This morning things between the host and us were still tense. He kept out of our way most of the time except for breakfast but neither of us ate much. We then set off back to the marina, about a 4 hour trip. Cool weather and again great scenery.


We arrived at the marina to be greeted by the cheer squad again, we had a group photo this time taken by the host and then got in the car to be driven down to the office for payment. Our speed freak driver was back. We paid for the trip and then the assistant manager there asked me whether the kayaking was a bit long last night, I said it was a fraction long and then S decided to unload about what had happened.

Apparently the assistant manager was called to the marina about 6.30pm that night as myself and the host were reported to him as missing. He then got a call shortly afterwards to say we had arrived at the boat. S then went to the toilet while I paced awkwardly in the room with the assistant manager and our host who looked decidedly unhappy. The assistant manager asked him if he got lost and he said he didn't.


S came out of the toilet and I went in and heard the assistant manager tell S that no one was lost last night so she told him again that if people go out for a one hour kayaking trip and don’t turn up for two and a half hours well after sunset then people will be concerned. We then left the office with a rather half-hearted handshake from our host and then had to endure another three our race time with Speedy Gonzalez.

As he was heading home this time he took it to a new level. Even with a half hour stopover at the Tourist House of Crap (we were told to stay there for half an hour as he was having lunch…we knew he got a free feed!) we arrived back in Hanoi in record time and were just relieved to get back to the hotel without becoming another statistic for Vietnam’s road toll.