Halong Bay

6pm Saturday night and we're in Halong Bay, in a lovely hotel, with beautiful views over the harbour. Was an early, but not too early, start this morning. 3 hour bus trip to Halong City from Hanoi. Once in Halong City, a short walk then a short wait, then we were on one of many of the "junks". Cruised for about 40 minutes towards the islands and limestone masses, before stopping at a floating town. The town has about 150 residents and if I remember correctly, 2 schools. Were allowed off to look at the 'shops'... Mostly boats that row over as a boat approaches, plying their wares. Bought some bananas and a coconut for the milk. Bananas delicious, as all have been so far, but the coconut was a bit bitter. After that, back on the boat, and lunch was served. Absolutely superb. Fish, squid, vegetables, rice noodle spring rolls, omlette, rice, and far too much of all of it!! Moved off in time, and made our way toward the best cave in Halong Bay - pretty amazing!! It has been set up really well as a tourist attraction. The best so far. Onwards from the cave, after swapping boats, to Cat Ba Island, after just cruising for a few hours. We bought a bottle of wine, because it was essential, but it was so sour and wrong! Same Dalat wine I've had a few times, and every other time it's been bearable. It was also a massive rip off, but yeah, it happens! Downed it anyway, and soon the taste was not too noticeable. Arrived at Cat Ba Island, LONG wait til the bus arrived to take us to hotel, but it eventually did. Long and winding trip to the hotel, through a different world, until eventually we stumbled along a town! It's so hidden, so unreal! So isolated, but so part of the world! We check out of here tomorrow, don't need to until 12, then we need to get the hydrofoil - speedboat, to Haiphong, from where we will get a bus to Ninh Binh, before the overnight sleeper train to Hue`. Will enjoy a good sleep tonight, because tomorrow night will be pretty crappy indeed!! Don't have to be at breakfast until it turns off at 9, so decent sleep for sure.

Photos not too possible here, about to try just a few, but otherwise, as I said, Saigon will do.

Hard to believe I've only been away for a week. In such a different world, so incredibly removed from home. It truly is beautiful.

PS

Feel like I've been gone HEAPS longer thanjust a week!!!!!!!!!

 

Tis good!!

A few frantic days

Had to reread to see where I was up to. After the rain I wandered out for dinner, had a roadside feast. Then again, wandered around, watched the nightlife etc etc. Went for a drinks again, worked through a bit of the cocktail list, met and sort of chatted to Grant's girlfriend, Nga. Very sweet young girl.

 

Wednesday morning Nga and I went for breakfast then for an excursion to the supermarket. We spent hours there. Piccies on flickr. I love supermarkets, great insight into a culture. Going with Nga was even better. She explained everything in Vietnamese then I had to do the same in English, as she has very little English, and wants help to learn. After the supermarket, we went for lunch, then she informed me it was sleepy time. LOL. I don't have afternoon naps, no matter how early I wake. I wasn'treally too sure what she was saying though, so I sort of followed her lead. Next thing I know I'm sorting stuff out at the hotel, smelly drain etc, and she's fast asleep in my room!! Eventually, as I was uploading photos downstairs, I heard her announce it was time for her to leave! Very handy, girl, seeing as it was time for me to leave to the airport to collect Sue and Bill. Found the public bus station, found the bus, jumped on, as it doesn't actually STOP, then hit peak hour traffic beginning as we went to the airport. They were fairly quick to arrive, and everything worked smoothly. It was a speedy few hours to follow, as we quickly had dinner and sussed out some info from travel agents to work out the plans forthe next few days. Suddenly, in a taxi, racing to the water puppet theatre. Enjoyable show!! Well worth the small admission fee! They went to bed after and I went out again. Saw some young, super young, fire breathers, they were very cute and too young to be doing such things. Talked to a nice Irish couple, bloody Irish are everywhere!!!

