Hanoi round two – otherwise known as the time I sat twiddling my thumbs and cursing travel insurance companies as well as cheap airlines…

Sunday 23^rd August 2015

I spent the morning lounging in bed between breakfast and catching the bus. The return journey to Hanoi was much the same but third time was busier and we picked up a ton of locals.

In Hanoi the hostel we wanted to stay at was full and so we had to go elsewhere. We showered and had a bit of food while we waited for the others who didn’t arrive until 10.30pm by which time I was ready for bed but the ac was broken and the room was cooking. After several complaints we ended up in private rooms which was a win!

Monday 24^th August 2015

We got up and had breakfast which was disgusting just like the staff! Not wanting to stay another night we walked to the hostel we stayed in previously and sorted out beds then went back checked out and got our bags.

By the time everyone was in one place and checked in it was about 2pm we went for food and fruit shakes and took a walk around the lake. We sat talking to some students for about an hour as they wanted to improve their English.

Come evening we had one last dinner together and then everyone went out but I went to bed.

Tuesday 25^th August 2015

I got up early to have breakfast with and say goodbye to some more peeps after which I went back to bed. I managed to sleep a little more and when I woke up I spent a stressful morning buying a new flight.

Once that was sorted and I had got ready for the day I went for food and a smoothie and a walk around the lake with some  folks (pretty much the same as yesterday) before sitting sorting out a hostel for KL as well as banking and yet more paperwork for insurance

In the evening a bunch of us went to dinner at a local place and I had an amazing grilled eggplant dish. Once we had eaten we went and chilled in a beautiful little spot called the lantern lounge with seating on the floor and lots of lanterns.

At about 11pm and the boys continued on and I walked back to the hostel and into my bed.

Wednesday 26th August 2015

 Last night I slept horrifically mostly due to three young English girls who have been travelling for four weeks and think they are world wise before they even woke me up they annoyed me with their selfish childish behaviour and when they came back at 3am with a guy in tow turned on all the lights and proceeded to shriek about their night as well as take selfies in their underwear I had enough. Thank goodness they left.

I  got up and a group of us had breakfast and then I went back to bed for a while before getting up to shower and go to a bakery for cake. After cake we said farewell to more of the gang and went and had a cheap lunch and a fruit shake. Back at the hostel it was hot and there was nothing to do so we went to the cinema.

We came out several hours later went to get some dinner during which it started to pour with rain so we had to hang out for a while and wait for it to pass.

Back at the hostel I watched a movie in bed.

Thursday 27th August 2015

I got up and ready to see some sights this morning but it didn’t turn out well. I started off by walking to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Considering the man wanted to have a simple cremation the mausoleum eems a bit ridiculous it’s a huge concrete structure (once voted the 6^th ugliest building in the world in a CNN poll) inside uncle Hos embalmed body lies for eternity. It’s supposed to be open until 11am but when I got there at 10.45am it was already closed. There were heaps of workmen around building temporary structures and cutting the already perfectly manicured grass as its independence day soon I can only assume the surly closure and work is for that.

Next I wanted to see the presidential palace but it proved very difficult to find in my search I found the Ho Chi Minh museum which closed at 12pm for a two hour lunch leaving me 30mins to walk around but on the plus side I got in for free as they overlooked selling me the ticket in their rush to get me inside.

At 12pm I resumed my search for the palace and found out it was closed for the rest of the day so my plans to sight see were scrapped.

I walked back towards the hotel and got a fruit shake and some street food before heading back to the hostel to sit around and twiddle my thumbs in the ac.

In the evening me and another guy walked along to the lantern lounge where we hung out a few nights ago they have a veggie menu which was grand and it’s a cool place to hang out. We got back to the hostel and I wanted to go to bed but two guys in my room had invited about 15 others to drink in there eventually they left but disturbed everyone (in the sense of disturbed sleep as well as mentally disturbed) by coming back and having loud sloppy fake sounding amateur porn sex at about 4am.

Friday 28^th August 2015

Today was my last day in Hanoi so I made the effort to see something and went to the Hoa Lo Prison museum. In typical Vietnamese fashion it was closed from 11.30am- 1.30pm so before I went I got a fruit shake and headed to the post office to post a bunch of scribbles.

It was first used by the French to hold revolutionaries who were beaten, tortured and starved. The place was a tad contradictory first claiming to be one of the more secure facilities of its time and then telling stories of many escapees.

Later during the Vietnam War the prison was used to hold American fighter pilots shot down and arrested. In comparison to how the Vietnamese inmates were treated it sounded as though the Americans were at a summer camp and the many pictures showed the many freedoms they were allowed.

I came out of the museum feeling hungry and hot so I got a snack and then went back to the hostel and ended up chatting with a bunch of people. I left to pack my bag ad when I came back everyone was absolutely wasted which was rather amusing.

