Lan Ha and Ha Noi

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We are now sitting on the S Coast of Thailand, Tubkaak Beach, for our final days. Another amazing Trip! And a great place to celebrate my birthday!



A week ago Sunday we flew from Bangkok to Hai phong. Our last night in Bangkok we had the opportunity to have dinner and drinks with Norm and Ellen Batt from Caldwell. They were just starting their 3 week trip of SE Asia. It was great fun to see them.



Hai Phong is about 120 kms east of Hanoi and the closest airport to Ha Long Bay. We spent 2 nights on Cat Ba, the largest island in the Ha Long Bay area. We had been told, Ha Long Bay is very busy with all the larger boats so we decided to just hire a fishing boat from our small guest house and tour the area adjacent to Ha Long Bay, Lan Ha, dubbed the little sister of Ha Long Bay.



We spent the afternoon just cruising among the limestone karsts. Although the weather was cloudy, it did not rain and was still beautiful. When Ha Long Bay became a UNESCO site, all of the floating fishing villages were moved outside the boundary into Lan Ha. 2000 people live there on floating docks, many with fish farms connected. It was beautiful to just tour around all the islands.



Although we did not really know anything about Cat Ba, it is a beautiful island, very rural and tropical. We rented a motorbike the 2nd day and just toured the island - seeing caves, a very large military hospital museum, left over from the Vietnam war in another cave a Buddhist temple and the Northern Bay.



Then it was on to Ha Noi, an effortless transfer via bus, boat and bus, and 3 hours later we are at our hotel in the Old Quarter of Hanoi. This area consists of narrow streets and lots of small shops. We were told there are 8 million people and 5 million motorbikes, a fact we would not dispute. After the very quiet Cat Ba, Hanoi is very busy with motorcycles, bikes and the occasional cars coming in any and all directions. Our hotel actually gives us instructions on how to cross the street, with the best advice, don't back up... But after India we do pretty well crossing the streets.



We manage to spend 4 full days, exploring the sites including the Temple of Literature, a ceramic factory and a cooking class. In the cooking class we learned how to make Pho (feh, rhymes with French Le). Mispronounced it can mean street or bitch, so I just stopped saying it! We also learned how to make egg coffee, using egg yolks (a small amount of alcohol is added), beating it to a custard texture and then adding coffee. It actually tastes better than it sounds.



We enjoyed the weekend night market where they closed some of the streets, so for the most part you are not dodging motorcycles. It is packed with people shoulder to shoulder. It appeared to be quite the social event, especially for the young.



The ceramic village outside of town, had beautiful vases, tea sets and dishwares. Ed & I managed to refrain from buying the gorgeous 6 ft vase, and agreed on a small vase. While Ed went to the ATM for cash, I stayed in the shop. Made the mistake of asking pricing for a few smaller items. By the time Ed came back, our bag of items had doubled in size and weight. "What happened?" "Well, the little plates were only $1 and the coffee mug $2 and and...." UGH - but they are really pretty!



So, as we wind down - it has been another great trip!!

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Photos

you gotta love a country that places beautiful lilies in public restroom
Yes, they are real

Haircuts on the street... Could not talk Ed into one
He said it might take away his Einstein identity

Comments

[Grant Wiegert]

A traveling we will go
Hi Ed and Michelle: Thanks for the great photos again. You got to love those markets. Not much happening here except working a few days without pay and thinking when would be the best time to retire this year. Vietnam looks great to visit from what I can tell. Enjoy your last few days. Grant