 

Next morning was a quick up and moving, as we were going on a Mekong Delta bus and boat tour. Down to the Mekong by way of a rather hideous bus trip. Roads in such poor state, and driver had little skill in negotiating the bus over speed bumps and around pot holes! Tour was interesting. Coconut candy factory, bee farm, lunch with water buffalo, fresh fruit on Phoenix Island (Phoenix being one fo the 4 holy animals here). In little tiny row boats and a rower who kept saying, "hot hot, when bye bye, tip tip". Was brilliant to see the area though, brought year 12 geography to life. Long horrendous trip back to city centre, as rain had started, so traffic even slower.

 

Once back, we had a few mojitos at the Go 2 Bar, with all the cool people! rofl! Then booked a few things on net, then out for drink with Grant and Nga, then an Indian feast for dinner. Late to bed, for early wakeup.

 

Friday, we were up at 4.30, moving to get to airport to go to Hanoi. Nearly missed the plane as it wasn't announced over the loud speaker. Some lovely girls came to hustle us, so we were fine, with aheap of other people who didn't hear any such announcement. Hanoi, shuttle bus into city, then taxi to hotel. Hotel lady wonderful, helped us plot our next few days. Immediatley off to the war museum so Bill could see the war stuff. Hanoi wondeful, so much more laid back, people not as in your face. Did some shopping for silk wares, we love the layout of the streets, with everything together on each street, i.e. a street of flowers, a street of baskets, a street of linen. Late lunch. Markets, bit more shopping, then checked out the lake. Late by now. Traffic getting far worse. Streets closedoff. Not good!! Sue and Bill returned to hotel, and I went to the Ho Chi Minh Mausuleum for Friday night indoctrination. Amazing to see. freaky to see. Home, bed.

 

Now 7am and we're about to go for breakfast,then we're out to Halong Bay. After a one night stay out there, on the island in a hotel, then to Haiphong City, Ninh Bihn, then over ngiht train to Hue,via the DMZ and some tunnels. So hopefully will write more thre and upload photos. Or else when back to Saigon.

 

Signing off!!!

 

 

 

24.11.2008

Singapore - Saigon 2008-11-25.4.3.2 115 (Medium)
Originally uploaded by Goldilocks85

Mud, true, not raw sewerage!

22.11.2008

Singapore - Saigon 2008-11-25.4.3.2 016 (Medium)
Originally uploaded by Goldilocks85

The dreaded cable cars

24.11.2008

Singapore - Saigon 2008-11-25.4.3.2 121 (Medium)
Originally uploaded by Goldilocks85

Ready, set, go

25.11.2008

Singapore - Saigon 2008-11-25.4.3.2 139 (Medium)
Originally uploaded by Goldilocks85

The things you see!

PS

Funniest sight yesterday and today -

 

Motorbike with about a loungeroom full of furniture strapped on... Armchairs and all! Absolutely hilarious!~!~!

 

 

Mojitos, mad Irishmen and more monsoonal rain

Had a delicious feast for dinner last night for the expensive price of $2.30 AUD. Ouch! Wandered around, had my annoying shoulder bag fixed at the tailor for $3, then wandered into a bar to finish writing postcards and have a drink while I waited for the 9.30 mark. Started chatting to some charming, mad Irishmen, so 9.30 came and went, as did the rest of the evening. Mojitos were the drink of the eve, and made for a pleasant evening. Ben Thahm Market today - a lot of stuff, and a lot of stuff not very cheap!! Then on to the War Remnants Museum. Horrifying to see, but also shamelessly biased. No stories of the evils of the Viet Cong, just of the US. Doesn't excuse the actions of either of course. Headed to the Water Puppet Theatre to book tickets for tomorrow night, then made my way to the post office, via a department store, similar to Myer. Turns out I can't afford designer wear even in Vietnam. As I approached the post office, the rain started. Earlier than the nights before. So in a taxi I jumped. Have been hiding inside watching the rain fall and the streets flood. Evn in the higher road in the midle, the water was above ankle height. A lot of rain in a little time!!! Disocvered today that the mud in the middle of the park is created ever day by massive hoses flooding the grass with water. Not sure why they feel the need to water just now, but anyway. At least it wasn't raw sewerage!!

 

Sue and Bill arrive tomorrow afternoon, so will be busy in the morning doing the last of what I want to do, then heading out to the airport to collect the.