Since it was the weekend the streets were closed and the night market was happening. I walked about and watched some Vietnamese dancing and several choirs all strutting their stuff on a small stage set up on the corner. Then I had my last dinner in Vietnam and a chilled evening chatting and saying farewell to new friends

Cat Ba Island and Lan Ha Bay- doing Halong Bay for half the price and tourists!!

Thursday 20^th August 2015

We didn’t have to wake up early this morning but since I haven’t slept much since I broke my arm I was awake. I got dressed and lingered a little too long over breakfast meaning packing was a rush.

By the time we had all checked out the taxi was waiting for us so we piled in with all our bags and made our way to the bus station. We tried unsuccessfully to sell our extra ticket (but got almost half of the money back from the conductor on the bus!)

The bus ride was ok taking about four hours but we did have to change buses once not that we were told and bags almost ended up returning to Hanoi without their owners! From the bus we got a 30min ferry and then another bus to Cat Ba Town.

In town we had a late lunch and the found a hostel and went to the beach we got there in time for sunset which was pretty beautiful. We returned to the hostel and showered before finding a place to eat I had pizza as I felt like I needed something big and it did the trick. Back at the hostel I pretty much just headed to bed.

sunset!

the beach!

Pizza dinner!

Friday 21^st August 2015

We needed to be up early for our boat trip today but that wasn’t a problem as I no longer seem to sleep. We had breakfast and then at 8am walked to the jetty and got on the boat. It was the prettiest boat on the water, painted white with beautiful furniture which made us happy.

We started off by sailing through Lan Ha Bay which is the smaller less touristy version of Halong Bay but has the same limestone rock formations which are so iconic to Halong Bay. The boat cruised at a steady pace for a few hours before stopping so everyone could kayak through some caves. Of course I couldn’t get off the boat and so I sunbathed and took photos from the top deck.

About an hour later everyone came back and we had lunch on board. The vegetarian selection left a bit to be desired and although ok tasting there just wasn’t enough (except for rice we had enough plain white rice to feed a village)

Once we had eaten we drove again to a swimming spot where a few guys tried snorkelling but the visibility was shit of course I was still stuck on the boat. Thankfully on Monkey Island I could go down on the beach which was beautiful I sat in the water with my arm above my head.

Back on the boat it was home time. We had been on the water since 8am and by 5pm we all felt hot sticky and hungry after showers it was food shortly followed by bed

Saturday 22^nd August 2015

After yet another bad sleep I was up and ready for the day early I had breakfast and we said goodbye to a couple of the group who needed to head back to Hanoi and then sat around all morning relaxing.

In the afternoon we walked to the beach. There are three and we were told the second one was were it’s at so we set up camp there under an umbrella. It was scorching so I sat in the sea a while but the current was knocking me about and it was hard to keep my arm up so I got out.

We hadn’t been sat for long when this terrible music came blaring out from the speakers behind us we couldn’t even talk to each other and it was defiantly ruining the peaceful relaxed vibe we were searching for. Thankfully pouting gets you everywhere and we were moved to the third beach which was music free and was far prettier anyway! We got some food and chilled out for a few hours.

In the evening we walked up to cannon fort to watch the sunset it was cool exploring the fort and the views were pretty stunning.

Hanoi

Tuesday 18^th August 2015

I got up at 6am this morning feeling exhausted and threw o some clothes and headed for the bus. All I wanted to do was sleep but I was sat next to a very chatty girl. The conversation was great but all I wanted was sleep. We arrived in Hanoi at the My Dinh bus station which is ages from anywhere. The taxi was expensive and wasn’t a great welcome to the city.

I arrived at the hostel and checked in before making my way to the hospital which was ages away. Annoyingly I had to wait an hour to see the Dr who promptly told me it was fine no surgery needed. He changed the cast to a fibreglass one and gave me a real sling which is much more comfortable than a piece of string. And it was all billed to insurance.

Back at the hostel after yet another taxi ride I spent the afternoon chatting with people in the lounge and trying to stay awake later on I met a bunch of people from my room and we all went and had a meal together at an Indian place.

Wednesday 19^th August 2015

I got up feeling frustrated with my arm which makes me so slow. I had to sort out my insurance claim and try and change a flight but it was all going nowhere and getting me down so I went off to spend the day sightseeing.

There were eight pf us on bikes but we didn’t really see much as everywhere seemed to be closed. I did find an organic shop that has farm projects over Vietnam and spent some time talking to the woman who worked there. We went to a temple of literature but it was so hot and my arm hurt so much I didn’t really take much in.

After lunch which I didn’t eat and a delicious mango shake that I did drink we drove about getting lost in pursuit of the bus station which we eventually found and booked tickets to Cat Ba Island which is in Halong Bay.

On the way back to return the bikes we got lost again and took a huge detour across two bridges which was pretty beautiful. Once the bikes were back I headed to the post office to post my insurance documents and the later we all had dinner together.