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Published: August 25th 2007
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Ha Long Bay
Just incase you forgot where we are. (it's the Vietnamese flag Bish) Being the capital city of Vietnam we were expecting even more death defying trips accross roads than Ho Chi Minh city but with less than half the population (3 million) than HCMC it seemed quite laid back. Perfect to our adopted lifestyles over the last few months me thinks.
A couple of days walking around the streets supposively sightseeing but more checking out the restaurants that we'd be testing in the evening and it was time to dissapear to Ha Long Bay on the north east coast of Vietnam.
We'd booked an organised trip for the duration of three nights.
Ha Long Bay is classed as a world heritage site and consist of a group of 1996 limestone islands, caves and beautiful secluded beaches. The motto if visiting world heritage sites is 'To Take only photos and Leave only footprints' yeh that's all very well telling the tourists this but what about the locals that dump everything and anything into the water. Picture Blackpool and your not far off in some parts of the islands.
Most of the trip was based on cruising around on a 'Junk' boat. These really add to
Ha Long Bay
Junk boat similar to the one we were on. the surroundings we were in and any boat built in the last few decades would of looked really outa place. The first day was spent visiting caves, chilling on a beach and laughing at the amount of sweat seeping from daz's pores after he decided to climb to a lookout point on one of the islands rather than cool down in the sea for an hour. He tells me it was worth it but i'm not buying it. He's just not used to having all the extra insulation on his head!!
All food for this day was cooked on board by the crew and was predominately seafood but after being in Asia over three months now we realise that a decent steak is a thing of the past. There were fourteen of us on the boat plus crew but it was probably one of the least social groups we've been a part of to date. Too many couples that looked like they were honeymooning ("GET A ROOM") and a group of four Belgian lasses who kept themselves to themselves, we could of got more conversation out of a box of Guylian than them but cheers for the
Ha Long Bay
Inside one of the caves. invention anyway!!
A couple of exceptions though with two aussie nurses who work in Alice Springs (daz found his soulmates) and a big fat American guy who actually if you get over the fact that he's American was a real sound bloke. NB. That's not being racist before any comments come flying in but it's true!! ;-)
The evening meal went down a treat but not as good as dessert, numerous amounts of cans of local Lager if i remember correctly.
The next morning after we were rudely awaken at 7am for breakfast (Daz didn't make it) we headed for the island of Cat Ba.
Cat Ba is one of Ha Long Bays larger islands measuring 30km from one side tut other.
The first task of the morning was to take a guided walk up a forrested (is that a word?) mountain to view the bay from high up. Yes the view was impressive but my life was it frigging hot. No air to breath in and far too many Spiders bigger than me hand. There would of been a photo of one on this blog but as i edged closer to take full advantage of
Ha Long Bay
The group zzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZ my 'Macros' setting the man eating beast twitched a leg at me and i nearly fell down a few hundred feet. "cancel the photo, let's keep on..........QUICK".
The two hour walk over and it was time to check into our hotel for the night on Cat Ba and eat some well deserved lunch.
The afternoon was spent swimming at secluded beaches and kayaking.
Evening was supposed to be a chilled out meal and an early night but if you can call getting to bed in the wee hours after sampling the 'strange' local club then i guess we failed.
Suprise Suprise, up at the crack of dawn to board the boat back to the mainland. Guess which two people were half an hour late??? Sod it, it was the last day of the trip and we're on holiday, we're allowed to lie in. Don't think the rest of the group saw it like that but they are now a distant memory and not even worthy as a friend on Facebook!!
Back to Hanoi and a change of guesthouse because we'd read that a bar near the lake was the place to be for Premiership
Ha Long Bay
The morning trek on Cat Ba football. Ahhhh god bless the footy ruling our lives again.
With only four days left on our Visa we had time to take a trip up to Sapa which was supposed to be very picturesque but there's nothing more picturesque to me and Daz than watching English footy in a grotty bar in downtown Hanoi. Sorry Sapa, you lose!! As it happens Sapa wasn't the only one to lose that weekend but i don't wanna talk about it.
Strange moment alert: We arrived in the bar a couple of hours before kick off as we were meeting up with Ruth and her buds (the irish gals we'd met in HCMC). After thinking we'd been blown out because there was no sign of them we started small talk with a couple of lads sitting nearby. The conversation was governed by footy and not remeberring exactly how i got on to mention it, but i explained that a mate from Gravesend used to have a season ticket for Arsenal (scum). "Did you just say Gravesend"........"yeh"......"I grew up in Gravesend".........."oh right, i was talking about Macca"........."f#k-a-duk i know Macca, him and his missus came to our leaving
Ha Long Bay
2 Hungover studs on the trek. Possibly the worst photo of Daz and I to date do" The conversation went on about Rolfey, Jut, Wilson etc. Small frigging world blah blah blah.
That was it, the nights script had been written, Ruth and co turned up, watched a couple of games of footy and then continued onto a club that we have no recollection of ;-)
The next evening i ventured back out to the same bar with Ruth to watch Manu's laughable start to the campaign but daz found the lure of a Pizza delivery place actual delivering to the bedroom door too much to resist.
Time to move on and a lovely 22 hour trip to Vientiane in Laos to fill the time.................
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Sidsel
non-member comment
Looks great :)
Everything looks great and sounds amazing!! I just had to comment on this entry, coz.. Well you were late for some trip with a group, and somehow - I don't know why - that just rings a bell.. Hmm.. Has that happened before?? :P Hope you're enjoying everything, and that Darren is okay with the fact that he's going home soon! xxx