Gather at LCCT Mc Donalds at 2pm sharp to meet up with our tour leader Xiao Wen. Our tour friends consist of 2 families, one with a child, and another one with 3 children. So all together, 16pax including us plus a tour leader.
Reached Hanoi around 7pm local time ( it’s an hour’s slower than us in Malaysia) and the captain informed us it’s 12degress out there. Phew… buckle up our sweater and jacket and off we head to our hotel for that night. I’ve been to Hanoi err… maybe 9 or 10 years ago. Cannot remember anything about it, and it’s not even shown in my current passport. Don’t have much memories about it back trip, but I remembered the bay view is beautiful. That time I went was summer, and this time… it’s end of winter. It’s nice to come over here in this cool…. A little too chilly for me though….don’t really favor cold weather.
At the hotel lobby while waiting for our room key.
The next day, we took a 3 hours journey to San Gu Bi Dong to visit the southern first hole. We reached there around 11.30am and took a small boat.
One boat accommodate 2 person only. The boat row continuously for like one hour (to and fro). The weather is like 11degrees with winds breezing flying off our scarf and Vietnam hats. There’s no turning back and no stop halfway. One route in , same route out. It’s like a cave with a big hole underneath for us (the boat) to row pass in it. We passed 3 holes and back the same route, back to pier. At first, the boat rower ( a couple) chat with us in broken mandarin. Everything seems fine at first, until somewhere in the middle, they started to take out many things from an unseen box. She took out a photo of her family, explaining to us her old parents, her childrens and her…. Siblings I guess. Telling us how poor are they, they stitch those clothes and so on. They have the Vietnam souveniors, clothings, frames, drawings and stitches. The woman kept persuading us to buy. It’s like if we don’t buy from them, they are not going to row the boat back to the pier. So my mum cincai buy a stitch from her. Again, she kept on push my mum to buy. I told my mum not to bother her, just don’t answer her, and tell her she doesn’t have money in her bag. She did not persuade me, because my face already very black already. This tactic really works lor. Amway and Elken agent ar… this tactic really works lor. next time you want to sell your products, bring your family photo along. People cincai also will buy something from you.
Suddenly, she took out a RM3 to exchange USD1 with my mum. I told my mum, my USD is RM3.8 (touching my mum’s bag,she quickly give her money!). What for change with her, change with her is big stupid lor. Then the woman tried to take the money out from my mum’s bag. My mum wave white flag… quickly pass a USD1 to her. See.. like this also can.
After that, had a Vietnamese style lunch near that area. Board our bus and off we head towards Halong Bay – a 2 ½ hours journey.
Nothing much to see at nite in Halong Bay. Maybe it’s due to the CNY seasons. Everyone just stayed at home therefore everywhere seems dark and desserted. Back to our hotel at Halong Bay. Around the hotel also nothing to see, no restaurant, no shopping centres, no entertainment and nothing. Back to the bed and sleep.
Third day, our outing to the sea. We board on a ship and head towards the beautiful Halong Bay view. The scenery was marvelous and beautifully sculpted with fantastic shapely mountains and rocks, and of course cave.
A scene like little Guilin China. According to them, those so called *Guilin Rocks* actually first belongs to Hanoi but somehow it came to be of the Chinese government. We first reached a hill top with a temple at the hilltop.
Can’t remember the name but it was somehow an eye opener as a temple in the middle of the sea’s island.
