Off we go

We've covered a lot of ground and had a change of plans since the last post, but the last week or so has probably been the most enjoyable one so far. From Hanoi we took a public bus to Halong City, the gateway to Halong Bay. For some reason, instead of taking us to Halong City, the bus literally dropped us off on the side of the highway where two guys on motorbikes were conviently waiting to pick us up. They extorted some ungodly sum out of us to take us the rest of the way, which we couldn't really do anything about because we didn't even know which way we were supposed to walk. On arrival, the city was dead.... barely a tourist or a local to be seen. From what we could gather, most people tend to book their tours of Halong Bay while they are actually in Hanoi- they take a tour bus to Halong City, get strait on a boat, and then once off the boat already have a tour bus back back to Hanoi waiting for them. Consequently, there is very little in the city at all, and we milled about for a few hours trying to find a good deal on a tour. We started by going to a nice looking hotel and asking about tour prices. We were quoted $62 per person for a 2 day tour with 1 night sleeping on a boat in the bay. We though this was too high, so we explored the dock area and after an hour or so of intense negotiations, we managed to secure a tour through a nice fellow for the price of $69 for a 3 day 2 night tour, including 1 night on the boat and a second night on an island we had wanted to visit anyway. He also threw in a free bus ride back to Hanoi when we were done, and a free stay at his hotel that first night. So we jumped in a cab with this gentleman and he took us right back to the hotel we started at. Turns out it was the same place, go figure.

The tour was fantastic. Halong Bay was truly incredible and unlike anything we've ever seen, far exceeding our expectations. We rode through the massive bay (over 3000 islands) for hours on top of the old wooden boat, went kayaking, and had a decent nights sleep on board. The next day we were dropped off on Cat Ba Island (the biggest in the bay) and got to climb a good sized peak to a view reminiscent of Jurassic Park. It was a short, 2 kilo walk but climbed somewhere around 700 feet. It took about 30 minutes each direction, maybe a bit more. Afterward we were taken to our hotel on the other side of the island, and from there we walked for a mile or so to a beautiful beach with only a few other people on it. It was definitly the prettiest beach on the trip thus far. The next day we jumped a boat (which by the way, was near sinking the entire time) back to the coast and then hopped on a bus back to Hanoi. We decided while on the way back to skip out on the city of Sapa, which was supposed to be our next stop. To go, we would be cutting our visa expiration a bit too close for comfort. Also, the train tickets to Sapa were extremely expensive, and it would cost quite a bit more to get to Laos after that. That being said, we booked some bus tickets to Laos for this evening and we *should* be there by this time tomorrow.

Since we're leaving Vietnam, here a a few of our thoughts and observations that might be entertaining or informative.

1.) We both agree that the best way to describe Vietnam is one word is 'chaotic'.
2.) For some reason the people here love the movie and music of 'Titanic'. We have seen it on TV multiple times, and the soundtrack is played all over the country in both English and Vietnamese. The soundtrack is even blared on loudspeakers in the streets.
3.) There are signs that say 'Merry Christmas' and 'Happy New Year' all over the place. We have no idea why, but they've been in every city we've seen.
4.) Late night Vietnamese TV is hilarious. On a couple of occasions, it has consisted of two teenage kids sitting in front of a TV playing a soccer videogame against eachother. There is an announcer, and each kid even has a cheerleader that watches the screen and cheers at the appropriate time. Very entertaining stuff.
5.) We went to the 'Hanoi Hilton' where John McCain and other U.S. Pilots were held. Apparently, the U.S. pilots were treated extraordinarily well and the whole ordeal was more like a vacation than a prison. On the other hand, the Vietnamese that were imprisoned ealier in that same place (by the French) were tortured, murdered, and abused. Propaganda? Nah.
6.) KFC and Pizza Hut are MUCH better in Hanoi than they are in the U.S. 3 weeks of rice and noodles may have play a role in that.
7.) There is definitly a cultural difference between North and South Vietnam. The north is more aggressive, chaotic, and slightly less pleasant overall. We don't think this has anything to do with the war, but it's interesting nonetheless.

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Pictures from the remainder of Vietnam should be up momentarily!