BRRRRRR...Feels like Home

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BRRRRRRRR

Hanoi is cold! We landed with cloudy skies and the temperature was cold. It felt like I was home, in the cold chilly weather. I didn't bring a sweater and I wished I did. Actually, I did bring a sweater on my Vietnam trip but left it at my brother in law's place. Long story short, I was going to go back to my brother in laws to grab my sweater after the Mekong Delta portion of my trip but my borther in law wasn't going to be home as he had left his house to visit his family. So, I had to make do with what I had, with the clothes that I took with me to the hot humid mekong Delta. It was a little chilly but I thought to myself, I am Canadian, I am used to this weather, I can tough it out for 3 nights.

After we had landed in Hanoi, our tour guide met us at the airport ans whisked us away in a private car for a private tour. When I tooked this excursion, I thought maybe there would be others in out tour but it was only me and my sister in law's aunt. It was nice as the guide catered to what we wanted to see and do. We visited several super crowded pagodas and temples first. The pagodas and temples were over crowed with locals praying and wishing for luck, health and good fortunes for the new year. Then we took a nice cyclo-ride through the small narrow streets of downtown Hanoi. The ride was an hour long which was nice as we meandered through the streets seeing the locals enjoying lunch, small family stores from anything from souveniors to kitchen sinks, tourists standing at the street corner trying to cross the motorbike infested streets! This is the point of the Hanoi trip that I decided I needed to buy a light jacket or a sweater! I had thought that I would be able to tough it out and be "Canadian"! But nope, I couldn't do it! Then we checked into the hotel and had an hour for lunch. We dined at the Fish Restaurant that served nothing but one dish and it was delicious. We sat there for a few mins wondering where the menu was but then the server brought us our lunch! After lunch, we watched one of the must do in Vietnam and that is to watch a water puppet show. It was really an amazing sit to see as the you wonder how they actually make the puppets move with such precision. After the show, we walked aroung the city center enjoying the sights.

8am the next morning, we embarked on a 3 hour for only a 170km road trip to the wast to Ha Long Bay. The drive was nothing but nail biting, making sure your seatbelt actually works kind of drive because there are no rules to driving, or at least there are rules but not followed! Most of the way, it was 1 lane each way but the locals always seem to fit 4 cars across a 2 lane road. And then throw in the countless motorbikes travelling along the end of the road. It is hard to explain their driving except with, you have to see it to believe it!

3 hours later, we made it to Ha Long. At first, I didn't see anything amazing but then we got on the boat cruise and then set sail for the majestic limestone cliffs. I was in awe at the sights, it was truely amazing to see. Ha Long Bay was just recently names one of the new wonders of the world and I would highly recommend you to visit this amazing location. After cruising for an 2 hours, we arrived at the famous Ha Long Bay caves. I had thought that just seeing the limestone cliffs were amazing but the caves were even more so. There were 3 caves and each one got bigger than the next. The last cave was so big, it felt I was walking in BC Place stadium with how much open space there was. Again, there is so much I can try to explain but nothing beats seeing it in person. After the caves, it was time for dinner on the boat and enjoying the activities the cruise had to offer such as a demo on how to make a salad roll, watching a movie or even squid fishing (we had no luck at that!).

The next morning, it was time to disembark the cruise. The cruise was short lived and I had wished I had done a 2 night cruise instead of one. Oh well, that will give me an excuse to come back to Vietnam and visit Ha Long again! The rest of the day was spent in Hanoi were we walked the streets some more and enjoy a nice bowl of pho and deep fried sweet potato and deep friend banana prepared street side for us.

That was the end of the Hanoi/Halong bay leg of the trip as we flew back to HCM yesterday evening. I am not looking forward to this next week. With the Hanoi part of my trip over, I am into the last leg of my trip. I have one more week before heading back home and I honestly don't want to leave. I love the weather, the food, the people. I am really enjoying this trip more than I expected. Can I extend my trip? Will work let me do this?!

This last week will be filled with shopping for souveniors and gift. So here I go into the market to do a little bargaining...hope I come out ahead of their game!

I hope to blog a few more times and hopefully post more pics for you all before I fly back...so till next time...

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