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Published: August 5th 2008
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The bus back to Hanoi was fortunately quite uneventful....appart from confirming our suspicions of being ripped off on the way here...the comfy minibus on return was almost half the price and took half the time!
Anyway, our next stop was Halong Bay, a world heritage sight and potentially one of 2009's new "7 wonders of the World"!....We'll explain a little more about that in a mo'. Our journey had to take us via Hanoi and a change of bus. As usual at the bus stand we were pounced on by the touts trying to second guess where we wanted to go and whose mode of transport we wanted to take.
A minibus for Halong Bay was just about to leave and we were dragged towards it. Being the stubborn mules that we are, and sticking to our self preservation policy, we dug our heals in and demanded a price. Of course the initial quote was a joke and we did actually laugh, to which he dropped the amount considerably....twice! We didnt like being rushed and were desperate for lunch and so said thanks and walked away.....For which Dan received a fat slimey spit in the face!!
Dan -
Yeah the little sh*t spat in my face and then ran off as fast as he could onto his bus I had all my bags on so could not attempt to run after him and proceed to beat the living daylights out of him..... plus prob would be banged up in the 'Hanoi Hilton'presently if I had!
Man I was so angry... so when our bus from Hanoi to Halong Bay stopped in the middle of nowhere and told us that this was as far as they would take us and were already taking our bags off the bus I couldn't contain my self..........Yes it happend........ My clothes started to rip off my body and my skin turned green and I roared like an animal......!! I can't remember much else (just call me Bruce Banner) so will let Nic tell you.
Nic - Ha ha!.....Seconds after the transformation, he lept from his seat and stomped towards the door, grabbing on to the handrail and swinging out, making the bus rock violently. He landed some distance away, with his fists on the ground to aid him in his 4 limbed gallop (picture a huge silverback gorilla!) towards the back
of the bus.....He grabbed our packs and thew them onto the seat beside me..."Stay there" he comanded, "We're staying on this bus until he takes us to the right place!"
The original crowd of giggling Vietnamese, humoured by our misfortune, were now silent, bowing their heads and trying not to make eye contact, so as to avoid rileing Dan anymore!!
I managed to dissued him not to take the keys from the ignition and hijack the bus and eventually they reluctantly gave us some money back. We shared a cab into town with a German couple who politely made their excuses and left us to it.....I think the Hulk had scared them a little too much!
Dan (aka The Hulk!) - Raaaaaaaarrrgghhhh it was our duty to act this way to ensure other backpackers not get the same treatment.!!
Anyway the day got better we found a nice cheap room and went out for some Bia Hoi's and abit of food and had our first encounter of genuinly nice Vietnamese who sent over with the waitress a couple packs of peanuts, small gesture but big effect.
Not wishing to join a 'Tourist tour' of Halong
bay we opted to sniff out the main booking office ourselves (all tours booked through here anyway by agents) and put together our own trip of the bay for a fraction of the cost.
Nic - This bay in the North of the country has more than 300 islands, with grottos and caves and covered in lush green vegetation, they're like small mountains that have been dropped into the sea, quite a beautiful sight! We hired a boat for 6 hours to take us on a tour of the bay, and inbetween these huge lumps of rock. It was a nice way to spend a day, and a lovely chance to relax but one island soon began to look like another!
We stopped at one of the larger islands that has magnificent caves filled with stalecmites and stalectites.....(yes mom and dad, I did learn something when I was little..."the ones that hang down are like wet tights so they're called stalectites"!!)....we also stopped at another island which we climbed to the top of for some wonderful views....and then a much needed swim - ooh, it was as warm as bath water!....and really enjoyable - until I got stung
by a jellfish.....eeeekk!!
Yet another bus ride and our next location is Ninh Binh.
xxxx
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Mum Walton
non-member comment
Cheating Vietnamese!!
It must wear you down having to have your wits about you all the time. But I'm glad you showed them Dan that they weren't going to get away with it!! Little bu**ers!! Don't be an incredible hulk too often though, we don't want you arrested!! xxx