Just arrived back in Hanoi after 3 days at Halong Bay which were incredible. Had 4 hour bus journey to Halong City then got on our Junk boat - me and kids, 2 older couples from France, Aussie's Bernie & Mary who were in 30s, canadian couple plus 2 french canadian girls. Really nice group of people.

Started our sail out to Halong Bay and had a huge luch of lots of different seafood - none of us knew what half of it was but it was delicious. Lewie and Tess just got stuck in even though they had never seen that kind of fish before. The islands are amazing - there are over 2000 of them!

Stopped to go kayaking which was fantastic. I took Lewie and our guide Nam took Tess. We all rowed round the islands, past caves and floating villages. Mary and Bernie stopped and bought beer from one of ther 'you buy from me' women out on their little boats rowing up to kayakers and tour boats. The villages were amazing - tiny houses made out of wood and rope floating on big blue drums, the people make their living solely from fishing and have almost nothing in their houses - although we did spot a few with mobile phones and one with a satellite dish tied up to the small island rock opposite the village! Stopped at a huge cave and went inside for a tour. Had to walk up almost 400 steps to get to the entrance where there was a shop selling juice and gifts! They can get a shop anywhere here! The cave was amazing, kids thought it was like a set from Dr Who or the surface of the moon - pretty good descriptions really.

Late afternoon the boat stopped to let people jump in and have a swim - we didn't as the kids not good enough swimmers. Julie was about to dive in from the top deck when we saw a jellyfish, we asked Nam if there were many jellyfish and he sain 'no, no jellyfish at all here' then we spotted another 6! Still didn't put anyone off though. After swimming we had dinner - more unidentified seafood in huge amounts! After that we all sat out on deck drinking whisky and chatting - Lewie and Tess were impressed that I could actually speak french and wasn't making it up!

Got up for breakfast at 7 then sailed further out to meet the smaller boat that was picking us and the french canadian girls up to go on to Cat Ba. Had to wait a while for it to turn up but it was lovely and relaxing just lying on the top deck chatting and looking at the incredible view. The crew jumped out to one of the rocks and started collecting more shell fish for the next meals, they get the rest of the fish from the floating villages. Finally our wee boat turned up and took the 5 of us plus Nam out into open and very wavy sea! The boat was rocking all over the place but when we looked down from the deck and saw the sixe of the fishing bopats on the same sea we weren't very worried!

Stopped at Cat Ba park and cycled out to a small village of about 20 people, Bought juice from the 'shop' which was just one woman's living room. Chatted to her and her 2 little kids who were playing with a bucket full of crabs. Went for a walk through some jungle areas to another cave full of bats. Nam pointed out things that had been found which shows people lived there over 1000 years ago. Path was home to lots of huge spiders with equally huge cobwebs, apparentl;y they weren't poisonous but I wouldn't have taken m,y chances with them! We were warned to stay only on the parth with Nam as there are still unexploded bombs on the island - can't believe this island with only 300 people on it, who rarely leave, was bombed! They have goats that wander about the island 'finding' the live mines. We saw one of them and fotunately didn't hear any bangs!

Left the island then got back on the boat to go to Monkey Island to swim in the sea. We were only people there for first 10 minutes then 6 boat loads of Vietnamese tourists turned up. Their schools finished this week so most of the tourists are from Vietnam - the boat trip was first time we met other English speakers. Only stayed on island for an hour then sailed out top the other side of Cat Ba island where we were staying at Cat Ba Resprt - huge 5 star hoptel with swimming pools and water slides which the kids absolutely loved. Another massive dinner - again set menu which would have fed about 25! Kids played table tennis for a bit but we were really tired so went to bed about 10.

Up ealry this morning to get boats and bus back to Hanoi. The two girls are going on the same trip as us to Sapa tomorrow night so will be good to see them again. Off out tonight to find a football for Lewie to take to Sapa as Julie plys in a girls team at home so has said she wants to play him, he's delioghted! Should be lots of kids about in Sapa too and it's meant to be a bit cooler as it's in the mountains. We're staying in local tribes homes for 2 nights so no more internet, air con or fridge full of water and coke!