Hanoi - Cruising Ha Long Bay

We were going to be so intrepid and clever. Tash got a location for our hotel from the net, and we took the incredibly cheap public bus from the airport into town. Once at the bus station we walked to where we thought the hotel was, and proceeded to wander around embassies and guard posts. We eventually admitted defeat and got a Taxi to avoid the tropical downpour, still expecting a very short trip. The driver then drove us from near Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum into the old town, quite a long way. Whoever posted that map got it very, very wrong. To add insult to injury, we got a dodgey taxi with a rocketing meter!

Hanoi old town is a grid of small streets. It feels quite enclosed and was oppressively hot. Its definitely the hottest place so far. We took in the green and tranquil Literature Temple and the lake in the centre of town.

The main order of business was to find a tour operator for Halong Bay that we could trust. We decided on Vega Travel, it had good reviews and the price was a reasonable. So after breakfast we readied ourselves. 7:45 became 8:15, became 8:35. The hotel manager made a call and it seems they had forgotten us! Luckily we had a day up our sleeves. So we saw Ho Chi Minh in his Mausoluem (he gets 3 months embalming work done in Moscow every year!).

Halong Bay is an utterly gorgeous part of the world. There is a very good reason its FULL of wooden tour boats! They are everywhere. Why would you not want to visit? Our first stop was a massive cave caused by water erosion, giving the roof a beautiful wavy look. It was well lit and everything was given a name (an active imagination comes in handy). That night, before we ate very well and slept on the boat, a rain storm swept in and everyone on board took advantage by jumping and diving off the boat.

The next day we did a trek across Cat Ba Island, through the dense rainforest that covers it. Everyone agreed it was a difficult walk, but really rewarding. Tash and I both enjoyed getting wet and muddy. More swimming and kayaking finished the day. We had seafood for dinner (impossible not to!?). The final day had us cruising slowly to the bus back to Hanoi. Tonight the train will take us to Sapa.