Vietnam - Hanoi, Sapa and Halong Bay

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Wow - Again what a contrast arriving in Hanoi was! Motorbikes EVERYWHERE!! Inital impressions were very similar to what I had experienced in China except for the addition of these motorbikes. Back home we have the motorbike display teams who practise endlessly to ensure they miss each other by millimetres, over here it just happens on the streets without any practise, bikes coming from all directions, its madness, especially if you want to cross the road! Saying that, I did not see anyone (pedestrian or rider) get hurt so it must work somehow?!

In Hanoi I was staying in the old quarter so it was simple for me to visit most of the sights; Ngoc Son Temple, Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Ho Chi Minh's stilt house, One pillar pagoda and the Presidential Palace. I also visited the Temple of Literature aswell as the Hoa Lo Prison Musuem. All very insightful and educational especially the prision! That evening I also got the sample the delights of the (supposedly) 'famous' water puppet show, which to me was a bit ameatur but a great laugh nether the less!

From Hanoi it was off up north to Sapa. Having sent my thermals home with Philippa is was a bit of a shock to arrive here and it be as cold as 5 degrees up in the clouds.....so I was soon wearing my whole backpack in an attempt to layer up and keep warm. Sapa is just 4km away from the China border up in Northern Vietnam. It is well known for its rice fields and the options of doing a homestay with the locals (or 'minority people' as they call them). Most of the time the cloud hung around so I did not manage to get any blue sky pictures but after a couple of treks I was soon among the rice fields and have got many pictures of them. The homestay was the opposite to the one I did in Peru. The sleeping accomodation was authentic, in the family house and just a foam sheet on the floor with a mosquito net, but this time around there was no interaction with the family and their daily routine or cooking arrangements to actually see what they do day to day....but still it was a worthwhile experience.

From Sapa it was onto Halong Bay, One of the new 7 wonders of the world (and slightly warmer on the temperature scale, but only just!). Halong Bay is known for its limestone peaks pertuding from the sea. It is very similar to Guilin where I visited in China, expect that they are in the water and not on the land. I was to stay here one night on a 'Junk boat' out in the bay. This Junk boat actually turned out to be very civilised despite its name. Whilst onboard I took an optional trip of Kayaking around the islands and also visited some caves.

Once leaving Halong Bay, Hue was the next destination!

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