Hanoi etc

Well we finally tore ouselves away from Phu Quoc and decided to try the North. Our trip to Hanoi was uneventful except the little old lady sitting next to me had a mobile phone which she kept on and wouldn't let anybody touch. It was obvious she didn't know how to turn it off as she was pushing all sorts of buttons.

At the airport in Hanoi it was getting late but we had organised with the Tour Office to stop by and pay for our tour tickets. We braved the touts and went to what looked like a reputable taxi who told us that he would take us and we agreed on a price. All the way in the cab, he kept telling us that the tour office was closed and that what we needed was a hotel. His phone kept ringing and he yabbered on in Vietnamese "Hey mate, I've got a couple of real suckers here. Don't know one end of Hanoi from the other. They think I'm taking them to the Sinh Cafe. Get your signs out". Sure enough when we got there, some quick made up signs said Sinh Cafe but it seemed wrong so I refused to get out of the car while Maureen talked to the guy who came out to meet us. Finally she came back and we looked the the street numbers and decided this was really not the right place and Maureen got back in and told him pretty plainly that we wouldn't pay him unless he took us to the right place. He finally looked that the address and took us to the right place, taking out his rage on chickens, people, bike riders etc who had to scramble to get out of the way. Bastard!

The next morning we got the bus to Ha Long Bay. Once on the boat we left the pollution and sailed around the most dramatic coast I have ever seen. Sheer cliffs rising out of the waters of the bay. Proudly they told us it was a World Heritage Area but when I asked what the noise was, I was told that the fishermen were dynamiting the fish! So much for World Heritage.

After lunch we went to some caves and after dinner we retired to our tiny but comfortable cabins on board the boats. We had a nice little group, having opted for the "deluxe tour"

The next day after brekkie, we said parted from some of the group and went on to Cat Ba National Park where we rode bikes to the rain forest and then trekked through to some more caves. These caves however, were not lit so our guide just showed me (I was the only one who went) through with a flashlight. On the way back, Yours Truly, stacked it in a spectacular way when we rode through a dark tunnel. Having come from sunlight and still wearing my sunglasses I rode straight into a wall and got some pretty impressive cuts and grazes. Luckily my personal nurse knew I didn't have AIDS and helped staunch the bloodShe also doubled the pain by pouring alcohol onto the cuts (Thanks Mau!). Next was lunch on the beach where a lovely Aussie couple who were on their honeymoon told us their experiences of Hanoi taxis. He was an ex federal cop with cop-like physique so I'm surprsied the taxi driver tried it on him. They were from Perth but were leaving their jobs there to go to Port Hedland and work for the mining industry doing anything they could. They already had a couple of houses so I guess they were on their way to success.

Kayaking around Hai Phong was fun and Mau and I sang sea shanties as we visited one island after another.

Now we're in Cat Ba Island and looking forward to a great meal. This place has a big promenade out the front with palm trees and lots of Karaoke joints. After our full throated rendition of "Sloop John B" and "We're bound for Botany Bay" this afternoon, I don't know if we will show the natives our huge talents but after dinner, we may feel stronger.