 

 

Off now for some early dinner and a drink.

 

Til later.

Simply Saigon

Frenetic, dirty, smelly, insane. As I imagined, but nowhere near how I'd imagined it to be. 8 million people in suburban Saigon. It's a hell of a lot. Traffic truly is nuts. Concern for safety non existant, it seems, til you cross the road at peak hour, and make it to the other side alive. Grant tells me that to kill a person in an mva would pretty well be life/death penalty. So, pedestrian and cyclist really do co-exist with bikes, bikes, bikes, cars, buses. Helmets are compulsory, mostly obeyed. Children under 13 don't have to wear them. Families, entire families, travel on one bike. Some wear face masks, some don't.

 

Had dinner last night fairly soon after arriving, I was ravenous. Then harrassed til bloody midnight about needing to eat again. If you live a late start, end day late life, you eat twice. Until Wednesday, suits me fine. Then Sue and Bill will be here and will want to start early, so things will change!

 

My hotel room faces Bui Vien St, pretty much the busiest street in Saigon. Stuck ear plugs in last night and eye mask on, slept from midnight to 9.30!!

 

Went to the Reunification/Independence Palace today. Were told was lucky to have got there then, not later, as was closing at 3.00 because the President of India was coming to visit the President of Vietnam there. A few people in our group harrassed the tour guide to say why - he had no idea!! He told us, "I don't care. I care about working to earn money to look after my family. That is all." Shut them up!! hehe. Made my way back slowly, and wandered into a park I'd seen earlier. Bought an icecream and bottle of water, and was going to go sit on the grass to eat/drink/chill. Wandered over the grass, halfway across realised that it wasn't solid ground under the grass the whole way, it was MUD in the middle. So I was mid calf deep in mud. Went to sit on a park bench instead, and had a whole little laughing conversation with the man over the path, who himself had one leg and one arm only. He thought the mud on my legs, and my "oh well" gestures were the funniest thing ever!!

 

I have some photos I want to upload but the usb ports here a bit dicky, so can't. Later.

 

Well, it's time for me to go have something to drink and a small dinner before later dinner. Weather isn't horrendous here. Thunderstorm and rain yesterday, but not muggy last night, or overly warm. I turned air con off in the night as was too cold. Today was pleasant, slightly sticky, but really, not bad.

Lost on a one way cable car!

My early afternoon arrival to Singapore was the start to a cruisy 24 hours. After heading to the dead centre of Chinatown and checking in to hostel, I was directed to Sentosa. I decided to get the cable car there, two birds with one stone... Silly me~ As the bloody thing took off at a great pace, I was reminded of my fear of heights and fear of falling from a great height!!! Over it went! In no time at all, were there and the "now what" began.A tourist attraction created for the sheer purpose of being so, not being so because it naturally is. However, I got over it! Wandered around, absorbed, caught the bus to a beach, can't remember the name now, had a drink, watched the sun set, walked over the suspension bridge to the little island that is the southernmost point of continental Asia. Prima facie weird, given it was an island off an island off an island, but yeah, logically could be true! hehe. Headed back to the cable car about 8.30, hopped in and promptly started chatting to the other people in there. Landed at the station, but was told by the others that it wasn't where I was getting off... So off the cable car went, suddenly, I'm suspended up high, realising that I'm sure that is where I'm meant to get off... So we get to the next station, off they get, still telling me that it is where I'd have hopped on... I was so friggin confused! Yes, I was lost on a one way cable car, heaven help me!! So I stayed on, zoomed across the sky then all on my own! Jeepers!! Made it back, got off, and sure enough was at the right place.. Phew! I genuinely had no idea there was more than two stops - Harbourfront and Sentosa.So back I headed, through a giant city that just doesn't stop, dodged being bailed up too many times in Chinatown, then home to bed. Much needed sleep!

Sunday I slept in, headed down to Little India, then returned, picked up my bag and off to the airport I went in a cloud of smoke. Quick and painfree flight to Saigon, well handled indeed given that we zipped through 4 thunderstorms. Lovely scenic flight in over the Mekong too.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/goldilocks85/sets/72157610077341978/