Our flight out of Saigon was 2 hours late due to mechanical problems. After the first ½ hour they had us board the plane, we left the terminal, and then returned and had to get off the plane. After a while they put us on a different plane and then everything went according to plan except for the rain in Hanoi.
We were quite a few big surprises in Hanoi and the first was the cool, damp weather. It was very chilly since we had ALMOST adapted to the hot, hot, hot weather in the south! Our guide told us that the Hanoi area has approximately 4 million people and 3 million motorbikes.
We were met at the airport by a tour guide and then boarded a bus. We are traveling with David, Dorothy, Liam & Maia along with Charlene & Mary who we met on the expedition and their children Sam, Sophie & Noah!
The ride to Ha Long Bay was fabulous! The homes in the Hanoi area are substantially larger than those in the south, and they also have a lot more character! During the ride we passed rice paddies, cows grazing, goats walking along the side of the road and water buffalo in the fields.
We were running late due to the airport delay, so when we arrived in Ha Long Bay we boarded a boat that took us to the boat we were supposed to be on earlier in the day. We had lunch on the boat and it was only our 3 families which was great since the kids could goof around a bit.
When we arrived at the boat we were supposed to be on, I really thought we were going to crash! They maneuver those boats about the same way they drive motorbikes and cars! Each cabin on the boat accommodated 2 people and it was a great trip. The photos of Ha Long Bay where the mountains were created from sandstone are gorgeous and the pictures just can’t show how wonderful they are! It was cloudy/hazy the whole time we were there, but that might be typical of the area so the pictures don’t show a lot of contrast. We saw monkeys playing in trees! There were a lot of fishing boats in the area too!
There were two other couples who were on our boat, but they got on another boat in the morning. We don’t know if they had a different itinerary or if our kids scared them off!
In the morning we got off the boat on Cat Ba Island where we checked into the Sunrise Resort which had a beautiful beach and pool, but it was too cold to swim. The kids gave it their best shot, but they didn’t last long in the water. Even the Jacuzzi was filled with cold water!
The ride back to Hanoi the next morning was a different road and we went past more of the industrial and commercial areas. We passed a few USA companies (Bridgestone, Panasonic and Brother) and probably more that didn’t have signs that I recognized. It was amazing how many miles passed where most of what we saw were the factories. Unfortunately because of the rain on the way to Ha Long Bay I wasn't able to get any pictures, and it was late in the afternoon when we left for Hanoi so it was getting too dark to get photos then.
Back in Hanoi we checked in to our last hotel (I think there were 9 on this trip)! All of the kids were looking for some food and we actually found a little pizza place! Saturday we’ll have more time to check out the city!
We were quite a few big surprises in Hanoi and the first was the cool, damp weather. It was very chilly since we had ALMOST adapted to the hot, hot, hot weather in the south! Our guide told us that the Hanoi area has approximately 4 million people and 3 million motorbikes.
We were met at the airport by a tour guide and then boarded a bus. We are traveling with David, Dorothy, Liam & Maia along with Charlene & Mary who we met on the expedition and their children Sam, Sophie & Noah!
The ride to Ha Long Bay was fabulous! The homes in the Hanoi area are substantially larger than those in the south, and they also have a lot more character! During the ride we passed rice paddies, cows grazing, goats walking along the side of the road and water buffalo in the fields.
We were running late due to the airport delay, so when we arrived in Ha Long Bay we boarded a boat that took us to the boat we were supposed to be on earlier in the day. We had lunch on the boat and it was only our 3 families which was great since the kids could goof around a bit.
When we arrived at the boat we were supposed to be on, I really thought we were going to crash! They maneuver those boats about the same way they drive motorbikes and cars! Each cabin on the boat accommodated 2 people and it was a great trip. The photos of Ha Long Bay where the mountains were created from sandstone are gorgeous and the pictures just can’t show how wonderful they are! It was cloudy/hazy the whole time we were there, but that might be typical of the area so the pictures don’t show a lot of contrast. We saw monkeys playing in trees! There were a lot of fishing boats in the area too!
There were two other couples who were on our boat, but they got on another boat in the morning. We don’t know if they had a different itinerary or if our kids scared them off!
In the morning we got off the boat on Cat Ba Island where we checked into the Sunrise Resort which had a beautiful beach and pool, but it was too cold to swim. The kids gave it their best shot, but they didn’t last long in the water. Even the Jacuzzi was filled with cold water!
The ride back to Hanoi the next morning was a different road and we went past more of the industrial and commercial areas. We passed a few USA companies (Bridgestone, Panasonic and Brother) and probably more that didn’t have signs that I recognized. It was amazing how many miles passed where most of what we saw were the factories. Unfortunately because of the rain on the way to Ha Long Bay I wasn't able to get any pictures, and it was late in the afternoon when we left for Hanoi so it was getting too dark to get photos then.
Back in Hanoi we checked in to our last hotel (I think there were 9 on this trip)! All of the kids were looking for some food and we actually found a little pizza place! Saturday we’ll have more time to check out the city!
2 comments:
All I can say is "cool," Suzie!
Allison :o)
Hey you guys!!!! It was great to see your pictures! What a great trip, I'm jealous!!! I am hoping that in 2 years when we all return for the expedition trip that we can go on the boat too! It looks amaizing!! We miss you guys! Maya was asking when we might be able to see Briana again. Have fun, when do you come home?
Martha and Maya
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