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Published: March 4th 2007
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Wed 28th
I got off the plane in Vietnam got to the customs but got stopped. The visa I’d applied for in August 06 was for Februarys 06 not 07! I had a choice fly back to where I’d come from or buy a new visa. I bought a new visa and am now $125 less well off. I then got minibus into town and went to hotel that Matt and Luke (from Laos) were staying in. As I had got held up in the airport they had gone out. Unfortunately the hotel was fully booked - I tried a couple nearby but they were full to and so I went back to the first place and asked if I could stay on there floor. While I was waiting for them to come back I got talking to the hotelier and commented on there rules and regulations. I ended up retyping the whole thing for them- well it gave me something to do. While I was still waiting for the others about midnight, two fat old men came back with two local girls. The manager would not let them take the girls t o there room so they checked out. This
Loaded Motobike
The things they manage to get on a otobike is amazing- this is actually one of the less impressive meant I got a room finally at 1am. Turns out Luke was ill in bed the whole time just didn’t answer the phone when we rung from downstairs.
Thur 1st
Finally met up with the boys (and there friend Jack) at breakfast and wandered around Hanoi. It’s a large bustling city full of motorbikes and horns blaring. I saw the lake and went to an indoor market but nothing good to look at. In the evening we went and had dinner which was very bad and then to Beer Hoi which is on a crossroads and all the bars on the corners have little plastic stalls to sit on and serve 6p an glass beer. When that shut at midnight we went to a bar that had Jenga and a pool table.
Friday 2nd
Up early to get a bus to Halong Bay. We got there around lunchtime and bordered a Tug boat to have lunch. The boat went between big limestone cliff islands and we stopped at a cave. It would have been beautiful but they have put coloured lights inside which makes it look like a fairy or Christmas grotto. We climbed up to a viewing
platform on one of the islands where Matt almost got bitten by a snake. Spent the evening on the deck but I went to bed early. I was woken by loud splashes as the other jumped from the roof into the water. The water is full of rubbish and you don’t really want to be jumping into it.
Sat 3rd
Up early and onto land. Some people went for a hike but I got told it was hard and as my knee is twinging a bit I thought I better give it a miss. Instead I learnt a new card game with 2 Malaysians that are on the trip. They are a lovely couple very much in love with 3 kids back home but she is 5ft and slim and he is a huge 6’5” and on the large side.
Then we went to our hotel- very nice and had lunch there- not so impressive. Afterwards we went back on a smaller boat to a floating house (there are lots of those and they seem to have dogs and cats on them) where we got kayaks. I went with Jack and did minimal paddling and tried very hard to
get wet as the water is s gross. It’s such a shame as the landscape is beautiful. Then an unsuccessful trip to Monkey island as the monkeys were on the other side of the island as we were to late for feeding time. Alex a Canadian taught me how to skim rocks though.
Back at the hotel we had dinner and then watched a football game. Jo who is a massage therapist went to work on my knee and back- they are all linked. She really knows her stuff shame she’s from Australia otherwise I’d definitely go see her in England to get treatment.
Sun 4th
This morning we went back on the big boat to Halong Bay town and then got the bus back to Hanoi. That took all day. Its my 200th day away from home and I celebrated by having a bath!!! A rare treat for out here.
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Beryl
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Very interesting
I've just caught up with your latest journals Tamsin and am really impressed with all you've done. Your photos are great. Don't know how you find the time or the places to do all the writing. Enjoy.