Day 74 - Halong Bay (bus)

Heading back to Hanoi after a second crazy night. Afternoon was really pleasant - took out a kayak with Bettina, a German girl, and paddled around a bit. Back for some rock climbing - got stuck about a metre from the top, slit my finger open, and the blood made everything slippy. Chilled on the pontoon for a while with the Danes - Tim, Magnus, Søren and Frederik. Very sound and fun guys. Just releaxed really - cards, swimming, watching the others playing beach volleyball. Dinner,then a couple of games of pyramid, then a giant game of 'Ride the Bus'.

The Danes broke out some crazy shirts. Jake had a firecracker in his arse. Søren passed out in the sand. Too many insane moments to recount. Hammock with the Welsh. Bristol Danny telling us a horrific secret [that should've been left secret!]. After the madness died away, we had some quiet tequila on the beach, and I got in a sneaky midnight swim. To bed to find Charlotte asleep there.

Day 73 - Castaway Island

Sitting on the beach on a small island in Halong Bay. Some of the group have gone kayaking, Lee's swimming somewhere (little worried), the rest of us are relaxing on the sand. I can hear the voices of the lads playing drinking games in one of the huts. Of course, on a party tour, there'll always be some people who never stop.

Two simultaneous games of Kings last night. New rules - Stephen Hawking card, troll card, and lots of clothes swapping. Ended up in two girls' dresses and Louise's underwear.

Wasn't as messy for me as I expected. Probably because someone nicked my last three drinks. Had a couple of good conversations, especially with Whitney and Lauren, both from Oregon. Night's low point was having the Bristol lad, Daniel, tell me that I was okay, even though all Irish Catholics are c**ts. He's under the impression that we're all in the IRA, and that the Catholics 'started it'. With all the drink consumed, I thought it wisest just to leave. Was up 'til 4am, slept on deck, waking to a clear blue sky.

Beach is idyllic. Tiny, remote, sleeping in huts. Paradise.

Day 72 - Halong Bay

Walked to the hostel yesterday - about 20mins, bit sweaty. Two nice Welsh girls in my dorm, and they persuade me to book the Halong Bay trip for the day after (today). BUmped into Lee in the hostel, and S&N arrived at 2pm for a lunch rendezvous. Catch up with them, they'd been in Halong Bay, and are off to Laos. Applied for a visa extension.

Planned for a quiet night, but Andy from Ninh Binh appeared in the bar, so had a beer with him. Then happy hour and cards. We were joined by a Chinese guy called Luan (?), and the Beer Bingo began, run by an Irish guy called Tom, from Stillorgan. Austrian girl called Meryl joined in as well.

Far too many shots, and we left the bar to get some cheap dinner. Barbecue was the solution, lots of burning oil. Didn't even remember that meal the next morning, only Lee bumped the memory. Left the others to find Ali & Scott. Couldn't find their hostel, but a cycle did a Google, and delivered me there. Got some Pho with them, exchanged travel stories and notes, and then a beer at their hostel. Stumbled home at 1am.

About ten minutes later, someone else stumbled in, and woke one of the girls in bed. 'Jake' was his name from the whisperings. Was afraid some coupling was in store, so I told him to shush, let them know I was awake. Found out today he's a bit of a wild child.

***

Breakfast and packing this morn, met James our tour guide, and about 30 others. About 2:1 girls to guys ratio. Two Welsh girls - Louise and Lachrissa, Jake the wild child (an Aussie), Norwegians, English, Danish... haven't everyone properly yet though. Bus journey was long - played cards with two Brits, entertained by Jake.

Boarded the boat, everyone chilled for a bit with beers. Boat stopped so we could jump off the side. Jumping from that height requires a 'don't think, just do' mentality - a moment of terror during freefall, then the elation of impact, and floating to the surface to be born again. One girl, a former diver, did a couple of backflips.

Kayaked a bit then, seeing a floating village and a big cave. Dinner next!

Day 71 - NB-Hanoi train

Met Tum in the lobby yesterday morning, and jumped on the back of his scooter. Not nearly as comfortable as the Easy Riders. Because the scooter is much smaller, any little shift in my weight is amplified, and affects Tum's balance. So I must sit rigidly still, quickly growing stiff, and with a numb bum. Riding my own scooter would've been preferable. It's no fun in traffic, but the majority of our day is spent taking shortcuts along causeways in the paddyfields, or through small clusters of houses.

The fields themselves are marvels of human labour - huge irrigation systems control the flow of water, and harvesting the rice is a community effort. Here and there the rice has been spread out on one half of the road to dry.

