Our hotel was situated in the Old Quarter where a labyrinth of tightly packed streets and lanes swarm with motorbikes, people and hawkers selling their wares.
A Hanoi removals man.
A street scene in Hanoi's Old Quarter.Whilst in Hanoi we took in a traditional water puppet show (best avoided), strolled around the Hoan Kiem Lake, visited the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Complex and gawped at the waxy remains of the late Uncle Ho (Ho Chi Minh) and celebrated my 33rd Birthday with a full body massage and delicious Rib-Eye steak complete with blue cheese sauce at the Green Mango restaurant.
'Happy Birthday Lee Sanders'.From Hanoi we took a soft-sleeper train to Sapa in northwest Vietnam. We trekked the twelve or so kilometres through the breathtakingly beautiful countryside with rice terraces as far as the eye could see to the hill-tribe village of Ta Phin, home to the Red Dzao tribe who arrived in Vietnam a couple of hundred years previously from southern China.
A young child from one of the villages we passed on route to Ta Phin.
Stephie getting mobbed as she hands out sweets to the children in Ta Phin.
Two women from the Red Dzao tribe.We spent the night in a home stay with a Vietnamese family before being taken the following morning to Cat Cat village, home to the Black Hmong tribe, who like the Red Dzao migrated south to Vietnam from China.
The grandmother from our home stay family.
Taking a nap at the market in Sapa.We returned to Hanoi for a few hours before being driven by minivan to Halong Harbour. Here we boarded the Oriental Sails junk (ancient Chinese sailing vessel), which would be our home for the next two nights whilst cruising around the natural wonder that is Halong Bay, consisting of 2000 or more limestone islands rising from the waters.
The Oriental Sails junk.
Kayaking in the bay.
Some of the limestone islands in the bay.Whilst being undeniably beautiful, Halong Bay is, for me, spoilt by the vast amount of rubbish that pollutes the bays waters and beaches along with the armada of junks that blot the landscape.
3 comments:
I love it Lee, how lucky you are to be able to experience all of these wonderful sights. What a fantastic experience for you to stay with a local family in their surroundings. The children looked so excited to receive such small gifts as sweeties and colouring books they must have so little. You both look really well and are obviously enjoying your adventures. How lucky for you to experience all of these fantastic things. Not long now till you are home and I can assure you the sights here are still the same:( Love and miss you bth very much take care of each other love hugs and kisses from Mum...x xxxxx xxx
Hi Lee
Yet again more great photo's,The Oriental Sails junk looks really cool. You both look like you are having a great time. The birthday cake from the hotel looked yummy, how nice was that. Not long now till you are home, make the most of your last few weeks.
Love you lots Auntie Coral and Nan xx :0)
We're having a great time here in Vietnam. It’s such a beautiful and diverse country. We had a lot of fun sailing around Halong Bay on the junk; the only thing that soured the experience was the cleanliness of the water. Stephie spoilt me rotten on my birthday, that's not the cake from the hotel in the picture FYI, that's what the restaurant gave to me. We're currently in Nha Trang on the southeast coast soaking up the some sunshine before heading to Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon as it is otherwise known. Speak soon! x
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