Vietnam Redeemed!

I've just read through my last post and good grief, wasn't I a Victor Meldrew?!! You'll be pleased to know that things are much better...

I went off to the DMZ on Wednesday, and visited the Vinh Moc tunnels, which were rather impressive. It was another wet and grey day, but it gave me the opportunity to meet some new folks, including Aurelie from France, who I later shared a room with back in Hue that evening (spreading the cost, yippee!!)

Thursday arrived and the rain had abated, so off we set to explore the city and by some miracle, the sun came out and it was very hot, much more like it at last! The Citadel is a very bizarre place - it was obviously impressive at its zenith, but the ravages of time and war have reduced it to but a shell of its former self. It's undergoing a LOT of renovation at the moment, so hopefully in the not-to-distant future, it will regain some of it's former glory.

Aurelie departed for Hoi An at 2pm, so I spent the afternoon chilling out with The Bourne Identity - the book - which after only a few pages, was obviously quite different from the film. I spent my time until 5.30pm so engrossed in the story that I bought the copy (which was the hotel's property) for a ridiculous $5!!! That may not sound much, but this thing is over 20 years old, is falling apart and was only $5.95 AUSTRALIAN dollars in 1981!!! Still, I knew that to buy a new copy somewhere, $5 was a much better deal!!!

I later boarded my final (woohoo!) night bus and I actually got a bed at the back that had plenty of legroom and was completely flat, so I could actually recline properly. It was a great relief; however, being deposited on the banks of the Red River in Hanoi at 7am on Friday morning ("free transfer to the Old Quarter will come soon" - yeah, right!!!) cancelled out any slight positive feelings I may have developed for the system!!!

Eventually, I made the 4km+ trip to the right area of town in a taxi with some fellow scammed travellers and the rain returned, I have never seen a sky so black in my entire life! I made it to the guesthouse that Aurelie had recommended and it was refreshing to meet Lee, a lovely Vietnamese girl who was honest, upfront and straightforward about everything - she didn't have a room for me (and wouldn't promise me one for later) but I was welcome to hang around for a few hours should one become available. Thank goodness one did in the end as the rain was so torrential, the thought of scouting for alternative accommodation was NOT appealing...

That afternoon, I ventured out in the rain, but it was so bad, it was impossible to do anything enjoyable. Many of the streets were flooded up to knee-deep and my feet were raw from walking in soggy sandals. I decided to book my trip to Halong Bay for Saturday, in spite of the rain. I figured it better to be stuck on a boat with a group of new people, than stuck in a hotel room on my own... And I was right! The weather in Hanoi on Saturday morning was still blooming awful, but as we set off east, the rain lessened and it was merely overcast at Halong Bay. I was soon onboard the boat, where 14 people set off around the limestone karsts and ventured inside Surprising Cave (which, surprisingly, was a surprise to the man who discovered it!!!)

Halong Bay, Vietnam

After that it was time to kayak around at sunset, before heading back to the boat. We dropped anchor for the night and then everyone started to jump off the top deck into the bay. I was thinking "How ridiculous!" until I then realised that it was about time I did something a little reckless instead of playing it safe all the time (sorry Mum!) So, I clambered over the railings and then instantly froze solid as I viewed the drop below - a good 5 metres I'd say (which doesn't sound much, but it is, honest!) It took a good deal of procrastinating, but I eventually took the plunge, and after finally emerging, all I could do was to shout back up to the guys on the boat "I did it!!! I did it!!!" to rapturous applause!

It was great to swim in the dark as it was possible to see tiny phosphorescent plankton in the water, excited into light-emitting action by our splashing around. It was extremely magical, it was as if the stars had been reflected in the sea. However, treading water for a good half hour straight doesn't half tire you out, no matter how fascinating the results!

On Sunday, we reached Cat Ba island. I sensibly elected NOT to trek through the national park, as some boxes don't need ticking, especially after Chiang Mai! I enjoyed chatting with my new roommate, Mark from Australia, as we waited for the rest of the group to make it down from the "steep" climb. They assured me that I had made the right decision as the trail description was accurate!

After checking in at the hotel, we had free time to explore Cat Ba Town and its beaches, which were very beautiful, but a little chilly seeing as it was quite overcast. However, I have never been so pleased with grey skies, especially as they weren't unloading another deluge!!! That night, the boat gang ventured out for drinks and we ended up having some deep debates about religion, politics, environmentalism... my brain hasn't been that stimulated for years!!! It was great to meet some cool people - Dave & Lyn from Australia and Amanda & Tom from the U.S.

We returned to Hanoi yesterday afternoon, and it was great to see it had finally stopped raining, so Amanda, Tom, Mark & I headed out for some great pork balls with noodles (of which the name I have forgotten!) and a delicious mango shake! Today, I managed to see a little bit of Hanoi, enough to feel I can leave in the morning without hanging my head in shame (although I must admit, on Friday, I never thought it would be possible as the rain was never-ending!) I visited the Hoa Lu Prison and Temple of Literature, before a tasty lunch of more pork balls and another AMAZING dish that I cannot even describe and that I do not know the name of! Hopefully, I'll be able to find it online at some point! We then watched the traditional water puppet show, which was great fun before heading out for yet more mango shakes!!!

Old Quarter, Hanoi

So, as I type this as I wait to meet the guys for dinner (yes, I haven't stopped eating for about three days!) I can honestly say that I have finally clicked with Vietnam and that Hanoi is NOT the city I thought it would be, based on everything I had heard before. I could see myself visiting here again some time in the future, a concept that was incomprehensive but a few days ago. I'm really looking forward to flying back to Bangkok tomorrow, but luckily I will leave with fond memories of Vietnam. I just have to work out my next moves through the islands and on to Malaysia!

BTW, I know I've gone on (and on) about the rain a lot, but on the Vietnamese news, it said that Hanoi has just had the most rain for FORTY YEARS!!! Believe me, it has been newsworthy!!!