Hanoi...Home to the worlds rudest little people!!!

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So our boat trip in Hue the following morning was very pretty and we enjoyed some of the temples (we didnt go into all as we really are templed out and didnt fancy paying more money) and the perfume river was very pretty. Yet the trip was slightly tainted by the crazy pregnant woman running the boat. She clearly had no concience as we faced episode after episode of further costs and rip-offs. Our 'included lunch' was not quite so included as she tried to make everyone buy an extra meal. She also lied to the whole boat about a transport ticket she had sold us which turned out to only cover half of the journeys it originally seemed so therefore we were required to pay again...the whole boat refused and returned to dock very grumpy. It was nice to be on the river however and some of the pagodas and temples were interesting. After an express dinner we got our night bus which was no where near as bad as made out...Not really sure what he was talking about but he is going to get one hell of a shock when he reaches Cambodia. We managed to get the front beds which had a little more space for your feet which made for a better nights sleep. We did arrive in Ninh Binh at 4.15 am in the pitch black and had to set about finding a room which was a little tricky yet did eventually find somewhere to crash out. Later in the morning we hired a bike to head out to Tam Cok which is nick named the Halong Bay of the rice paddies because of the huge limestone outcrops which line the landscape. Our first stop was a temple set deep in a cave which Mark had fun exploring and climbing up. We then got a boat trip in a little wooden canoe boat thing with 2 ladies paddling us along the river to see the landscape and to go through the famous grottos. It really was beautiful and calm...until they started trying to sell us all sorts. We were prepared for the 'drinks scam' where ladies on other boats catch up and trap you to try and sell you their drinks at crazy prices and then when you refuse guilt trip you into buying them rof the ladies paddling. The stupid people pay the ridiculous amount for the drink which the boat ladies then sell back to the person you have just bought them off. We however refused to buy cans (saying it was bad for their teeth) and instead got them waters at the price which you would expect to pay (half the original price). The scams did not however taint the trip just added to the fun and we really enjoyed the trip in the blistering heat. Ninh Binh itself was pretty dead with very little for its visitors in an evening so we booked a 7.15 train to Hanoi the next day.
The train was very painless but not as exciting as that we got in Thailand. We found a pretty crap and overpriced hotel (which we have now moved from) and had a bit of an explore. Unfortunately there is a typhoon passing over North of us so the weather in the last few days has been pretty miserable. That said it is not the weather which is getting us most annoyed but the people here...they are so difficult. They are rude, seem to have no desire to help with or sell you anything at a reasonable price and are perhaps the laziest of all the people we have seen on our trip so far. It is so frustrating. Not helped when yesterday Marks flip flop broke, being in the middle of a shoe market we thought it would be painfree enough to find a new pair. To find any western sizes for a start was near impossible and when we did the prices quoted were more expensive than what we would pay in England. When we bartered with one lady to try and get a reasonable price she threw a tantrum. Just so different to the boiserous, happy (if a bit cheeky) bartering we are used to. To top it all off we booked into a hotel for today (paid a deposit yesterday to secure the room as our first room smelt like their was a dead body under the bed) and upon arrival were told there were no rooms available. So after arguements we were shipped off to another hotel which is atleast better than the stinky place. But we were also miffed at how the concept of reservation and deposit mean nothing and it seems no problem to them to fob you off or just be as unhelpful as possible. We have had some sucess tho we have booked a trip to Halong bay leaving tomorrow (the first day it seems the boats can go post Typhoon) and we know it was be a bit overcast and not perfect but we really want to fit in this 2 day trip as we have heard so many good reviews about it. Fingers crossed it is as brilliant as everyone makes out. We are still enoying our trip it is just a shame that this time could have been spent in a place we loved but better we make it here and make our flight we suppose...

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