Thursday, April 10
Thursday, April 10. We got up early to be ready to leave at 7.30am but unfortunately we were delayed because Henning suddenly discovered that he did not have his camera and video. We searched up and down - inside and out - but little did it help. We had to leave without it, but after an hour we received a call from Little Hanoi, where we had eaten last night that it was there. Great joy for Henning - and us – Henning has spent a lot of time taking pictures and recording video so he would have been very sorry to have lost it. First stop was at a centre for deaf people selling a variety of items ranging from fine jewellery to silk. A few things were bought to bring home, and after this visit we went on to a second stop - one, we should have had on the way back at a pottery factory. Anette was the one who had looked forward to this visit – but she did not buy anything! Lack of space in the suitcase, perhaps? We reached Halong Bay where we had time to have a look at all the ships waiting to take passengers on board. Our ship soon arrived at the quay and before long we had put our things in our rooms and were seated and ready for a delicious lunch. In particular, there were some lovely mussels and the shrimps were also first class. We sailed in the beautiful Halong Bay with many others boats and enjoyed the views with stunning mountains spread all over. There was also a visit into a very beautiful and very big cave, which is lit in the most fantastic way! We also made a stop at a beach, and Anette, Gunver, Tom and I went ashore to have a swim - it was c o l d - but fine enough, after a while. After this stop we sailed on and are now at anchor along with many other boats - It looks beautiful with the lights from all the ships around us. In a little while it is time to have dinner - the table is beautifully laid with cloth napkins and somebody will serve the dinner, so this will be all for today! Oh, just one more thing – It was raining all morning, but the rain has stopped and it is so beautiful here!
Oanh work
Disability Center
Disability Center
Video with Catba .
Video with Halong Bay
Relaxing on the boat
Friday, April 11
Tonight we have tried to sleep in a cabin on board a ship in Halong Bay and that was a nice experience. Along with many other boats we ended up in a small enclave somewhere in the bay and had a beautiful view to the lights from the other ships in the dark evening. The boats assemble in a few areas so the whole area is not patched with ships at night. There was breakfast at 8 and it seemed that everyone had had a fairly good night's sleep. We did not sail away until after breakfast and on the way we passed a pearl farm. On board, they also have pearls to sell, but they are quite expensive. At lunch we also made a stop for eating and a afterwards we held a siesta. It is a stunningly beautiful experience to sail quietly between all the mountains that just keep popping up around you. Strangely enough we did not see many of the other tourist boats during the day - only when we were at a beach for swimming. The bathers from yesterday were ready again with the exception of myself and although I was hot I remembered too well how cold the water was yesterday and it was the same temperature today I have been told. Later in the afternoon we called at a small fishing village –consisting of 6-7 boats, where our chef could buy fish for dinner. We even saw a big beautiful golden fish being hauled up in a net and sold to us. We had shrimps at dinner yesterday and for lunch today – and also very nice mussels and oysters. Now we are at anchor again between many other ships. The lights are on on all ships - it is only twilight, but it looks charming with all the lights - also the reflection in the water and the mountains as a backdrop. Behind me the table is being laid with a fine linen tablecloth and napkins. Do we enjoy ourselves? Yes, we do!
Halong Bay
Beautiful decoration
Halong Bay
Halong Bay
Halong Bay
Halong Bay
Cave
There were many sales both
Saturday, April 12
Our sail in Halong Bay has been a smooth and quiet journey through a wonderland. At night the boat has been at anchor, but this morning we woke up to engine noise from other ships that sailed on early. Our boat also sailed, before breakfast was on the table at 8 o’clock. We enjoyed the last part of the sail among these beautiful mountains, and at 9 we reached an extremely small harbour on the island of Cat Ba which attracts many tourists. We were picked up by a bus which had room for twice as many and drove us across the island through small villages. Along the roads we saw - as we see everywhere in Vietnam - small shops in front of the houses in the small villages and one or two persons ready to take care of the customers. The fields are sown with vegetables in straight rows, and there are lots of trees along the roads and in the fields. After a quick check in at our hotel we went out to have a look at the town. First we went to the market. There were lots of vegetables and a heavy smell of local specialities. We ended the tour with looking at pearls - and also buying even though the sellers were not happy with us. Birgit and I had had a quick look in one or two shops on the way out, and the girls felt certain we had promised to buy from them when we came back, so they were sulking when we came up to them, because we had traded somewhere else while they had not sold anything. Well, in the end I think most of the girls sold something to us but there were hardly any other customers then, but tonight there were more people looking at pearls. They were very eager to sell – good for us – it meant low prices. Lunch was eaten at a restaurant that Henning usually goes to when he is here and we all liked it. We decided then to meet at 8pm for dinner. During the afternoon we all had a look around. This morning we had a light rain but this afternoon was dry and warm – but unfortunately we did not see the sun. Tonight’s dinner was also good and there was plenty of life in the streets as we walked back to the hotel.
