Wednesday 25 September 2013

Halong Bay- Same Same but Different

So as mentioned in the last blog, we opted to travel back up to Halong Bay and chance the weather. The first part of the day was Déjà Vu. Same 8am pick-up, same bus, same guide (hi again Tim Tam) and same tacky pottery shop (why we have now been to this shop so many times and taken on photos I'm not sure). Once again, we reached Halong Harbour and had a nervous wait to see if we could get on the boat. We got high fives and copious handshakes from Tim Tam when the news arrived that the boat was ready to go. Embarking, we breathed a sigh of relief. 

We checked into our cabins, had some lunch and sailed around the bay, passing by some amazing scenery. Halong Bay has over 1760 individual islands which emerge from the water.


After relaxing on the top deck and cruising for a while, we went to our first stop, Surprising Cave. 


Similar to the cave we visited in Yangshuo (except larger) it had some cool rock formations, one of which could be interpreted as a pointing finger or potentially as something else....



After the caves, we visited Titop Beach which was alright although packed and very touristy. 


I lazed on the sand and in the sea, while Rob enjoyed a few games of football with the locals and some of the other guys from the tour. After an hour or so spent here, we headed back to the boat. Tim Tam was very concerned that we didn't bring any sand back to the point that he started to wash my legs for me which was quite an odd experience. After finally being clean enough, we headed back to the boat and prepared for the evenings activities.

We had fruit and red wine on the top deck and then we went down for dinner which was really good. After this, we indulged in a few beers and some cocktails with the group which went down a treat.


We rose early the next morning (although we still managed to miss breakfast) and made our way to the smaller boat which would transfer us to a private island off one of the larger Islands, Càt Bá. Mid point in this journey the boat anchored and we were given the opportunity to jump from the top deck which was really fun! Rob isn't a very strong swimmer (he couldn't swim at all but had a few lessons before Asia) so he sat this one out.


After making the jump a few times (the hardest part was getting back onto the boat and I can't say I did this very gracefully) we continued the journey to the island and upon approach were amazed at the tranquility and appearance of the island which was tiny and housed only about 10 small beach bungalows, our home for the evening.


There was a social area on the island with a restaurant and games facilities so after a quick lunch, we settled into our bungalows and of course hit the beach for a swim (and a bit of a practice for Rob).


After lunch, we rather stupidly decided to try kayaking to one of the small completely isolated beaches a short distance away from our island, and it all went a bit pear-shaped. It was going well until the wake of a boat tipped us from our kayak into the deep water, thankfully we had been smart enough to put on life jackets. To top it off, the kayak had a small hole in the base so started to sink when water came into it. We were unable to get back into the boat and had to wait for assistance which thankfully came in the form of Gael, one of the guys in our group. He dragged Rob on the back of his kayak to a nearby rock (reaching the rock he soon realised it was purely made out of sharp shells which have left Rob with a few war wounds) to sit it out, while I stayed in the water, and then went and got a speed boat to come and rescue us both. Rather dramatic all in all but thankfully my phone was in its waterproof case so I could capture the events unfolding.....

The beginning of the kayak ride- still in good spirits

Rob on the rock waiting to be rescued

After the ordeal

Gael 'The Rescuer'

When we finally made it back to the beach, we barely had chance to catch our breath before being told we were to take part in a beach tournament with a large party of local people who were there to celebrate the end of the summer season. We participated in the tug of war event which got insanely competitive and I ended up flat on my face in the sand...


We also witnessed a very good game of Volleyball (during which Tim Tam was going mental on a pair of cymbals) and a kayak race (of course, we didn't participate in that). We had a few games of pool and table tennis with the same group (got absolutely rinsed mostly) before preparing for dinner. I also got to play the craziest drum...


We were pleasantly surprised that we were invited to have dinner and drinks with the Vietnamese people and it was really nice to have the opportunity to be a part of their party and enjoy their amazing hospitality. Firstly, we watched their prize giving ceremony which was hosted by the chairperson of the company they all worked for. Strangely they were awarded flowers and huge wrapped boxes which they then had to give back so they could then be presented to the next group of award winners.

E

After the ceremony, there was an amazingly presented buffet with all types of meats, fish, salads, spring rolls, bread, pastries and fruit. We ate like Kings and were given free bia hoi (draft beer). Couldn't really have asked for more...


After dinner, the party really kicked in and the music started blasting. There were some party games which were somewhat interesting. In the first, the girls wore an apple around their neck and the guys had to eat it without touching it (according to Tim Tam, the fun is that is is 'NEAR THEIR BREASTS'). I. The second, Rob was invited to play and he had to tie an aubergine around his waist and do squats to put a candle out with it....


