My birthday!!
Trip Start
Aug 24, 2007
1
13
24
Trip End
Apr 08, 2008
Hue,
Vietnam
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Well, just wanted to leave a quick message to tell you what we've been up to this last week. After a rather manic day in Hanoi we met back up with Tony (yay!) and the three of us decided to go trekking in a place in northern Vietnam called Sapa. So we boarded another overnight train and arrived early the next morning. We were given a room to shower in (with no mattress so all three of us huddled together in Carlien's sleeping bag on the wooden bed-frame!!) although there was no hot water so we shouldn't have bothered. Sapa was very very cold and EXTREMELY RAINY (the weather was so bad in fact that I bought a ski jacket - I kid you not!!). But we figured, hey, it will be an adventure right?!
Well..........it certainly WAS an adventure. We were the only three people on the tour and the views were AMAZING. It was very much like Longji in China but bacause of the weather there was mist everywhere and the rice teraces were filled with rain so they glistened. Despite the fact that this was physically the hardest trek so far (me and Tony spent more time sliding down the mountain on our bums than actually walking) it was also probably the most rewarding. Look out for the photos of my brilliant waterproof trousers which fell apart (LITERALLY) half way through day two.
The best bit was that it was a home-stay trek, which meant that we stayed with a Vietnamese family in their house overnight. It was maybe one of my favourite things of the whole trip so far. Sadly I had to say goodbye to my trainers which were completely wrecked, which means that my only remaining shoes are a pair of fake Birkenstocks bought on Khao San Road for 2 quid!! Argh! I seem to be getting through my shoes at an alarming rate.........
Anyway, we caught the overnight train back to Hanoi, just had time for breakfast and then we were straight on a bus on our next tour to Halong Bay. Tony wasnt joking when he said this would be the most adventure filled birthday week ever! We got the boat (luxury all the way, we couldnt believe it!!) and again, the views were stunning, this time like Yangshuo. It's another world. the weirdest thing though was that it was really really hot, even though its not at all far from Sapa. Damn global warming...........! Both tours made me really, really, REALLY miss all our friends from China :(
At Halong Bay, we went and walked through a massive cave and then did some kayaking and watched the sunset. Lovely. Next morning bright and early, we changed boats and headed to the island of Cat Ba where we ate some good Vietnamese food and chilled out on the beach. Bliss :) Then back to Hanoi, and straight on ANOTHER overnight train to Hue.
I was a bit anxious about this because a) theres a typhoon in Hue and b) waking up on a train was not how I intended to spend my 23rd birthday!! But both worries were quashed this morning. Hue is bright, warm and sunny (my hottest birthday in history) and even better, Carlien and Tony had gone to so much trouble this morning that my birthday on the train was FANTASTIC!!
I woke up to a cake made of a mountain of kit kats and mars bars (with a candle and everything!!) and a treasure hunt with clues all around the train which led me to a bunch of cards from my family! It was a brilliant surprise, and my eyes only leaked for a second!! Then Carlien gave me my presents - "High School Musical 2" and "The Sound of Music"!! (Those of you who were in Mongolia with us will remember my slightly worrying obsession with pretending to be Julie Andrews whenever I see a mountain. Or a field. Or a goat. Or a brown paper package tied up with string...........)!! Anyway we watched it on Tony's laptop, and I sang along eating chocolate!!
I realise to most of you this probably sounds very cheesy but I have to say I LOVED IT!! Absolutley brilliant :) Carlien knows me so well! Eventually we arrived in Hue and Tony took us for lunch in a very nice restaurant. ("Thanks Tony" - said Martha-style. "Go sharks!" We miss you already) Then he left to go and meet his brother in Ho Chi Minh City (sob!!)
So all in all, a brillaint, supercalafragilisticexpialadocius birthday here in Vietnam. And thank you also to everyone who sent birthday texts and emails (and even called!!) You made my day. :) Thanks Mum, Dad, Lisa, Laura, Mike and Ryan for the cards, that was brilliant. And thank you Lisa for the photos (and the cake, hope you guys enjoy it, haha)!! Will put up photos at the nearest possible opportunity :)
Love to you all, cant wait to see you. Will write more when I can! Wish you were here!!
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