The Stunning Ha Long Bay - Shame it was Grey !!

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Days 135-137 (Sun 20^th Jan – Tues 22^ndJan) Ha Long Bay cruise



After an early night in preparation for my cruise I woke up at 7am. I got my free breakfast in the hostel of omelette and toast, I waited for my pick up. Got picked up around 8am, we went around town picking up a few more people and we headed off from Hanoi around 9am. Everyone was keeping themselves to themselves first thing so I put my earphones in and listened to some music. We stopped half way there at a factory where all the staff are disabled in some form, the factory making all sorts of items, from paintings, kitchenware, pottery and such. The goods were very impressive but I am never hugely keen when tours drop by these sorts of places to make you buy things. All I used it for was a toilet stop, after 20 minutes or so there we got back on the road.

We arrived at Ha Long Bay marina around half 12 and by 1pm we were sat on the boat having our lunch, which consisted of pork, fried squid, rice, vegetables and some other fried item I wasn’t sure what it was. We set sail and headed off into the Bay.

On the trip to our first stop which was some Cave I’ve forgotten the name off I met most of the other travellers. The boat had 4 french, 4 english, 2 canadians, 1 irish, 1 german, 1 czech, 1 american and 1 iranian so we had a decent mix.

After visiting the cave which I didn’t find massively impressive. It was a decent size, I’m not just massively keen when certain bits are lit up and they are coming out saying this bit looks like a lion etc, when it doesn’t. I would rather just have a look around a cave, no extra lights or anything, it feels more legit then.

We moved on to a floating village in the middle of the limestone karsts. The people here are literally living in a shed floating on a few empty oil/water drums. It’s not a way of life I’d fancy but they all seem happy enough. They all have dogs as well which is weird, can’t exactly walk them anywhere. We got off the boat and roamed around the area on kayaks for 30 minutes or so which was good.

After this the boat sailed on for another hour or so, bringing us to around half 5, where we would anchor up for the night. With tea an hour away it was time to have a swim. I say swim, what I mean is jumping in of the top deck of the boat. The boat had 3 floors so it would be rude not to jump of it. First to jump was me after a little hesitant delay. I went straight for a front flip, which I got sort of right, it didn’t hurt but didn’t look great either. Matt followed with a flip also that went very wrong, landing on his back, from quite a height. About half of us entered the water, a few deciding not too, this may have been due to it being cold, grey and nearly sunset. It was good fun though.

Had a quick shower then into the restaurant for tea. We had a selection of soup, spring rolls, chicken, fish and rice. The food was good. After this we had a few drinks and karaoke got started. No one fancied it at all so the staff sang a few songs in Vietnamese. After a while John decided on singing, although he had to do Britney Spears. I don’t think he enjoyed it much and palmed it off to his girlfriend Philippa half way through. She didn’t enjoy it either. Unfortunately for me I was up and it was the Spice girls. Very reluctantly I attempted to sing it. It wasn’t pretty and that was my only effort for the night. After this we played some cards until we all crashed into our rooms. I was sharing with Matt, an American and the only other solo backpacker on board.

Day 2. I woke up about 1 minute before breakfast was due so headed upstairs to get a fried egg, 1 thin piece of bacon and some bread. It was disappointing but the rest of the food had been brilliant if not short in quantity.

We got onto a speedboat to transfer to Cat Ba Island where we got a bus for 30 mins, then another speedboat to Monkey Island, a deserted island where now only 12 of us would be spending the night. 4 of the group were only on a 1 night trip so returned back to Ha Long Bay.

Monkey island was a resort where just our group and staff would stay for the next 24 hours or so. We checked into our rooms and all headed up the islands biggest peak for a nice overview of the island, bay and many surrounding islands. After this we headed down for lunch which was possibly the best meal I’ve had yet travelling. It was like a huge noodle hot pot, with some vegetables, pork, tofu, fish, prawns and clams. Even the noodles which we just like instant noodles at home were so tasty, we all had a little bowl and it was cooked in front of us and dished up to us once our bowl was empty which mine was alot. I loved the food and enjoyed the prawns, which have always been something I’ve not been too keen on. Nana will be glad I’m trying new things. Gold star for me.

