Hanoi
New week, new state, 07/11/2004 we landed in
Vietnam. At the airport we received a warm moist and sticky climate, too good! It was time to put the sweat in the bottom of the backpack.
Our idea was to spend the first night at the airport, since we arrived around 23:00; idea that is now vanished because airport police, who told us that by night half of the airport is closed. We then placed our trust on a couple of rampant bogus taxi drivers just leaving their passeners in that moment. At the end the choice was forced, we agree to a price of 6 U.S. dollars to reach the centre of
Hanoi (35 km). Our friend taxi driver has also procured the hotel at a price more than reasonable: 8 euros for a room for three persons, including breakfast, thousands of red iperactive ants that crowded bathroom and behind the belief a nice jecko (maybe literally not it, but that kind of suction cup legs lizard). Despite our attempts to not pay accommodation, it has proved adequate to our needs.
The day after is devoted to sightseeing: surprising, frighteningly frantic, with millions of crazy motorbikes that fill the streets (incredible how many are everywhere!) And they always play the horn apparently without reason. Hard to explain in words the situation that we found ourselves in front of: one thing is certain, a city completely different from those visited so far, with houses for the most part poorly made, drainage systems at the open-air, with restaurants camped in sidewalks The feeling is that it is definitely a developing country. But see, see, see it! And if you have not understood it see it again!
In late morning we gave rapid view at usual pagoda, and the rest of the day we dedicated to visit the classic neighborhoods citizens, events in markets and shops of all kinds. Back at the hotel not too late, we organized together with Bho (the owner) an excursion of three days in Halong Bay. We also bought the bus tickets that will take us to travel all over
Vietnam, to Ho Chi Minh.
Ha long bay
Obviously waking up early in the morning (seven o'clock) we started our excursion to Halong Bay. The bus has recovered outside the hotel along with other 13 competitors: Australians, Spanish' and two pairs of Singapore's ones. Including one guide service (named Moon), friendly and with a fervent imagination, like all good entertainers invited us to intone some songs to cheer our path: what a boring thing!
To reach the port of Halong City we were able to admire the classic scenarios of this country suggested us by countless films (see Platoon, Apocalypse Now and various others locate there). Banana and rice plantations as the eye can see where tireless workers, assisted by giant horses equally dedicated to their job, are moving immersed in the swamp to retrieve the harvest. After three hours of bus waiting for us to embark in our ship (one characteristic motored caravel with a dragon head at the bow and an old stinky engine at stern) for a visit to the bay. After the boarding operations we did route to the three thousand islands that make up the same name bay. The scenario has not disappointed expectations, from a calm sea and magically sprout dish these huge rock formations covered by a luxuriant vegetation is almost entirely uninhabited. Better than a movie... after our first meal on board we visited a cave that, as Moon (our guide) told us, had to be intact and wild, but our sight was the first and fortunately only disappointment of the travel. The ceiling seemed to be the result of a mediocre work of spatula and cement, countless artificial lights, more appropriate for a pub than a cave in the middle of the sea, and finally rocks to which Moon tried desperately to find a form of animal life (who knows why?).
Leaving the cave we moved in a quiet corner of the bay, a postcard from what was beautiful, where we could splash and refresh our weary limbs. With dinner consumed in mid-afternoon we spent the evening to admire the stars in total darkness offered by the natural scenery, with Jose (a chemist) and Puerto (a globetrotter like us).
Two-time chats and then everyone below deck... obviously our room was located just above the engine, so close that vibracall effect was included in the price.
The following day, woke up at six we immediately directed towards the island of Cat ba (the largest of the bay). Check-in at the hotel and excursion to the island natural reserve consisting in two good hours of trek needed to reach the top of the mountain. Free afternoon that we entirely devoted to the beach and sea, although not very high level but that gave us an appetizer of what will be our future.
The day following was dedicated to return to
Hanoi, firstly by boat and the after with the usual bus. On arrival at destination there was time for a relaxing shower, the preparation of new backpacks and boarding with destination Hue, or fourteen hour bus spun...