Hit and Run - Vietnam

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Hit and Run, six countries, one month, two girls!

We had one month of school for winter break. A whole month to explore Asia. After looking at a lot of different routes and working out the best financially Val and I decided to do Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, The Philippines, Taiwan and Japan. Unfortunately the Irish had friends from home coming for part of the holiday so couldn't join us.

The first thing we did when we arrived was book two taxis. The first to take us to our hotel for the night the second to take us to Ha Long Bay the next day. Doing it at the airport ticket office was a lot cheaper. Unfortunately while we were there is was Lunar New Year and we wouldn't be able to get a taxi with this company back to th airport as they wouldn't be working but that was a problem for another day.

We then started thinking that if the taxi company isn't working because of Luna New Year what else may be shut?

The taxi bus picked us up from our hotel early the next morning. The bus journey took around 4/5 hours. We arrived just after mid-afternoon and after the early mornings and late nights over the past few days we decide to have an early night and go to sleep.

When we wake up it's around 11ish. We needed the sleep. The owner of the hotel came to our room and asks us to join her and her family for a Luna New Year lunch. We join them and eat a wonderful lunch, prawns, tuna, rice, potatoes, sushi. Lots for us to eat. They owner and her family don't speak much English and Val and I speak no Vietnamese so there's a lot of silence but we still had a good time.

Afterwards we go out and look around the town but nearly everything is closed. There's a café open so we get a drink, and over the road from the cafè is a theme park, Sun World Ha Long Park, so we go to it for the afternoon. However because of the Luna New Year most of the rides are shut but we go on those that are open enjoy our afternoon.

Once we've left we found the entrance for the cable car and this time it is open so that's what we choose to do the next day. We go up the cable car where there is a lovely view over the bay. At the top there are a few different things to do including a wax museum, a big wheel and a Zen garden, all included in the price of our ticket!

By the time we do the wheel the sun is setting and the view is beautiful. We stroll around the Zen garden before going back down the cable car.

When is was opened the cable car achieved two world records: the largest cabin in the world (230 people can fit in the cabin) and also the cable with the highest pilaster, at its heighteat the pillar is 188,88m.

The next day is our last in Vietnam and we have to spend it travelling to the airport - The next stop - The Philippines.

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