Vietnam. We flew into Hanoi airport where we were met by a man who drove us to our first hotel; The Ritz! We use the word drive liberally as he used his horn every 4 seconds. Everytime he came close to a car, overtook, came to a junction or heard someone else do it. We soon came to realise that this was the norm of Vietnam. The accommodation in Vietnam is outstanding, you can get a large room with 2 double beds, ensuite (with hot water!), air conditioning, satellite television and fridge for 3 pounds. Bargain!
Hanoi is a crazy place. There are over 1.5 million motorbikes and only 3.5 million people, we had a great time here just sitting watching the traffic, especially at cross roads. Crossing the road was a mission in itself. In England we help old ladies cross the road, here the old ladies help us to cross the road! The trick is to keep going in the same direction without hesitation and the hundreds of mopeds will swerve past you. We celebrated every time we made it. The other great thing about Hanoi is that in the local bars they sell beer that is 6 pence a glass. Not only does it taste good, but it is fresh beer (preservative free) so you don’t get a hangover.
Our first excursion in Vietnam was to Halong Bay. This is an area with four thousand limestone islands/rocks, perfect for cruising on board a luxury junk boat. We had a 3 day, 2 night trip, around the bay where we ventured into caves, had a rescue mission on a kayak (a sinking one) and listened to Boney M (they love them over here) and Jonty ate his way through as much seafood as was put in front of him. We really enjoyed the relaxing trip, the views were lovely.
After Halong Bay we went to Hue on the night bus (dreadful). Hue is the ancient capital of Vietnam and has a citadel as its centre. We spent one day there and did a tour on the back of motorbikes, this was a buzz. The area had recently been hit by a typhoon which made for a wet ride. We were able to go inside a pagoda and see some monks praying and singing, they later went on to play a game of football!
We then travelled onto Hoi An. A delightful town with small streets and cafes. It had a very local feel despite the millions of tailors and cobblers. We checked into a hotel with a pool and enjoyed some sun-our first in Vietnam. We then went wandering and took advantage of the opportunity to have some clothes made. Hoi An is famous for its tailors and so Jonty ended up with a snazzy new 3 piece suit and shoes and Lou opted to have some boots made and a stylish duffel coat (yes they can be stylish!). All for a ridiculous price. The whole experience was good fun, the process ended with us enquiring about how to post our goodies back to the UK at our hotel. We thought the post office may be closed on a Saturday, but the hotel owner offered to phone and 5 minutes later a post office arrived at our hotel. (A lady on the back of a moped, with box, tape, scales and the necessary forms.) This was the easiest postage we’ve had. Let’s hope it gets back okay, she did drive off with it balancing precariously on the back of the bike.
We then had to catch another nightbus, hopefully our last…ever, to Nha Trang.