Rice drying on the road

We arrive at Cuc Phnong park, and Tum drops me at the starting point of one of the 'treks', a 6km loop through the jungle. I amble along the path, not another soul in sight. I scare myself silly once or twice when a leaf lands on my head, or a creeper grabs at my ankle. Spider-like insects with long spindly legs scuttle across the path. At one point, grasshoppers leap off the path ahead of me as I walk, jumping into the foliage on either side of the path to create a sort of firework or fountain effect.

The walk culminates with a towering 1,000 year old tree. I pause to contemplate it, and am joined by Andy, a Watford man, who is on the same loop. We finish it together, exchanging pleasant smalltalk.

Next point of interest is a prehistoric cave, where I meet Andy again. Exploring with our headlamps, we realise the cave is massive! So big that there is a set of steep stairs /within/ the cave, but the sheer size of it is awesome.

Vietnamese guys share some rice-cake with me at lunch (some of the nicest pho I've had in the north), then I have a tour of the Endangered Primate Rescue Centre. I am taken around the enclosures with three older American men, while our pregnant guide gently explains what each species is, and how many are left in Vietnam. One species only has seventy individuals. The centre works with monkeys seized from hunters, or abandoned pets. They aim to release them into the wild, first releasing them into the semi-wild of the park to see how they adapt to freedom.

I buy some postcards, but they are hesitant to take my 100,000VND note because there is a small indent on one edge. I use it as a donation instead.

Tum offers to take me to a local fishing village, but after bumping into and chatting to Marie-Anna (the Dutch girl from the first morning in NB), I ask him to bring me to the Mua Cave instead. Here there is a set of steps to the top of one of the jutting rocks, offering a magnificent view of the surround landscape.

On one side, I can see down into Tam Coc park, where rowing boats saunter through the wetlands. The skyline is defined by a row of jagged, rocky teeth, with further rows behind protruding through the haps. It reminds me of the Terenji in Mongolia.

One the other side, the rice fields sweep toward NB. Small fires are burning where people are disposing of the rice chaff (I think). The rock formations are like brooding alien masses, dropped from the sky. Here they remind me of the mesa in the USA, single towers dominating and dwarfing everything around them. If they were in Ireland, we would say they were left by giants.

Make our way back to NB then, passing (as we have all day) a few more necropolises (necropolii?). The Vietnamese worship their ancestors, so a family is usually buried on their own land, to protect it and help it prosper. It also keeps them close while working in the ricefields, for ease of access for worship and memory.

Another aspect is that the children can't sell the land. The tomb and coffin are usually built (or bought) before the actual death, so that those who are about to die can ensure an appropriate amount of money and grandeur are used.

Met Marie-Anna for a final beer before her train to Hué, and then some Internet admin - 9,000VND for 90min = win! Turns out my visa expires early next week, so I might need an extension to visit Halong Bay.

Day 70 - Ninh Binh

Heading out to the national park today, meeting my moto-taxi at 08.30. Trying some rice porridge for breakfast. Really wanted/needed an early night last night, but after dinner with Helena and Tineke, we had a game of Yahtzee, and then cards. One of the Vietnamese staff watched our card games with interest, and then taught us a new one - Phom. Luc won, leaving me with a respectable second place.

Could've managed a solid hours sleep, but a rooster started crowing from 4am. Earplugs were completely ineffective. Throat's a bit sore from second-hand cigarette smoke last night.

Day 69 - Ninh Binh

Was told bus would arrive at 18.30 yesterday, came at 20.00 instead. Played cards with myself 'til I was bored out of my head. Small child took a liking to them though, kept me entertained while her mother had dinner. Got on the bus - upper middle berth, beside the toilet. yay.

Coincidentally, Bobby was in the bed beside me, which only had enough length for his head to his knees - no hole for his feet. Consider myself lucky. Restless night's sleep, only about six hours total. Arrive in NB around 6am, and wander around until I come across the Queen Mini hotel. Room for one, great wifi and hot water. I'm a new man!

View from my room

***

Pork mí soup for breakfast. The café owner comes out and pokes the canopy for a few minutes. Knocking all the autumn leaves onto the street. He gathers them into a pile, and then sets fire to them. Simple and effective.

***

Renting a scooter turned out to be a superb idea. Regretted not riding Spencer's motorbike, and not renting one to go from Hoi An to Hué, so that regret has been voided! A Dutch girl called Marie-Anna was my inspiration, had breakfast with her this morning - she's off to Cuc Phuong national park tonight.

