Hanoi and Ha Long Bay
Trip Start
Jun 06, 2009
1
15
27
Trip End
Sep 17, 2009
Hanoi, Vietnam
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Hanoi was alright, as was Ha Long Bay. I'm gonna say I was slightly dissapointed by Ha Long bay. It's impressive, but it promised too much. The swarm of boats (I literally mean swarm), all traffiking tourists, kinda spoils the atmosphere. Beautiful, none the less.
The main thing I've noticed about eating in Asia is how long it takes to prepare food. Very quick you'd think? Some places.....yes. Others....no. Especially western food - which of course is sacreligious to be eating here, and I generally don't. But even asian food, seems to take an age to prepare in many places. In Ha Long bay we ate breakfast at a little restaraunt. We literally saw everybodies food coming in through the front door, in raw and unprepared form, and then later coming back out of the kitchen ready to eat
Ha Long Bay
. I guess they take your order, then source the meal form vendors outside.First night in Hanoi: we had a rat in our room and it stole my oreo's from off the table while we were sleeping, dragged them behind the fridge and started munching on them. Woke me and Berti up. Was gone in the morning and we closed the window we think it got in.
Then in morning the power went out, so no pump to get the shower water to top floor, where me and berti are. Others managed to get showers coz they were in lower floors.
The one thing I wanted to see in Hanoi was Ho Chi Minh's Mauseleum.
Missed out because it closes at 11am! We didnt join the massive queue at around 10am but later found out from the kiwi's that there was a special western queue that only took about 10 mins. You live and you learn. Found out later that day we had a mouse also, which climbed into my rucksack and nibbled on my 2nd pack of Oreo's.
Saw dog spread out on BBQ when leaving Hanoi. Also saw a girl on motorbike crash into girl on bike.
Gooooooodddddddd bbbyyyyyyyeeeeeee Vietnaaaaaaammmmmmm!!!!!!
