt and live by the teachings of Confucius. The Temple surroundings included a small lake and courtyard, and it seemed somewhat peaceful. After sorting out our flights to Laos and booking our tour to Halong Bay (where we would spend the night on a junk boat), we headed out to the elegant 'Little Hanoi' restaurant for dinner. The next day we relaxed; went for a relaxing ride on a 2-seater cyclo ride around town; and then relaxed some more before hitting the night market where we picked up some tacky souvenirs.

After getting picked up at our hostel, we took a cramped 3 hour minibus ride to Halong Bay. After boarding our designated junk boat (all the boats are pretty much the same, but it's amazing how everyone will pay vastly different prices), we had a drink with the other 11 guests and then lay on the top deck whilst the boat slowly cruised to the 'Amazing Cave'. The cave was huge and the rock formations within had created weird and wonderous shapes including a buddha, a turtle and a dragon. Two-seater kayaking around the bay was next on the agenda.... what hard work... especially since all the women in the group sat like princesses at the front of each kayak. That evening, whilst we lay anchored in the middle of Halong Bay with numerous other boats, we had a nice meal with the group.... and then the karaoke started! The captain and his crew initially hogged the microphone, but after consuming lots of vodka, some of the group (mentioning no names) braved their singing talents. There was lots of laughter and the night ended at 2am at which point we retired to our tiny, cockroach-infested cabins.

After an early start we made our way back to Halong City where we caught our minibus back to Hanoi. We were shattered and crashed out early evening. On our final day in Vietnam, we remembered the people we had met, the friends we had made, and the journies we had taken; and we knew this was country we would visit again one day. Next stop... Laos.