First stop of the day (once I'd gotten the hang of the scooter) was Tráng An, a lake set amongst huge rock formations, and featuring numerous caves. I teamed up with an Israeli couple - Ronnie and Maggie - in a boat. Our rower was an older Vietnamese lady, who occasionally rowed with her feet and was quite brash about looking for a tip at the end of our trip (combined price 24000VND). The karst caves themselves were wondrous - sometimes so low we had to sit on the bottom of the boat, a few larger chambers, always emerging into the daylight, like entering a new world each time. The whole trip was calming and serene.

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I stayed with the Israelis to visit a nearby temple Bai Dinh. Following the signs, we climbed a few flights of steps to discover a couple of simple temples, and shrines in caves. One of these pierced all the way through the mountain, bringing us out the far side in a secluded valley, lush and verdant, almost virgin. We then walked back, and followed a dirt track to find the new temple, replete with three huge Buddhas, and several thousand small ones. The old temple had existed since 1090 (I think that's what the guide said), but the new one was still under construction. It was massive, like a fortress with two huge gates, enclosing walls, a new pagoda (ten stories high?) and several smaller buildings.

After that I continued alone to Hoa Lu, the ancient citadel. Big let down. Just a couple of fairly simple temples, and a big open space like a car park. Raced home then to beat nightfall. Met a trio at the hotel who I'd seen earlier. They were trying to get to Hué, but it's so flooded that the buses aren't running. They succeeded in booking a train though. One of them was half-Irish (Limerick) and half-Mauritian (like Reza)! Also met a couple of Belgian girls who were also going to Hué, but are instead diverting to Sapa. Waiting for them to join me for dinner now.

Day 68 - Dong Ha

Breakfast at the hostel yesterday. Said hello to an Aussie from Perth - Chad. He instantly offers to be my tour guide for when I get there. Very outgoing chap. Hailey and Katie arrive down, then Bobby, and John appears at 11. We wander down to the citadel, Hué's focal point. There's not a lot to see - some crumbling walls, a few stately out-buildings. We get lunch in a café where the proprietor is deaf, and mostly mute. He's excellent at charades though! Lovely squid for me. Bobby and Katie try the Hué speciality, a kind of eggy pancake, but it's rather greasy.

Bobby, Hailey, Katie, John

Frogs coming out in the rain

Katie doesn't look impressed

The rain has started, so we head to a bar for some pool (nearly won at doubles, potted all the balls myself, then Katie got the white with the black) and Cleudo! Amazingly, I got Cleudo right first time! Whoop! It ruined it for everyone else though. Chatted to two Irish girls who had been in the club last night - Cassie and Ciara. Ciara is full of passion for Bolivia.

Back to the hostel to wait with girls for their bus. They are forgotten about until they ring the bus company. Got talking to Chad again, and two Norwegians - Ingunn and Gretel. End up doing rounds of cocktails during happy hour. Joined by Dutchies - Molusch (?) and Arjen. So much sugar in the cocktails that I'm short of breath. Back to Brown Eyes again, plenty of dancing. The Vietnamese in the club are great craic, and shots appear at random in front of me. Aware that I have to be up at six, I run home through the lashing rain at about 2am.

***

Wake okay, get brought by moto to a café, and meet Duncan and Anita, a Kiwi couple. I'm probably still a bit drunk. 15 of us on the tour, including Timmy from Cobh, and two Dutch guys who are travelling through Vietnam by motorbike. Also two Polish girls! First Poles I've met. The Norwegian sisters always to be Polish to get discounts in guesthouses.

Tour guide has a north Vietnamese bias, repeatedly mentioning the "liberation of south Vietnam". We visit the village of an ethnic minority - the Van Kieu tribe. Feels intrusive - treating them like they were exhibits in a zoo. The children didn't really know how to act, almost being frightened of us.

You've got SWEETS!?

Then to the remains of Khe-Sanh airbase, which now houses a small museum, and some tanks and aircraft. Finally the Vinh Moc tunnels, far larger than Cu Chi, they were a complete underground village - town hall, maternity room (17 babies born there) - and right by the beach. Almost able to comfortably walk in them.

There was a Viet child there, who had been born in the tunnels, and spent six years living there. Severely impaired, he works as a guide in the dark, showing the way with a torch. We went through one section of about 300m, unlit. Some people used torches... I'm not sure what the point of experiencing complete darkness is, if you're going to use a torch. It's like talking in the cinema - ruins your experience, and that of others around you.

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Waiting in a dingy little café for the bus to Ninh Binh. Hope it arrives... and hope I can get off in the right place!