Christmas decoration in hotel
From the market Cat Ba
Sunday, April 13
Today is our last holiday and the sun smiled to us - not in the morning, but we enjoyed it when it came out. We had decided to take a walk to the beach - and walk around the rock face - where we would settle down at a hotel if the weather was for swimming and sunbathing. However, only Henning, Birgit and I stayed at the beach and rented deckchairs and Henning and I went bathing. To my delight, the water was not icy cold like last time, but pleasant and refreshing. We were there until about noon, when Birgit and I walked back to the city, while Henning took a motorcycle. Birgit and I had lunch at the restaurant where we dined last night and the group had an agreement about dinner at 8pm. However, we met during the afternoon because the town is small. Everybody had had a walk along the harbour where there were some pretty big fishing boats. Gunver and Tom had seen them being emptied of fish and wondered why they landed so many jellyfish. We asked Khoa what they were used for, and he told us that it was for eating. They taste a bit like squid. Speaking of fish our last dinner was almost exclusively seafood: crabs - very delicate , but a little difficult to open, lovely big shrimps as we have enjoyed many times before and a big fish - catfish - which was very tasty, and then just a little chicken and a little salad! Again a fine meal. Each of us has given a little money to Khoa and our driver, and Khoa was presented with his at dinner with thanks for good guidance, while Dingh will get his in the morning as he had left when Khoa got his envelope - perhaps he was tired of sitting at the table when he cannot talk with us because he does not speak English. The others wanted to have a drink by the waterfront, while Birgit, Khoa and I went home. Tomorrow morning we have to be ready to leave early and I shall not have time to write on the blog again until after our return to Denmark on Tuesday.
Cat Ba
Cat Ba
Cat Ba
Monday, April 14
Monday morning we started our journey back to Denmark with a long journey from the island of Cat Ba back to Hanoi before the long flight could begin. Before leaving Cat Ba we enjoyed breakfast on the top floor restaurant at our hotel with a fine view of the bay. The sun was again hidden behind the clouds, but we were still in our summer clothes. We were picked up by the bus at 8 and enjoyed the last views of sharp cliffs, finely planted fields, houses with small businesses, lush trees and sudden views towards the water while we drove towards the humble landing place for ships to Cat Ba. After having sailed round the rocks in Halong Bay for two days we had no sense of how far away Cat Ba is from the town where we sailed from, but it was less than two hours sailing so around 10 o’clock we went ashore and started the trip back to Hanoi in our “own” car. Along the way we visited the family who has a daughter – Oanh - that we already know. She and her husband were there with their little daughter of 14 months. I remember Oanh from 2008 when she was just a young girl and it was so nice to meet her now and see her husband and daughter as well. The family had a lovely lunch ready for us and they live in a nice house with a large orchard and several outbuildings where they have pigs. As planned, we were back in Hanoi at 3 pm although there was a lot of roadwork on the route we were going and also lots of traffic. At the hotel we had to pack our suitcases and change back to winter clothes to be ready for the Danish spring weather. Birgit had brought a suitcase weight which everybody borrowed to make sure their suitcases did not weigh too much so when Birgit as the last was to see if her suitcase weighed less than 20 kg, what happened? Alas and woe, the poor suitcase weight had been working overtime for too long - it could not take anymore - and broke. Birgit had to use the hotel's kitchen scale, but no one had to pay for excess baggage when we checked in! A small deputation came to the hotel to say good bye to us - but mostly of course to say goodbye to Henning. They waved as the bus with our good driver Dingh and our lovely guide Khoa for the last time drove away with our small group to bring us out of the airport. The departure from Hanoi was at 8:45pm arriving in Bangkok at 10.35pm.
Driver Dingh and Khoa
from the boat trip
Lunch at Oanh (from facebook )
Lunch at Oanh (from facebook )
Oanh with her daughter
By Oanh
Typical traffic patterns
Thuy, Hien, Linh and Henning