It was hilarious but he was terrible and came well behind the local seasoned pros. He did still get some flowers though (to give back later of course). At this point, we decided to call it a night (can't keep up with the Vietnamese party animals) and bidding farewell to our new friends, headed to the peace of our bungalow.

The next morning, we sadly said goodbye to our island paradise, and got back onto the boat to bring us back to Halong Harbour. Another four-hour bus ride and a stop at the pottery shop later, we reached Hanoi. Tim Tam seemed most disappointed we were going...

 
We had last night in Hanoi and we're currently on the plane to Saigon due to land in about an hours time. Halong Bay was definitely worth the effort it took to get there, and we actually hit really lucky as Typhoon Usagi is on its way to the area so boats have been suspended again. 

That's all up to date now so we'll update again in a few days to let you know how we get on in Ho Chi Minh City. 

Halong Bay: There and back again.....

So where we left off we were on the train back from Sa Pa and thankfully managed to sleep much better than we did on the way there. We arrived back in Hanoi at the ungodly hour of 4.45am and were awoken by the sound of pounding on the door and shouts of 'Hanoi, Hanoi'. We had clearly slept in which we realised when we noticed that everyone else had already vacated the train!! We went to meet our transfer back to the hostel but realised that they had left without us so we were at the mercy of the taxi drivers of Hanoi. Luckily everything got sorted and we even got reimbursed for the ride.

Crime in Vietnam is rife and as I exited the taxi, the driver came to assist me. I thought this was nice, until I noticed his hand halfway into my bag. When I shouted at him he didn't even have the courtesy to look guilty....he pulled a 'you win some, you lose some' gesture and hopped back into the cab driving off at a leisurely pace. After a quick nap at the hostel (sorely needed) we headed back out into the old quarter.

First stop, I picked up my dress from the tailor which turned out perfectly! I'm really pleased with it! 


Secondly, I headed for a famous Vietnamese massage which was cool. They don't go easy on your muscles which was great following Sa Pa and I did get a momentary surprise when she hopped up on the table and stood on my back for a little wander....

We had some post Sa Pa relaxation in the Old Quarter and headed out to New Day restaurant which is a traditional Vietnamese restaurant on Ma May. We enjoyed some floor cuisine on cushions and a low table which was cool...


After an early night after our hideously early morning, we fell asleep ready to depart for Halong Bay the next morning. Unfortunately, when you're in a dorm you can never guarantee a good night's sleep especially in a 12-bed room and we were rudely awoken at 3am by the most obnoxious man in the world. Less said on that the better.

The next morning, we headed out for a trip to Halong Bay which we had booked a few days earlier through a local travel guide- Adventure Indochina Travel (10 Ma May- would definitely recommend!!). We boarded the bus at 8, excited to get out to a coastal area and have a few days of relaxation,which would be our first day on the beach so far. To break up the four hour drive we stopped at a 'cafe' which also happened to sell the tackiest collection of pottery on the planet. Some of the vases were 2m high and were covered in a variety of vile patterns...

Continuing the journey, we arrived at Halong Harbour expecting to get on the boat. Unfortunately, when we arrived it was to a state of chaos, as a typhoon was forecast for later in the day and all boat trips were on hold until they had assessed the situation. We were told to wait until 1pm, and then this was put back until 3pm. Rather than wait at the harbour we were 'treated' to a dubious lunch in a nearby restaurant. 

At 3pm it was announced that all boat trips were off so we were to catch the bus back to Hanoi. Disappointed but acknowledging that it couldn't be helped we headed back to the bus. 20 minutes along the road back to Hanoi, there was a sudden revelation that we could go after all (resulting in our tour guide Tim Tam jumping in the air)! The bus turned around and we arrived back to the harbour shortly before 5pm. The drama continued when our captain went missing and just before he turned up, the harbour closed and no more boats were allowed to leave. The demeanour of Tim Tam changed drastically and to cut a long story short, we ended up back on the bus, back to the tacky pottery shop and finally reached Hanoi at 10.30pm after passing through multiple towns celebrating the lunar festival meaning 90% of the journey, we were stuck behind this....


Needless to say, this was us....


The reason we would still recommend our travel agent, is that the next morning we were offered a 100% refund (with a free lunch and transfer) or the option to transfer the tour to another day. Being optimistic, we opted for the latter and decided to spend 2 more days in Hanoi before heading up again on the Sunday for one last shot. 

