Avoiding Being Run Over in Hanoi, Chilling in Halong Bay and Turning 30 in Vietnam

---

---

We spent some time in Hanoi just chilling and taking in the madness that is the motorbike capital. Our first day few days were spent getting to know the old quarter and finding the best places for a good beer and snack. For some reason we have got lazy and have no eagerness to visit places of interest. We bumped into Jake the Aussie who did our magical mystery tour with us on our second day and he showed us to a fab Bia Hoi place, this place is 3,000 dong more than the place all the tourists go too, so that make its 6,000 dong for a gorgeous honey flavoured beer that’s about 20p and you’re not surrounded by tourists just locals!!!! We spent all afternoon here watching the locals zoom by on their bikes.

Our third day in Hanoi we decided that it was time to see some sights, so we headed out in the blistering heat to Hoa Lo Prison, nick named the Hanoi Hilton by US POWs during the American war. There’s lots of photos of old John McCain who was a prisoner here, and plenty of photos of the US POWs enjoying their Christmas dinner, playing basket ball etc all next to photos of the south Vietnamese POWs all chained up looking rather thin and ill!!!! Slight contrast in how they were kept!!! Next was the history museum and then the revolution museum. All were very interesting especially the revolution museum. After all this sightseeing we headed to Bia Hoi corner for more cheap beers and some yummy food.

The next day was an exciting one, we headed to Halong Bay. The area was designated a world heritage site in 1994 and you can see why. It was beautiful, with its limestone karsts set in the water, different to Yangshou in China. We hopped onto our Junk boat in the harbour and set off, we had opted for the more expensive tour, $60 each instead of $42 and we reckon it paid off as the food was divine, so much sea food and gorgeous stir fries. We took in the Hang Dav Go caves which were a bit tacky but enjoyable then we headed to an amazing spot for a swim. The water was sooooo warm, G was even a brave soul and jumped off the boat into the water!!!!

We then kayaked to a wonderful lagoon which was silent until a bunch of local tourists came in on a speed boat and ruined it. The way they saw the lagoon made them miss the monkeys playing by the water’s edge which was so cool. How they got there we do not know as they were on a tiny karst in the middle of lots of water!!! We headed back, G nearly being decapitated by a low hanging bit of the cave we had to kayak through, G was certain Tony speeded up when she shouted “stop I’m going to smash into that”!!!!

After kayaking we boarded the boat and watched the sun set over the karsts, then enjoyed another amazing meal before drinking far too many beers on the top deck bobbing about in the peace and quiet.

We were once again plagued with rats in the cavities, this time of the boat not a house, so not such as good night’s sleep but after a yummy breakfast we were once again rewarded with gorgeous views as we headed back to the mainland to get the bus back to Hanoi.

Tony’s big 3 0 was the next day and was pretty much spent how we started it....drinking. We had a wonderful day breaking the budget and having cocktails, yummy food and lots and lots of vino and beers, ending up in a wicked Jazz club to finish the night off.

We had one more afternoon in Hanoi after T’s birthday before catching a night bus to Hue. As we got up late we only had time to see the Army Museum. This museum was pretty cool showing great war photography and of course their version of the American War. We got back into town on the back to 2 bikes which was quite thrilling especially through the traffic madness of Hanoi!!!

All in all our time in Hanoi was relaxed, taking in the local atmosphere and beer!!! Tony had been here before and loved it and he still loves it as does G, it is a wicked place that is fast paced and so friendly.

---