After lunch we basically had free time, do whatever you like until tea at half 6. After half an hour of lying down I got into one of the kayaks and went for a row around the island. It seemed easy enough until I got around the back where there is a distinct lack of cover from any other little islands. I was now out in the sea in a kayak that was very old. It was a sit in kayak not a sit on top sea kayak like I’m used to so if water comes in it doesn’t leave. The waves probably reached 3 or 4 foot, nothing massive but it made it hard work, which is partly the reason why I kayak, its good upper body exercise. On returning to the island I played a bit of kicky uppy with some of the staff, none spoke any English but it was a good laugh, although beach footy and no shoes hurts after a while. A few more of the other tourists started surfacing so we got a bit of volleyball going. Not many of us had played before but once we got set on the rules we had a good game of 3 on 3. We nicked it 2-1 after some time, we actually got reasonably good at it, but it doesn’t half hurt. The second we finished bruises started appearing on pretty much everyone, thumbs, forearms, everything was sore.

We all got showered and chilled out for a couple hours then tea.

This was a bbq or pork and oysters, with plenty of side dishes to go with it. The food was spot on once again, considering the 3 days tour as opposed to 2 days was only $30 more, it was totally worth it. After tea we went downstairs in the lodge. It was to me what I assume a ski resort lodge to sort of look like. All wooden with good food and facilities, just its hotter here. Although it has been grey all weekend which has been a shame, hasn’t stopped anyone enjoying it though.

We played some pool, table tennis and fuss ball before finishing the night with some cards again. We all crashed around half 12 or so with a 7am start.

I wasn’t feeling too lively at 7am but breakfast was good, a mix of eggs, bread and pancakes, of which I had plenty. We then returned via Cat Ba island to our main boat to return to the Marina. Around half 11 we got our lunch before we got of the boat, again another good meal. The entire 3 days cost me $99, and for that we got 7 meals, 2 night’s accommodation and entertainment. It is one of the best valued tours I’ve seen. 20 quid a day for everything pretty much, before any beers.

After lunch we disembarked the boat and got our coach back for 4 hours to Hanoi. I checked into hostel, relaxed for 2 hours then met 3 of the gang from the boat for a few drinks. There was me, Matt, Rob (Ireland) and Janice (Germany). We had a decent night and headed back after 5 or 6 beers. It finished off a brilliant 3 days.



Ha Long Bay Cruise



Day 138 (Wed 23^rd Jan) Hanoi



Woke up, had breakfast, went back to my room where an incredibly bad headache started behind my left eye. Hoping it wasn’t a migraine I took a few tablets and slept another 3 hours. Woke up fine J.

After this I went to the Hoa Lo Prison. It was the most important POW prisoner camp in both the wars with the French and more recently the Americans. The French first controlled it and held Vietnamese prisoners followed by the Vietnamese holding any American’s shot down including 2008 presidential candidate John McCain who spent some 6 years incarcerated here.

The prison was in pretty much the same state it was during its main usage. Some of the cells remain for public viewing and there and examples of how the French housed the Vietnamese, normally all chained in a row. It was quite a chilling and moving place. They still had the guillotine used to kill people on death row. The was also a picture of 3 heads from 3 women killed during the war. There is no way I’d have fancied being there during either of the wars.

They do portray it in a very biased manner I must add. When the Vietnamese were prisoners they explain explicitly how bad the conditions were. However when the American’s were prisoners they try to portray that they treated them better than the average Vietnamese person would be treated. It seems a little off in my opinion, I can’t see that being the case at all.

After this I headed to the Citadel once again to take some nice pictures as the sun was out for the first time in Hanoi. I have been here 7 days and seen the sun once. It could be worse, I could be under snow like everyone at home.

I relaxed for a couple hours and then met Jo and Tammy for tea. We went to a restaurant I’d been to a few times already as it’s good quality and pretty cheap, also the cheapest restaurant I’ve found a bottle of beer. There’s always a good reason I go somewhere. Jo and Tammy had come in on an overnight train from Sapa so were understandably tired so no after food drinks, which is probably a good thing. My liver probably wants a rest. I shall hopefully see them again in 2 weeks in Saigon.



Day 139 ( Thurs 24^th Jan) Hanoi



My last day was to see the museum I wanted to see. I needn’t have bothered. I lasted around 30 minutes in the History museum. It really is a poor museum, there is hardly anything that is significant or isn’t in every museum worldwide. I had heard it wasn’t great but thought the main museum in the country might be better than it was.

I checked out the temple on the lake which also wasn’t that impressive. After this I checked out of my hostel and took my laptop to Highlands coffee shop where I got lunch and some hot chocolate and have spent the afternoon catching up on everything and making all my plans for the rest of the country. I leave this evening on another overnight bus to Hue, the imperial capital of Vietnam. Wish me luck.



Next – Hue, Hoi An and beyond !!

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