In the morning, I packed up my bungalow and enjoyed a huge buffet breakfast once again on the patio above. Fresh pancakes, made to order omelettes and fruit lined the bar. We watched the transporter boat approaching the island and the hotel host yelled from the beach that it was time to go. The boat collided with the shore and we all raced out to climb the plank back onboard. We cruised around the bay, passing a little village on the water as we made our way bac...

I woke in the morning to a knock on my door, "Julie! Time for breakfast!" Binh yelled behind the door. Once I opened the door, the hot air hit my face. Having the air blasting in my room, the warm air in the hallway was a bit of a shock. It's always already so warm in the mornings in Vietnam. I climbed down the three flights of stairs and met the others for breakfast. This was goodbye for everyone in my group, excluding Miguel and Christina. They all had only si...

I woke in the morning and pulled back the curtains to reveal the big grassy islands scattered across the water. I tip toed past my roommate and walked along the side deck and up the stairs to the rooftop. It was early but already the sun beat down on the deck. After admiring the beautiful view of Halong in the morning, I climbed down to the second level to find everyone slowly wandering in for breakfast. Miguel joked while he ate that he swore he heard Shania Twa...

The tour bus arrived in the morning and drove through the busy city and out along the bright green country side of Vietnam. It rained the entire four hour drive to the boat but I didn't mind. The mountainous views along the smooth road was a nice change from chaotic streets of Hanoi. We pulled up to the dock and the rain didn't let up. The guide motioned for us one by one to grab our bag and wait in the pouring rain on the sidewalk. Once he did a quick head coun...

When I landed in Vietnam, I searched the crowd at the gate for my name on all the signs. I had emailed the hostel last minute before my flight, asking them if I could hire a taxi. The drive to Hanoi from the airport was forty-five minutes and I didn't want to get scammed by a taxi. I spotted a man holding a sign reading "Julie Kastler Little Hanoi Diamond Hostel." I waved and he smiled, greeting me to take my bag. He led me out the doors to a much more modern c...