Hanoi, Holong Bay & the typhoon!!

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We landed in Hanoi (Noth Vietnam) on the 25th September and instantly feel in love with this lovely city and all its parisian influance. The streets are crazy with hundreds of moterbikes darting around and the safest place to walk seems to be the middle of the road where everyone can see you! as the pavements are lined with moterbikes and people selling street food. We were staying in the old quater in a lovely hotel. We bravely managed to hire some bikes and cycle around the city seeing all the sites, we also found a great bar/resturant were you can pass many hours watching the madness below and drinking beer for less than 40 pence!

After two lovely days in Hanio we took a trip to Hanlog bay (Bay of the decending dragons) which is a natural wonder of the world. It's where limestone islands rise out of the sea the water is an emorald colour, there is a constant majestic mist around the bay the water is like bath water and the heat is incredible! we booked a two night junk crusie aboard this old wooded junk boat it was lovley we meet two English girls from noth london (there was only ten on our boat). We had a fantastic couple of days swimming, cannoing though caves, squid fishing and climing up rock faces. The food was possibly the best sea food we have ever eaten! however late on the second day we were informed that the coast gaurd had been trying to get hold of the boat all day as a 'big storm' was coming in from the phillipines and we had to go straight to shore. This took us over four hours and we watched the usually very calm bay get choppier and choppier. By the time we go back to shore we were told we had to go back to Hanio, all very sad that we couldn't stay another night on the boat!

The next day we were due to get a night train down the coast to Hue however discovered in the morning that the eye of the typhoon was heading straight to hue and we had to spend another night in hanio! we have since made ourselves feel beter by having two hour full body massages and I got my nails done for less than twenty pounds for the both of us!

We woke up this morning to find that the whole of the central coast (just were we what to go!) is completely flooded with no electricity! so we have now decided to fly down to Ho Chi Minh City (Old saigon) and see if we can do the cental coast later next week, hoepfully it may have cleared up by then!

So off to Ho Chi Mioh we go!

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Photos

Hanoi
Hoan Kiem Lake

Hanoi
Drinking in the bar!

Hanoi
Street Food!

Halong Bay
Our Boat

River village Halong bay
Hope there ok after the typhoon!

Comments

[erndor]

backpackers
Here i go again haveing another try. i am enjoying you pictures and travel . so far i have tuned in each day How much difference is there in our time,im just going to bed lots of love Grandma