Viet Nam

We knew we wanted to travel through Viet Nam on this trip, but we weren’t exactly sure how to make the most of five days we had to spend there. Our airline tickets were from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City, but everyone we talked to kept saying “head north, head north!” So, that’s what we did. We bought another flight to Hanoi, spent the night there and then hired a car the next morning to drive us to Ha Long Bay, which we had heard was incredibly beautiful. Three and one half hours later we arrived in the bay and then boarded a wooden hotel boat which would take us out to Cat Ba Island. The boat we were put on turned out to be an overnight cruise for most of the passengers on board – we were just hitching a ride out to Cat Ba Island. What could have been a 45 minute boat ride, turned into a four hour leisurely cruise through the massive limestone islands, with a stop off on one of the island to tour some totally cool caves. It was hot, there was definitely a language challenge, and it was a long day of travel, but we were really glad we had the chance to cruise the bay because it was beautiful. Ha Long Bay is considered one of the many “wonders of the world” and it really deserves the distinction. As you cruise through the dramatic outcroppings of rock and vegetation, you get the feeling that there’s no end to the surroundings.

We arrived on Cat Ba Island and were dropped off at the pier, where we were supposed to call our hotel and have them come pick us up. They forgot to tell us there’s no cell phone service at the pier, so after a little negotiating and bribery, Matt communicated with one of the locals enough to convince him to drive on his motor scooter far enough to get cell reception so he could call us a taxi. About an hour later this little tiny blue car pulls up to the pier and we just all cracked up. By that time, it didn’t matter – we were bound and determined to pile into the car for the 30 minute drive across the island to our hotel! The island is something out of Jurassic Park and we fully expected to see a T-Rex nibbling on some tourists! Cat Ba is a national park and protected by UNESCO and it’s a really unique ecosystem. Needless to say, we were all ready for a swim in the South China Sea, a few beers and some decent food. We were pretty wiped out that night, but really happy to be on the island and in our nice hotel rooms which look out across the sea to some more stunning islands. Matt and I rented a tandem bike and cruised around town one day, but aside from that, we were pretty content to walk on the trails on the island, swim, read and watch movies at night.

The trip back to Hanoi was another exciting adventure, but all in all, we were glad we made the effort (that’s the mild explanation) to get out to the Bay. We were really pleased to be back at the Bro and Sis Hotel in Hanoi where we were greeted like old friends. We cleaned up and headed out for dinner, only to find that the restaurant didn’t take VISA. Matt went in search of an ATM and after about an hour of trying several machines to no avail, he returned to the restaurant. We were cracking up because as we waited in the air conditioned restaurant, Matt was out there negotiating with a local who finally put him on the back of his scooter and drove him around the lake to a working ATM. It was quite comical and after a three day “Comedy of Errors”, we really just had to laugh. Matt returned victorious with cash in hand and the entire restaurant clapped and patted us on the backs as we left! There’s something about being in a place where it doesn’t matter what color your American Express is, or how much money is in your bank account, cash is cash. The great equalizer!

With full bellies and a few glasses of wine in us, we decided to walk for a while before returning to our hotel. We walked the busy streets, horns honking, motor scooters whizzing by, tiny plastic stools and tables set up in front of makeshift restaurants for serving food to the locals, trash piled in the streets, men smoking, kids playing and vendors selling their fruits and vegetables. In moments like this, you can either savor the sights, smells and chaos, or you can repel from it and hurry back to the sanctuary of your hotel room. I think the greatest gift this trip has given me is the ability to just take it all in – smell it, smile at it, feel it, engage it and burn it into the memory of my mind and soul.