[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
[click to zoom]
|
 |
Hanoi - Halong Bay March 10th - 14th
Our Sinh Caf? tour
package ended in Hue. We had a choice of either buying another Sinh Bus ticket, flying, or
taking the train to get from Hue to Hanoi, where we would catch our flight back to
Bangkok. Sixteen hours on a bus seemed a little rough, and the flight a little expensive,
so we opted for the train.
Once again, India should have sufficiently prepared us
for this experience. For instance the ticket booking agent told us four seats were
"not possible," so two of us took the 6:50 pm train, and two took the 10:30 pm
train. As usual, when Jeff and Rochelle boarded their train at 6:50, the conductor walked
through the third class car (we though communism had no classes??) selling sleeper seat
upgrades, and on Mike and Josh's train there was at least one, sometime two empty sleepers
for every compartment of four. We were told that we would get two meals on our 16 hour
train ride with our tickets. Jeff had to pay extra for his dinner, and Josh and Mike
received beef and rice and mineral water at about 10:30 am. That was it. Of course, we
were, pretty much ready for our train which was scheduled to arrive at 2 pm to really
arrive at 5:30 pm, and it did! On the upside, the trains were very clean, and it was a
fairly comfortable ride.
The most noticeable change of the north was that the
90-degree temperature of Hue became the 50-degree temperature of Hanoi. So we bundled up
in our only long sleeves and, pants, and headed on a new tour bus to Halong Bay. If there
was one place in Vietnam where we weren't constantly reminded of the insanity of war, it
was definitely Halong Bay. It was a 5-hour boat trip through and around the islands and
rocky outcroppings, of which there were 3000 in the bay. The boat dropped us off at Cat Ba
Island where we would stay two nights. Halong means descending dragon, and it is said, an
enormous beast smashed into the bay and cut its islands and coast with its tail. An arial
view reveals a silhouette that is remarkably dragon-like. Our tour group was combined with
two other smaller groups, going to the same place, but with different travel agencies.
Oddly, there were about six Sinh Caf? offices in Hanoi each with rumors that all others
were fakes. Wanting to get away from Sinh Caf?, we booked with Queen Caf?. There were nine
people in our Queen Caf? group, and about nine others with the other two tour groups. The
first night, at dinner, we all got to know each other and hit it off quite well. It was an
excellent mixture of English, Dutch, Australians, Swedish, Israeli, and of course the
Americans (or the Am-Crew)!
The next day, we went to the national park on Cat Ba
Island, and were offered a choice of a short two hour hike, or the longer, six hour hike
over the island to a small village. Almost all of us went on the longer hike (of course,
in usual Vietnam fashion, they hit us up for more money, and we paid an extra six dollars
each). The hike revealed some of the beauty that must have been covering Vietnam before
the war, the plush green forests and flowers were breathtaking. That evening, and the next
afternoon, on the five hour return trip, we spent more time with our new group of friends
discussing many things from serious to side-splitting humorous. Topics ranged from the
Vietnam War to, "What you would do for a million dollars?!" We found it was not
the average tour, and felt quite fortunate to meet up with this stellar group of people.
The night we got back from Cat Ba to Hanoi was our last
night in Vietnam, so the Am-Crew got to work buying souvenirs. After that, we met up for a
final meal with our tour group. We invaded and took over an Italian restaurant. The
seventeen of us ate, laughed, and drank until about midnight (which might as well be 3 am
in Vietnam). We then spent from midnight until 1:30 am figuring out the bill! After
dinner, we returned to our hotel, and hung out for a while, recounting our Vietnam tour.
We realized that the four of us were done travelling together. Rochelle would stay in
Vietnam and connect back up with us for some Australian touring. Josh would soon leave for
Bali and then home. The Josher and Rochelle would not see each other again on their
travels. Luckily, Jeff and Mike will get to see and travel with both of them again!
Vietnam had its ups and downs. It was beautiful and
disgusting. Rich in culture and rich in mass marketing. It proved to be two weeks of
intense, mind-altering, experiences that none of us would ever regret, but, perhaps, we
would never subject ourselves to again! |
