Pack Your Bags Asia

Apparently, one cannot leave Ninh Bin without taking a boat tour, and as it’s only a 2 km bike ride from where we are staying, that’s what we did. At first, the sight of dozens of orange-jacketed tourists floating down the river, four to a boat, was slightly off-putting … but we joined the queue and were assigned a boat and very nice lady who would be rowing us (2 slender oars rowed forwards). We’d chosen a route with several caves. Once away from the starting point the number of boats diminished and it was very peaceful floating past overhanging vegetation and islands. As in many cultures Vietnamese are very…

Luxury overnight train into Sapa. Travel in style! Comfy berths, tray of snacks, bottled water, complimentary juices (not in sealed bottles … bit worrisome on a rocking train as there’s not much room on the tiny table!) … slippers too. Nine-thirty, right on time, we pull out of the station. Now one can see the reason for supplied earplugs … this might be a new luxury train, but it runs on 100-year-old tracks … so every curve is accompanied by horrendous groaning and clattering. Oh my! The earplugs did deaden the din somewhat and amazingly we did manage some sleep. We’d be pulling into Hanoi around 5:30 am, so at…

Decided to leave our suitcases with our landlady La and travel light to Sapa and Ninh Bin (6 days). The Grab cab dropped us at the location of her home in the Kiem Hoan lake area … but not quite exactly. A Google photo showed the house, however scanning around nothing quite matched. Two ladies sitting having coffee were asked, and a great discussion in rapid Vietnamese ensued … the coffee shop owner was summoned … more discussion with much pointing, peering at our phones, suggesting the hotel across the road, and finally shaking of heads. We thanked the ladies profusely as they left … and ‘Whats App’d’ La. Son…

We seem to have eaten our way through Vietnam … from South to North. Tuan introduced us to the floating market’s Pho and the outstanding land market with every conceivable thing that lived, walked, swam or grew … and then some. (I did draw the line at that bowl of eyeballs). See Floating Market. In Hanoi there were two types of Pho … the one everyone thinks of (noodles, broth, meat and veggies) but also one specific to Hanoi (more on that later). There were spring rolls and crunchy fried dumplings to die for … mounds of crisp noodles smothered in slivers of beef and greens …. your very own…

We’ve been to the infamous Train Street a couple of times now … during the day, standing at the gates as the train went by. Trains run periodically from 5:30 am until around 10:30pm … different lengths and directions. Originally, shopkeepers along the line would wind up their canopies and drag in their wares each time the train went by … now, however, it’s a tourist only thing. Eateries and bars vie for business, urging gaggles of spectators … most of whom are standing on the train tracks taking selfies … to perch on tiny stools, drinking beer and downing awful-looking plates of noodles or chips, while waiters dash nimbly…

Early breakfast this morning … we’re off for a boat ride. Same procedure as before … picking up people along the way. Total chaos appeared to be the order of the day at the dock as coaches and buses disgorged hundreds of milling passengers … but everything was in hand. Sorted into tour boats and assigned a guide (ours was Donny, pronounced Don nay) … small but with a mighty voice … he had a system all worked out. All we had to do was listen as he boomed out his name, and we knew to gather or look for further direction. Not a big group … maybe 30 or…

We’re off to another home stay for two nights … leaving the suitcases at the Hanoi apartment and just taking backpacks. Pick up spot is the Circle K, no later than 7:10am, a guide will greet us. Arrived 2 minutes to 7:00 … there was a bus already there – not the bright red one expected. Although going to Cat Ba it wasn’t our bus. A red Cat Ba express zoomed by without stopping … was that ours??? Precisely at 7:10 a scooter pulled up, driver confirmed it was us and seconds later the bus pulled in. This process was repeated all around town until every seat was filled and…

An early morning bike ride through the village and countryside, where scooters laden with all manner of provisions – from food to fuel – were ridden through neighbourhoods – the drivers announcing their wares loudly. Door-to-door delivery! Tuan drove us to Can Tho airport and it was a short hop to Hanoi. We disentangled the suitcases from the mobs surrounding the baggage chutes and followed Google’s directions to the apartment by hopping on a conveniently waiting number 7 bus. The young conductor appeared quite disinterested in life, however he sold us tickets. At first the bus followed closely to the route depicted on our phones … and then it didn’t!…

Five thirty start, still dark. Good job Tuan’s boat is just across the road. Picnic basket with hot tea and coffee as we chugged down the river towards the market. Most of the true trading had already been done (around 4 am) — wholesale bartering of large quantities to middlemen who then sold on to the land markets. So although this was mostly for visitors to see, this is a way of life for these boat people … everything is done on board — cooking, washing, eating. There were a LOT of tourist boats zooming up and down. We left and headed for the land market to purchase food for…

After breakfast 6 of us, led by Hui (Tuan’s son) set off on bikes for the Chocolate plantation. Down the decidedly rough road, past local shops and houses, towards one of the Mekong river’s many tributaries where we waited for the ferry to make its return journey. Bikes, scooters and people all piled aboard for the five minute journey … 1000 dong for foot passengers (50 cents); 2000 dong for bikes; 3000 for scooters. Even though we were jammed in like sardines, the scooter drivers were very considerate, and careful not to crowd us. Off the other side, it was a short journey to the plantation. This was the first…