Day 88 - Ha Long Bay, Hanoi, The Train

18.10.09

Brekkie at 7.30 and then our bus picks us up at 8am and drops off at our boat, which then takes us back to the harbour where we have lunch and chill for a while and then back to Hanoi in a reasonably efficient operation. Overall the tour has been great fun, I managed to be the only person in the group who wasn't in a couple or with friends and we had odd numbers so I got my own room on both the boat and in the hotel. The activities were good fun, the food was nice and substantial and we always had enough. I think I must have got lucky with the tour and got put with a middle option group as two people paid 70 dollars for the same thing, but then another girl paid 38 dollars, so it all seems a bit random.







Once back in Hanoi, I jump on my train bound for Hue, it's a 13 hour night time journey along the coast getting in at 8am tomorrow morning. I'm sharing with what I think is an American woman and 4 Vietnamese people. Quite tired from all the traveling, it's an early night and awaiting my adventures to come in the old imperial capital of Vietnam.

Day 87 - Ha Long Bay, Cat Ba Island

17.10.09

Today we start with Kayaking at a bright 6.30am. Although we are only traveling around the same area we are anchored at, it's nice to see the rock formations up close and at water level, it also serves as a brilliant work out. We have breakfast and are shortly dropped off at Cat Ba Island which sits in the middle of the bay, maybe an hour or so away from the coast via boat. It's a reasonably big island and the first port of call is a hike to one of it's peaks, which affords some good pictures and it's like walking through a proper jungle. Next we are dropped off at our hotel, which is in a small bay about 3km away from the main Cat Ba town. I end up having tea with one of the shop keepers for some reason as they see me walking around and try to sell me something, to which I give them a smile and a "no thank you" and then I am invited to sit down. I go back a couple of hours later with my own flower tea from China, which seems to impress them no end and they are very thankful.

In the early afternoon I have a walk around to Cat Ba town and then around to the beaches and am greeted by warm water, beautiful scenery and an almost deserted golden sand beach. No more needs to be said.