I arrived in Hanoi after a 23 hour bus journey which was not nearly as bad as i expected! Managed to get two seats and curl up for a couple of hours. We passed through the border around 7am then arrived in Hanoi in the evening. Haoi is a crazy city, even more so than Bangkok with so many motorbikes its uneral and they all feel a constant need to honk! To cross the road you have to just walk out and hope they swerve because there are no points for them to stop! Had met a few people on the bus, and we went down to a pizza restauraunt for dinner after withdrawing 2 million dong each (the local currency, 2 million dong is the equivelent of about 80 pounds!) Had some great food and went for a wander around the lake in the centre. We are staying in the old quarter and it is very big with all the streets looking pretty much the same! Shared a room with a guy, Sam from Wales and Sarah and Cora from Ireland. The next day Sam and I went exploring in the city. Had a lovely breakfast on the roof of a big building overlooking the lake, then exploed a temple in the middle of the lake, which was buddhist and looked just like Japan! Ưe had a cyclo ride round the town for an hour by a guy who was 50! ( sitting in a seat in front ò a bicycle whilst he peddaled) In the afternoon, we went to Hoa Lo prison. The prrison was built by the French whilst Vietnam was part of their colony to keep Vietnamese communists in but used during the war to hold American POWs. The museum in the prison focuses on the brutality of the French and presents the life of the Americans as luxury, giving it the nickname the Hanoi hilton, but US senator John McCain when he was a pilot was held there and can longer raise his arms abocve his shoulders due to the torture! The museum was really interesting after reading so much literature from the south Vietnam/American perspectives to see the other side! went to a càe for an iced cofee and met a great scottish woman who was living out hể, and spent a couple ò hours tsalking to hêr. After dinner in a local place we met the Irish girls and went to a Water Puppet theatre. The show was brilliant, costing less than one pound fifty and lasting an hour and a half, with traditional Vietnamese musicians playing during 17 acts and the puuppets were brillaint and very funny! We all went for some Bia Habnoi after that. The next morning, Sam and I got picked up and after 4 hopurs on the bus when we met two nice Canadians we arrived at Ha Long City. The harbour was manic full of 'junk' boats that looked like they could be in pirates of the Carrbean. Our boat was really nice3, and outr guide was called b4. We had lunch on the boat then sailed through Halong bay and some of the 1600 islands. The views were stunning and we sat on the top of the boat in awe of natures wonders. We cruised for a couple of hours, checked into our lovely rooms and played cards. we stopped to check out a masive cave that ứa lit up and âmzing! spent an hour walking round in thêre. At half 6 we arrived at the spot for the night and got into kayaks. We kayaked around the caves and the islands as the sun set and it was stunning! Ưe had dinner on the boat then some beer and cảds. The Vietnamese on bỏad got vẻy drunjk, and b4 was sick over the side then caried in! Ưe ưoke up at 6am and straight into sưimwear ưe climbed to the top ò the boat and jumped straight in! The water was so warm and was such a great feeling! we had breakfast on the boat then sailed into Cat Ba island, the biggest one. The four òf ús joined up ưith two americans adn a guide and đi a tưo hour walk up a hill but the views from the top ưere spectacular! Thể were wild monkeys on the ílsland but we đint sê any âprt from in cages. we got the bú to a lovely hotel for lunch then the four ò ú hit the beach. It was pẩradise, the water so warm ílands all ảound! At about 4pm the ásian tourists tủned up by the búsload, so we went for a walk ảound the tơwn. met some cute children that all wanted to shake our hands and say hello, and ásk how old we were! we had dinner at the hotel then went to a local place for the cheapest beer, about 8 pence a pint and played cards. Had a great night and slept well. Thí mỏning ưe had brekkie at the hotel then got abus to the other side òf the ísland (it broke dơwn 3 times!). we got the boat back to Ha Long City for lunch and sunbathed all the way meaning that the bú back from Ha Long city was spent comparing sunburn! The trip ứa absolutely âmzing and including all food, accomodation and tránport and everything for 3 days was only 35 pounds! cant beat that value! Back in Hanoi, Sam and I had dinner at a pizza bufet place. All the fresh seafood on the trip meant we nêded some grease! In the hotel alone nơ á Sam, John and Caterin ảe of to Sapa tonight. Vietnam sếm to be an âmzing place, cheap, beautiful and ưith an ẽciting hístory to ẽxplore. (no idea hơ to change the writing and lót my glasses overboard so bad typing!)