Then, we board the ship again and head towards 天堂岛。Yeah.. indeed the name itself already looks so beautiful and must look like heaven. But I tell you la… to see heaven, you must pass hell. You need to climb like 400plus steps ( I restate here ; the steps were uneven and some is ridiculously big and steep). High up there is 亭where you can view the whole Halong Bay. It’s really beautiful up there… but you won’t be looking at the scenery once you are up there. You’ll be buzy panting and sitting on the floor, breathing quickly and your hearts pumping non-stop. For the 1st five minutes, we didn’t have mood to even see the scenery from the top. We were just sitting down, taking our clothes off, and panting hastily and wiping our sweat. Felt a bit dizzy because maybe suddenly the blood isn’t pumping fast enough, and felt like sugar level is low. Luckily my brother bought his bag together and opened up, got Oreo, Smarties, Sweets, Potato Chips and Mentos. We had a short party up there. No one even cares about the scenery anymore. Hahaha… Until the tour guide remind us, it’s almost time for us to descend. Then only we realize we haven’t taken any photo yet. Quickly we snapped a few photos and just when we started to breathe normally; it’s time for us to descend.
During our going down the steps period, many other tourist from Korean or Japanese all also climb the steps. The girls look so happy walking upwards… cause they just started not even 10%. Some pretty ladies clutching LV bag and wearing Burberry scarft were happily chatting while walking and in my heart I thinking… “Wait till you go until halfway. I see that time you clutch your bag or you need people to clutch you up! Hahaha… have a nice time up there you ladies!!” That time I was few steps to the ground. Hehehe….
We then stop at a fishery area. Bought some 虾婆和鱼。To add to our lunch.
Board our ship for lunch and you know what, my sis went to the toilet and saw the way the ship people cook our lunch, she say its crazy. The water in the bucket needs to wash the veggies, meats, and even used to wash the knife. Sotong also didn’t wash completely and just dump them into the bowl. Non of us wanna pass the cooking area, afraid we don’t dare take our lunch. But once the lunch is served, we just grab gallop every food. We don’t care anymore about the cleanliness. After the tiring climb, we don’t care much. We only know the stomach very hungry already. Had a good seafood lunch on board and off we head to shore. Back to our hotel. As the tour guide told us, there is a market near our hotel, we gather together in the lobby and walked to the 1-2km far market. Reached that place only did we know that it was closed for holiday. Everyone face became black and the tour guide kept saying he also not really know market also got holiday one. But okay la, we got some fruits there, one of the shop open, selling fruits. The hotel there really got nothing else liow. Bought ice-cream on our way back hotel. Wanted to wash hair, but no hair salon ; I mean, there is many hair salon but non was open that time. End our day with a dinner and early sleep.
Our second last day, head back to Hanoi city 180km from Halong Bay.
Stopped by a Pottery and Jewellery Shop for rest and relax. Reached Hanoi city at 12noon and had a Chinese lunch there. 1.30pm we head to the 36 ancient road.
We took the 三轮车round the 36 Ancient Road, but besides closed shops, we only see closed shop. Too bad. Many shops around, but all closed. Only a few beer shops opened, and packed with guai lou.
My father eating the 毛鸭蛋. It's said to be a nutritious food in Hanoi. It's actually the embryo of a duckling!!
Meet at the designated area at 5.45pm to watch the Water Puppet show. The one hour’s show was something everyone go to Vietnam has to see. It’s their thing you know. Those people performing have to stay in the water for one full hour to play the puppet. Doze off a little around the end. The musics sounds so peaceful and the percussion just make my eyes smaller and smaller…..zzzz
Our last night’s stay at Hanoi this trip, was also at an area where no shops opens at night. Again as usual, early to bed.
The last day, our itinerary was as follows.
Ho Chi Minh’s Virtue
Ho Chi Minh’s Parlimen
Ho Chi Minh’s Museum
1000 Years University
One Pillar Temple
The Thousand Year Uni
Inside of Ho Chi Minh's Museum
Well.. nothing much to say about these places. Just some history places in your itinerary which you need to go in order to represent you have been to Hanoi. Just browse the photos is all I have to say.
After these visits, we crawl to the airport. I used the word crawl because we were an hour too early to the airport, so we crawl there.
Waited at airport 3 hours earlier than our flight. The tour guide dumped us in the airport so early, everyone just sit down at the chair and fat mou there.
Had our dinner at the airport and off we took AirAsia back to LCCT.