We ended up having a lovely few days in Hanoi going shopping, to the cinema, for some good food (of course) and to the Ho Chi Minh Museum. The Ho Chi Minh museum was strange. His preserved body was on holiday to Russia so we couldn't see that but the museum itself was a combination of history and modern art?? Exhibits included....

His statue...


This....


And most bizarrely, this....


Any interpretations for us as we are clueless about art are welcome!

We also sorted out the rest of our time in Vietnam, and as we only have two months left, we decided to fly directly to Saigon to save time. 

Apart from that, our time was fairly uneventful but stay tuned to find out if our second trip to Halong Bay was at all successful....

Saturday 21 September 2013

The Sa Pa Shenanigans: Part Three

Day Four: Some more trekking

After an amazing nights sleep, we woke early to a huge pancake and coffee breakfast to set us up for the day ahead. Bidding goodbye to the family, and the three legged dog who was my new best pal, we set off for another day in the countryside. We could tell immediately that this would be a bit more difficult by the sweltering heat and the vertical climb which we began our day with. 

If anything though the scenery was even better than the day before...


The hills and the heat were at some points unbearable but we ploughed on to the top of the hill to reach the halfway point. Going downhill the terrain was different and I fell over multiple times where it seemed almost jungle like. We reached a bamboo grove and the shade meant that the mud hadn't dried out obviously resulting in me losing another shoe in the muddy puddles (a trainer this time). Having to trek the rest of the way with a wet foot wasn't the best! 


When we got to the other side of the grove, we were rewarded with the sight of a beautiful waterfall which made it all worthwhile...


Walking down past the waterfall, we reached the river and cooled off with a refreshing dip in the clear and freezing cold waters....


The Vietnamese children put us to shame with their ability to swim against even the strongest currents and their seemingly perfect balance when sprinting across rocks and diving in. We dried off on the flat rocks around the river and then walked another 20 minutes up a steep hill (I was nearly dying at this point) to reach a cafe for lunch from where a jeep would collect us to return us safely to Sa Pa.

After a well needed shower in the hotel, we headed into Sa Pa town to kill a few hours before getting the night train back to Hanoi. The town has some lovely shops and a large market which sells not so lovely things like this...


A couple of hours later, when we had finally regained our appetites after seeing the above! we went for a pizza (thought we deserved it after the amount of exercise we had done) and a couple of icy beers. We got on the bus back to Lo Cai and back to the restaurant from the first morning where we had spent two and a half glorious hours to wait for the train. 

Unfortunately, we had a momentary panic when our guide didn't have tickets for us, but eventually we made it onto the train and are now safely back in Hanoi! We would seriously recommend for anyone visiting Northern Vietnam to put Sa Pa on their itinerary as we had the best time there and the region is truly one of the best parts of the country.






The Sapa Shenanigans: Part Two

Day Three: The Trek Begins

The next morning, we were greeted by a delightful breakfast consisting of pancakes, banana and coffee and best of all- real bread! All bread in Asia tastes like sugar so it was great to have some which tasted savoury like European bread! We were very excited. 

Outside there were local people sitting there who were part of a different minority- the Black Hmong. Their outfits were completely different and they were very friendly when we walked past. 


We were waiting for our guide in the lobby, but for some reason, the plans had changed and we needed to meet her at an unknown destination. Apparently the only way to get down the hill was by motorbike. The owners of the hotel kindly offered to give us lifts and seemingly with no other choice, we hopped on the back of both motorbikes, fastened our helmets and clinged on. Bear in mind, this is a typical Vietnamese road....


...motorbikes clearly don't faze the Vietnamese. After our dramatic entrance we finally met our guide Lala and our trek began. Our trek group was made up of our guide Lala, two other tourists Llyris and Junko and some other members of the Black Hmong community. Lala was 18, 8 and a half months pregnant and still an amazing trekker. Very different attitudes towards pregnancy in Vietnam. 


The first part was a downhill trek along a country road overlooking the Sa Pa countryside which is spectacular. The walk was very easy to begin with. After coming off the road onto dirt tracks through the countryside, it became a bit more difficult to navigate mostly because of the rough and rocky terrain and you had to be careful when placing your feet. The view was worth the challenge though as it was the best scenery either of us have ever seen.


We were very lucky with the weather as it was warm but not hot and a little breezy. Thankfully it didn't rain the whole time we were there as it would be much more challenging if the ground was muddy.

A few bits of information:

There are quite a few children (aged about 5-10) selling bracelets as you pass various points. They are incredibly hard to say no to


The women who come with you help you in the harder parts but they do expect you to buy some handicrafts from them at the end


There are checkpoints at regular intervals where you can reenergise and stop for lunch 


Towards the end of the trekking, we hit a few specific places of interest which helped us understand local life a lot more. The first was a village where we saw local handicrafts being produced including weaving and pottery. We also saw a lot of farmers working in the fields as September is harvest time.


