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Published: March 19th 2010
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Bay
The skies remained dismal today. Once again I woke up before I had to. I’m now going on a few weeks of poor sleep and tonight I have another overnight train and early wakeup. I made my way to breakfast with everyone from my table. We were all a bit tired from our big night last night; conversation was a bit short.
After breakfast, most of us went topside to lay out in the clouds. It is yet another cloudy day here. The air isn’t that cool it’s just lacking sun. On the deck, Wee recapped a bit of our conversation on
fake marriage from last night, making us realize that when we were discussing it, loudly of course, it had to be overheard by the guy at another table who just married a Vietnamese girl. All of us had feet lodged firmly in our mouths.
We got on shore around noon and, after a lunch of more of what we’ve been eating, I parted ways with new friends. I rode back to Ha Noi with the Aussies that rode with me the other day, Ashu and a few others. We stopped once for a bathroom break. When we were leaving, we noticed a commotion
Another shot
Much of Ha Long Bay looks like this. Even after seeing a similar look over and over, the serenity of the area remains wonderful. outside of one of the tourist vans. The driver had locked his keys inside and one of the passengers was trying to break in to get them out. I’m glad I wasn’t on that one because I need to get back to Ha Noi so I can catch the train this evening to Sapa.
Back at the hostel, I learned that I would have to depart an hour earlier than I thought. So I had to grab a very quick dinner and get back in time to leave. After a wrong turn somewhere on my way back from dinner, I ended up needing a motorbike to get me back quickly. I definitely didn’t miss the bedlam that is Ha Noi. Maybe the best part of Ha Long Bay, besides the people, was the escape from honking horns and people everywhere.
The tour company’s guide picked me up on his motorbike and took me to the station. I realized where we were so I was dumbfounded when he pointed at a cab next to us, said something to the driver and took off. I got in the cab, oddly thinking I was supposed to get in.
Maybe there is [/i]Oops
The driver of a different tour bus locked his keys inside.[i] another station and this is a meeting point? The cab driver looked at me incredulously. I told him train station. He pointed at the station.
Oh. I got out and then saw my guide with another group outside the station. I also ran into Wee and Marie there; they had seen me walking with my huge pack and swung by to say hi. At first I thought maybe they were on this tour - that would have been great.
The instructions continued to be a bit poor. We waited outside for a half hour before a different guide took us to the train and showed us which car. That was the last I saw of her or any of the other tourists.
I spent the first couple hours reading
Men’s Health and
Gulliver’s Travels before pulling out my own pillow case and sheet - no used linen for me this time - and going to sleep. I have to be up early to be ready to go when the train gets in at 6:00 am.
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