Hanoi, Vietnam: Cruising around Halong Bay

Halong Bay was pretty (and the previous post was getting too draggy!) and the boat dropped us off at Catba Island for a night before another ship came and picked us up back to Hanoi. It was a very complex but well integrated system. You basically do as you are told.

The guide who dropped someone's camera INTO THE WATER and confronted them when they rated his English as poor (no prizes for guessing how we rated him)

Wouldn't be so nice without the coloured light, you think?

These rocks really don't belong at he recently opened Gardens by the Bay, Crystal Park/Garden showcase

To remember how nice relaxing on the deck was

I think we did canoe/kayak a little - it was fun (but embarrassing!)

Time to anchor the boat for the night

Next morning, after a night of hearing the seamen who stayed awake manning the ship, playing cards and chasing mice (from the roomie)

And we bid the bay goodbye for a night.

Hanoi, Vietnam: Halong Bay

This trip was 2 years back! I was still using a Nikon D40 back then, so expect no effects (I might more inclined to not use effects nowadays even with my PEN). It was a fuss-free trip, where we just picked a hostel (any hostel, but ours was reliable) and got them to recommend tours to Halong Bay (include a night on Catba Island), Sapa (confused with Nara for obvious reasons), and even the taxi back to the airport (very trustworthy, you feel yourself in very good hands). We went on tours with other people (from around the world) and it was generally fun and interesting teaching them to use chopsticks (no spoons or forks) and comparing tour prices (don’t have to be the cheapest, but don’t be the most expensive too!). This post is scheduled exactly 2 years after the trip (Was at Halong Bay 10 Dec 2010), what a coincidence!  Crossed opposite the airport to take the public bus to town 

Got lost for a while before we found our pad          This crowded, but less hectic than HCM IMO  Lake at the Centre of the City     Hostel comes with complimentary freeflow breakfast which beats this Pho 99 hands down anytime   Drip coffee tastes better by the roadside in mini chairs   ice cream  

Art scattered around the city

  

Tons of Chinese immigrants in the past probably  The Bikes Next day at the Harbour     

On board with Japanese, Europeans, Americans…and Vietnamese   

Didn’t like the room, and I remember whining about the only redeeming factor ‘the toilet tiles’ – and subsequently locked the toilet from inside and created a minor ‘hooha’   Viets love their French Fries     Hi Neighbour!