Tue 15 - Fri 18 Jan - Halong Bay&Hanoi

After a VERY early morning arrival into Hanoi we were straight on a coach for the 3 hour trip to Halong Bay.  We arrived in time for breakfast and after checking in were back on the coach to take us to the nearby port to board our private junk boat for a day trip around the bay.

 We past floating fishing villages where it was fascinating to see how people spent all their lives living and working on a floating raft.  Kids and dogs quite happily play on the decks.  At one point a little wooden boat pulled up against our driven by a young teenager.  Before we knew it 3 small kids ranging from about 3 to 6 had jumped onto our boat and were hanging in the windows trying to sell us bowls of fruit!  Apparently the kids learn to swim before they learn to walk but it was still startling to see how they leapt around the sides of the boat - and I can't imagine where they get the fruit from!  We tied up to one of the rafts and some of the group got into kayaks and went around the bay and had a different view of the floating houses from the water while some of us stayed on board and relaxed - although it was a foggy day so their was no sunbathing!

Our boat then took us to another bay where we got off to explore the most amazing cave which was discovered ten or so years ago by a fisherman who was following a monkey!!  Inside we walked through this huge cavern which has now been lit internally with coloured lights and was fascinating with stalagmites and stalagtites!

In the evening we were taken to yet another lovely local restaurant then explored some of the night market on our way back to the hotel.  We were sorry that we didn't have very long in Halong Bay as it was very peaceful and pretty and we would have like to have had time to explore it more.

Next morning we left to return back to the capital city of Hanoi.  We were sorry to be back in the city with its trafic, noise and dirt but there was lots to see.

Our hotel was located in the old town with its narrow streets and mak\rkets which in the old days must have been quaint but is now chaotic with hundreds of scooters, taxis and cars all hooting constanly.  Nearby was the lake with a pagoda in the middle and we took a walk around it. 

Next day we joined our group for a tour of some of the sights of the city including the Mausoleum where Ho Chi Minh lies embalmed in an open coffin for people to visit.  We joined the queue of people who file past under the watchful eyes of the guards in white uniforms and it was an interesting experience. 

We also visited the prison which was built by the French to house Vietnamese prisoners in terrible conditions and where later captured American pilots were held.  It is now a museum and it was interesting to read about the war from the Vietnamese point of view!!

In the evening we went for our final dinner before our tour ends and we all visited the Hanoi water puppet theatre.  This was similar to the one we had visited in Ho Chi Minh but even better as they explained the story in English as well as Vietnamese and we understood more of the tradiotions and customs depicted in the show now that we had travelled from South to North Vietnam and learnt so much of the history, traditions and customs of the local people.

It was a great way to end our wonderful time in Vietnam before we said goodbye to 12 of our 14 travel companions who were finishing their tour.  Only Chris and I  plus 2 other girls will be continuing with our guide Charin on the next leg of our journey through Laos to Thailand.