Days 43, 44, 45, 46, 47 and 48

We got the train from Hoi An to Hanoi at 12.06pm. The journey was very long but at least we had a cabin to ourselvels this time. The views along the way were amazing, and at one point we were winding our way around sheer cliff faces with the sea just below. We arrived in Hanoi at 4am and got a taxi to Hanoi guesthouse. However because it was so early the doors were locked and we had to bang on the shutters to wake the Vietnamese boy who was asleep in the lobby. We checked into our room a few hours later after a nice breakfast of crusty french baguettes and dairylea. Our room was on the very top floor and as there was no lift it was a tiring hike to the top, but it was clean so we were happy. After unpacking we set out to explore the incredibly tight and crowded streets of Hanoi. The weather was abit of a shock to the system after 6 weeks of heat, and the long trouser and macs had to be brought out for the first time due to the drizzle and cool temperatures. We walked around the main lake where the giant turtle lives and visited the temple over the red bridge. After that we walked around the rest of the old town and had some lunch. We didnt realise how many motor bikes could be squeezed into such small spaces and crossing the road was simply a case of stepping into oncoming traffic and hoping that they go around you (a truly terrifying experience).

The next day we decided to go to see Ho Chi Minh, whose dying wish was to be cremated and sprinkled on the Mekong river, so naturally the Vietnamese decided to pickle him and put him on permenant display in Hanoi. We were surprised at how busy it was, and found the whole experience slightly creepy yet oddly amusing (like laughing in Church). We had to walk in single file with many security checks while security guards ushered us around the dead leader. After we also got to see his house which was extremely boring for us, but again quite funny to see how excited the Vietnamese were to see Ho Chi Minh's bedroom. In the afternoon we took a trip to Fanny's, famous for its icecream. On our way back to our hotel we stopped at an exhibition of an old style Vietnamese house, which was quite interesting as there were lots of brightly coloured birds to look at.

For our 3rd day we had booked onto a trip to Tam Coc (famous for being the Halong Bay of land). It took 2 and a half hours to get there but it was worth it because the scenery was stunning and the weather was warmer than that in Hanoi. Whilst we were there we visited a small temple before taking a 40 minute bike ride through the ricefields and mountains. We then had a nice lunch, where Jamie was complimented on his chopstick skills by a Chinese lady, before taking a boat ride. The boat held two people and was powered by a small Vietnamese man's excellent rowing skills. Again it was a really picturesque trip through the mountains but we got to go through some dark caves too. We were particularly impressed with some of the rowers using their feet to steer (see pictures).

We got up early the next morning as we were heading to Halong Bay for a 2 day (1 night) stay on the Phoenix Crusier 1 boat. We were abit worried about whether we would get to go on the boat as the same trip the previous day had been cancelled due to bad weather. We were lucky though as although slightly misty and cold the weather was good enough to sail. After a 3 and a half hour bus ride we boarded the boat and checked into our room. Somehow we managed to bag ourselves the best room on the boat as we had windows on 2 sides plus our own private balcony. We weren't expecting luxury but we definitely felt like we had got it! The boat cruised into Halong Bay to the sleeping/docking area and lunch was served on the way. We had a variety of dishes to choose from and got a chance to socialise with everyone else on board. We then took a smaller boat to visit the 'surprising' cave. We walked through 3 caves in total inside the limestone karst and it was really good. Each cave was bigger than the last and the final one was called 'surprising' due to a certain protruding rock formation (see pictures). After we got the chance to go kayaking around the bay for an hour to visit floating villages and other smaller caves. Jamie was unimpressed that I nearly tipped him out of the kayak when I got in, which resulted in him moaning at my lack of kayaking skills for the rest of the time. I wasn't that bad, but I did have to put all my weight into each stroke causing the kayak to rock...not the smoothest ride

Our night on the boat was quite enjoyable as dinner was nice and drinks not too expensive even if the Vietnamese wine did taste like vinegar. We sat with a Dutch and Aussie couple who were really nice and we had a good laugh when other people on the boat decided to hit the karaoke machine. Jamie was very happy to be seated with Dutch people after the heroics of a certain Dutchman the day before, but they didn't seem to share his enthusiasm of football. We woke up early the next day with an amazing view out of the window and after breakfast we headed to Turtle Island. There was a small sandy beach here but it was far too early and chilly to go for a swim so we opted for the climb (up 540+ steps) to the top of the island's mountain. I think I lost about 6 stone in the walk up, but the view from the top was worth all the hard work lol. We then had a3 hour cruise back to the mainland before our bus trip back to Hanoi. Overall Halong Bay was definitely an unforgettable experience and I don't think we will ever come across anything else quite like it! The scenery was so spectacular and beautiful that it would be worth going to Vietnam just to go and see it.
When we got back to our hotel it was full so they upgraded us to their sister hotel (Hanoi old centre hotel) which was bigger and just as nice. We had an early night before checking out the next morning for our flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We really enjoyed Vietnam, and were sad to be leaving but we were looking forward to heading back to the heat.
Sorry for such a long blog post will update you all soon lots of love xxxxxxxxxx