Making a substantial income seems to be challenging and there aren't a huge amount of opportunities for local people outside of traditional industries and tourism. Within the village, there were a number of local primary schools and education is free up to the age of 11. Rob has just qualified as a primary teacher so it was interesting for him to see the contrasts between schools in England and here which weren't as severe as you might expect. While the schools were more basic here, the fundamentals seemed to be the same for example lining up in the playground, the structure of lessons and the general appearance of a primary school with murals and artwork.



After trekking for about 10km all together and about 5 hours, we were pleased to reach our beds for the evening. We had opted to stay at a local family's home for the evening and lots of families do this as a way of subsidising their income and meeting tourists. These are called homestays and the houses are renovated to accommodate multiple guests. The houses are clean yet basic and the top floor is covered with mattresses which are the beds for guests. 


It was a really rewarding experience to spend time with the local family observing their natural routines. They made us a delicious dinner and we got to try their home brewed rice wine.


We also got to spend more time with Lala and find out about the local customs and traditions of the Black Hmong minority and learn about her life. She got married last year so we got to hear about a Hmong wedding. The rice wine we tried is apparently consumed in much larger quantities at weddings - sometimes reaching the astronomical figure of 80L per family. Needless to say, they always have a very good time.

We also got to meet this guy who was super cute....


We had a very early night after our busy day and prepared for the next day of trekking.....











The Sa Pa Shenanigans

Hi all,

We're back in Hanoi again after a busy few days in Sa Pa and a very unsuccessful trip to Halong Bay (you'll have to wait for the next blog for info on that). Sa Pa was unreal and one of our favourite places so far. We booked a tour through Hanoi Backpackers hostel and were very pleased. The itinerary went something like this:

Day One: Night train to Lo Cai

We all set off from the hostel towards the train station at about 8pm. We had to transfer vouchers into tickets and this was a long and drawn out process (usual for Vietnam we're finding). Eventually, we were granted permission to board the train and we were pleasantly surprised by the high standard on board. The cabin was 4-bed with a locking door so much more secure than Chinese night trains.

Day Two: Bac Ha Market

After I managed a full 20 minutes of sleep on the incredibly bumpy train (Rob somehow managed to sleep like a baby) we disembarked at the uncivilised hour of 5.15am. We were escorted to a local restaurant and informed our guide would meet us there at 8.30am. After some pancakes and a shower in the upstairs guesthouse, we felt slightly more human. 

The time eventually came, and we got on the minibus which would take us to Bac Ha market. When we arrived we were greeted by the local minority people - the Flower Hmong.


The Flower Hmong are one of five local minority groups and we encountered most of these during our time in Sa Pa. Each of their outfits are distinct from each other and each have their own language and customs. We walked through the market and saw buffaloes, horses, ladies selling bags and various other things. It was super interesting and not like any other market.


After a quick bite to eat, we got back on the bus and drove a short distance down the road to a nearby farm. The farmhouse was very basic inside and the walls were made of mud. Apparently, this was a wealthy family by local standards which made us question how poorer people must live. We saw how rice wine is made and got to sample this local 'delicacy'. 


After leaving the farmhouse, we walked 'the local way' back to the minibus i.e along a ridiculously narrow ledge through a rice paddy past other local farms. Needless to say, this did not go smoothly. As I hadn't been expecting to be walking through rice paddies until the next day, I was wearing flip-flops. When standing in one particularly squelchy patch, my flip flop broke meaning I had to walk the rest of the way (across buffalo dung fertiliser!!!) in bare feet. Nice. 


When reaching the other side, this was the result....


And the only place to wash my feet was in the pig trough....


It was pretty fun though and it was cool to see how local Vietnamese people live. Getting back to the bus, we drove for another hour to the Vietnamese/Chinese border. Basically, the two are separated by a river and we stood on the Vietnamese side and could see China on the other side (not so much of a novelty for us). We could see traders with laden bicycles and rickshaws crossing between the two and could see numerous police patrolling the crossing.


After another long (and very bumpy) bus ride we finally arrived in Sa Pa town and checked into our hotel. The town is on a huge hill and driving up we saw loads of shops, restaurants and hotels which were very picturesque. Our hotel, Fansipan View, was great. It was ran by a family and they were super helpful and friendly. The food at the restaurant was great and very traditional. When chatting to my mum on FaceTime in the lobby, one of the girls, Hien, insisted on talking to her which was funny.

To be continued....