The names Bond, James Bond.

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It is time for us to leave the dirty streets of Hanoi and head to the coast for the waters of Halong Bay. Why the title? All will be revealed - just so you don't skip ahead to find out, I didn't meet any of the actors who played James Bond. Those of you who know your James Bond movies may have already figured it out. For the rest of you poor, uneducated pleps (which included me - because I had no idea why James Bond was relevent either) you will just have to wait a few more lines to find out. So we packed up and left our cosy Disney like hotel by 8, which meant an earlish start. I think this was the first time on the whole trip that we have been ready for our guide on time. So began our 3 and half hour drive to Halong Bay. It was rather dull. I had the pleasure of sitting in the back of the van with F, while HB sat with her mum. A rare break to do nothing but listen to my Ipod. It was a long drive down roads that had seen better days, while trying to not to hit the cars that came towards us. I think we had about 5 near misses. They drive at each other and when they get close enough, the person who is driving on the correct side (whatever that may be) honks their horn. Like that is going to help. They need cars like in the cartoons that can suddenly grow very tall wheels and drive over the car while the other goes under and between the wheels. But then you would get the problem of who goes up and who goes down.

After the dullness of the drive we arrived at our destination - Halong Bay to board the 5 star Junk boat the Halong Violet. This boat was incredible. It only had 5 staterooms, 2 of which belonged to us. The whole boat is decked out in a 1930s Indiochina decor. It kind of had an Agatha Christies feel to it - now which character am I? The poor clueless servant or the beautiful heiress who is either victim or murderer? Hmmm. Seeing as I always like to be Miss Scarlet in Cludeo, I'll go with the heiress (it suits my character 😉 ). So there we are on this lovely boat, having a wonderful lunch, and what am I doing you may say? That's right, colouring. There is a theme here that is reoccuring. The scenary was amazing. This is why the title. There is a James Bond film that was filmed here. I have no idea which one, but one with Roger Moore in. The water was soo blue and surround us were all these green rocks - HB said it looked like Crocodile teeth - which it did. It is amazing what nature can do. We could never make something like this, yes we build and create some incredible structures, but this is different. This has taken 1000s or millions of years to create. It really does inspire one.

Our excursion for the afternoon was a trip in a boat to have a look at a floating fishing village. Mrs G bowed out of this one because her thoughts were like mine from when we had dinner at Mr Viet's home. These are people, not animals in a zoo. What made it interesting was to get a closer look at the outcrops (for want of a better word). It was different way of living, and not one that I would want, but I am used to the life I lead. I am sure if I was them I would be very happy with my life. Funny how, even out here all the floating huts had saterlite dishes. We even got to have a look in the school, which consisted of 4 rooms - 3 classrooms and the room where the teachers live. After seeing this, you could never complain about the condition or resourses your school has. They really don't have anything. So that was our adventure for the evening. Back on the boat we had our dinner and then hit the hay. The boys got up early to go for a kayak and to visit a temple on top of one of these islands/ outcrops/whatevers. Mr and Mrs G had requested NO wake up call, we can get our selves out of bed. But sure enough at 6:30. Bang bang it's 6:30. Agh, go away. I don't care that it is 6:30, and why are you waking me to tell me that? Then bang bang its 7am we are leaving in 15 mins? So, do I care? I am on the boat, it is not like the boat will go and leave my room behind. GO AWAY. Of course what I actually said was awe;flkaajndghb shhhhhhhhhh. So long for my sleep in, the damage had been done and HB was awake. 'I'm awake Anita' yes I can hear that. 'Can I get up?' No. 'Can I read in bed' yes, but shhhhhh Im sleeping still. Let me explain. HB loves to read, when I say read what she actually does is hold the book upside down and back to front and make up the story while acting it out LOUDLY. It is very cute, but early in the morning it is not something I want to hear. What I want to hear is nothing - silence. Maybe the odd blear of a siren just to make it feel like home. I got maybe 45mins more dozing time before I dragged my carcass out of bed and got ready. Then it was time for 1st breakfast. By the time the boys got back at 9:30 it was time for 2nd breakfast, which consisted of dishes like spag bol? Apparently it was meant to be brunch. I'm sorry I thought brunch was at 11ish? That didn't stop F having 2 helpings of Spag Bol. The rest of our time on the boat was spent playing Uno. That is such a great game. I can, and have, played it all day. I don't think I have ever met someone who hasn't liked Uno.

We had to disembark our boat at 11:30 so that they could get it ready for the next lot. As I said earlier it was a stunning backdrop, what spolied it was firstly the number of junks out there. There are about 9 other Junks out there at the same time, doing the same thing. The second thing was the amount of Junk in the water. Lots of floaters out there, that wasn't pleasent. This expereince was basically a tourist trap for the wealthier travellers.

Our journey then took us back to Hanoi, with a few stops at some craft places. The journey went very quickly mainly thanks to Uno! That game is just a life saver. Who ever won then took on the task of helping HB play, or in otherwords play for her.

So this concludes our adventures in Vietnam. What did I think of it all? It had some good parts and some bad parts. The people were very friendly, and the sights were very interesting. It is such a world away from England. Would I go back? No. I am sure there are more things to see there, but for me, I have seen what I wanted to and expereinced the glitz and the grime.

To get to our next port of call we went by a 2 engine prop plane, flying by Lao Airways. It was a very pretty plane, and a quick flight into Laos. We were picked up from the airport from the runway and whisked into a private room while the hotel staff dealt with our visas and immigration. If only it was always that easy. Our hotel was only 15 mins away, and what a difference this place is. I thought at first it was the hotel, but I later realised that it was the whole area. Luang Prabang to me was so very calm and peaceful. It was still and slient. All you could hear were the crickets and the cicadas. There was no light pollution so it was so easy to see all the stars. So very different from where we had come from even though they are neighbouring countries. Maybe it has something to do with the very low population they have here. Apparently 75%!o(MISSING)f the popluation are 25 yrs and younger! Our hotel staff introduced us to our programme of events for the next few days. So stay tuned there is some amazing things about to happen.

To be Continued ...

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Photos

Dinner Time
HB and I in our Vietnamese Dresses

Playing around
I think I am being fed the room key or a rose petal.

Getting Comfy
Cwock and Crocy get comfy on the bed.

My bed
No not the big one, the little one by the window

Waiting at the airport
Scary Cwock

Lao Airways
Or the air.

A Junk Boat
Not ours though

Squished
Cwock looking rather squished

The view
Stunning huh?

Our new room
Guess which is my bed?

HB and I
having fun on the boat

A long walk
to the bathroom

School's out
A floating school room.

Getting comfy again
on the wrong bed.

Halong Violet
Our boat

Comments

[Mum]

Pics and Titles
Very interesting article but the pics seem to have been shuffled and matched to the wrong titles.... or are you now able to walk across water(!!) cos the "A long walk" is water in front of a very jagged island? Which was your bed?