Halong Bay and Hue

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c Hey Everyone,



Just a quick update to tell you about our Halong Bay trip and Hue. We arrived into Hanoi on the 8^th late, we met up with and did some touring around with April and Kyle on the 9^th. We visited Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum which was kind of a bizarre experience. His body was interred in a glass case in the middle of a large stone building. There were guards everyone and you were not allowed to speak.



I didn’t do much else that day because I felt ill and because Hanoi is insane! The traffic is just unreal. I can’t even begin to explain it to you. Just picture super narrow streets, sidewalks covered in motorbikes so you have to walk on the street, thousands of questionable motorbike drivers, the occasional car, and honking. The honking NEVER ends. They honk constantly and for a variety of reasons. It started to drive us all batty.



We left for our 3 day/2 night cruise on the 10^th. We spent a little bit more so we were with a reputable company. There are lots of scammers out there that show you nice pictures and then put you on a piece of crap boat where you’re stuck for 2 nights. Our boat was called the Aloha Junk (they’re all called junks, not just ours) and it was definitely 5 star accommodation. The best shower/bathroom and beds of the trip so far.



The weather as cloudy the whole time we were out but it didn’t matter as we could still see the amazing limestone pinnacles. I have a whole new appreciation for just how beautiful karstic landscapes are. You never got tired of just looking around. All of our meals were seafood dominant but as the seafood was caught right there it was quite delicious. We went kayaking a bit on the first day and more on the second. Kayaking was great because we got to go through caves into completely secluded lagoons so that we were the only ones there. The nice thing about paying a bit more is that they avoid the really touristy areas.



The caves were really neat to kayak through. Most were large and short but one was quite tight and ~200m long so it was pitch black inside. We had flashlights and headlamps but it was still quite an experience. We all agreed that the trip to Halong was worth the time and money as it is a completely unique landscape that you just can’t see anywhere else.



We arrived back into Hanoi around supper on the 12^th and Matt and I left that night at 11 on the night train enroute to Hue. The train was interesting. It was not as nice as the one in Thailand and we also got stuck in a 6 person bunk in the middle bunks. You couldn’t sit anywhere so you had no choice but lay down. The trip was 11 hours and we basically just slept the whole way. We actually managed to get a pretty good nights sleep.



Hue was a relief after Hanoi because although it is still a large city it is much quieter, has a river, and it was sunny and warm. We toured around the Citadel and Forbidden City the first day and the second day did a DMZ (demilitarized zone) tour. The tour was alright although most of the sights do not retain any evidence of the war. We saw the Vinh Moc Tunnels and Khe Sanh Combat Base. They were definitely the best stops as there was still war relicts at them.

We are currently on a bus heading to Hoi An. We’ll only be spending a day there as we’re pressed for time and have to get to Nha Trang to do our PADI certification. I hope all is well at home!



Rae

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Comments

[Kevin]

Halong and traffic
Hi Rae and Matt The photos of Halong Bay bring back memories - spectacular. And I know what you mean about the continual honking of vehicles in Hanoi!! I presume you tried the amazingly successful "slow walking" to cross the streets - you must have otherwise you would have been hit!!! Have fun Kevin