Day 22
The next morning I woke up early. I grabbed my bag and walked downstairs to get some breakfast. Around 8am a big group of people was waiting to go to Ha Long Bay. We grabbed a taxi and went to the other hostel to join another big group of people who were all going to Ha Long Bay. We were in a big group of about 45 people.
We got onto a bus which was waiting near the hostel. We then had a 4-hour bus ride to get to the port. Once there we got onto a boat that brought us to the big boat on which we were going to stay the next 24 hours. As soon as we were all on, we grabbed a beer and checked out the views of Ha Long Bay.
I thought Ha Long Bay consisted of just a few mountains, but to my surprise Ha Long Bay conisists of a whole lot of mountains. appearently there are about 3000 of them.We had some lunch on the boat and then relaxed with some beer on the deck of the boat. We were very lucky with the weather, as it was hot and sunny, A few days before they had to even cancel a tour because of the bad weather, so we were having a lot of luck.
After about 3 hours we stopped in a little bay where we went kayaking. Carly and I shared a kayak. We followed the guide who lead us to a cave which we could go through. After about an hour we returned back to the boat. I grabbed another beer and relaxed some more.
After dinner we went on to play some drinking games. Most of the people became pretty drunk and soon enough people started to hook up with each other. We partied the night away and when most people were gone I went to have some sleep too.
Day 23
The next morning we had to wake up early again around 7am, as breakfast was being served. We were now going to the Castaway Island. A private island the hostel leases for the next 50 years. The island basically consists of a beautiful beach and some huts with dorm beds. To get there we had to switch onto another boat. To my surprise Becky, Abby and Dan who were on the tour the day before, weren’t coming off the boat when we were switching. Once we got to the island we found out why; they chose to spend another night on the island.
It was great to meet up with Dan and the others. They looked pretty wasted. They told me they had been partying so much that they now needed to chill a bit. We were greeted by one of the tour guides and then had some lunch. After lunch we did some fun activities like beach volleyball, being dragged on a big donuit from a speed boat. I also went kayaking with Amanda, the Australian girl who was in my hostel dorm.
When it became dark we had some dinner. After dinner the drinking games started again. Some guys had to get naked in the sea and roll through the sand. The person who did this the slowest lost. After the drinking games the party started with music and a lot of drinks. Again a lot of people started to hook up with each other. The dance floor was becoming more and more empty. When most of the people were gone I decided to go to bed and catch some sleep.
Day 24
The next morning I had an early start again. We had to wake up around 7am again. I decided to start the day off in style, and oredered a beer from the bar and did a shotgun with a guy from New Zealand. We then had to grab our stuff, as we were going back to the mainland. A boat picked us Some people decided to stay another night on the island. I was very tempted to do so too, but I was afraid I was going to run out of time as I also still wanted to go to Sapa too.
The boat took us back to the port. From there we had 4 hour busride back to Hanoi. Most people were completely destroyed and were hungover and sleepy. Once we got back to the hostel I had some food. I had a few beers but then crashed as I was too tired. I went to my room and slept for a good 12 hours.
Day 25
After a huge sleep I got up and grabbed some free breakfast downstairs. Afterwards I had a shower and basically decided to just drink water all day, I was feeling pretty hungover still. I met up with a British guy in my room and his mate. I told them I was thinking of going to the water puppets show that afternoon. They decided to join me. First we needed to buy tickets at the ticket office. So we went out for a strawl around the city to buy the tickets.
After buying the tickets we headed back to the hostel for some food. On our way to the hostel we bumped into Elanor, an Australian girl I had met before in Nha Trang. She joined us for lunch too. After lunch I checked my mail and then we headed over to the water puppets. The show turned out to be fairly boring. It was fun for the first 10 minutes, but 45 minutes was definitely too long. Especially because we didn’t even fit into the seats.
The water puppets show is basically a show with puppets who dance in the water. The people controlling the puppets are hidden behind a screen and control the puppets through rigs underwater. The show exists already for hundreds of years and was once invented in Northern Vietnam to entertain each other during rainy season.
After the show we walked around the old town of Hanoi. I then showed the guys the sister hostel of Hanoi Backpackers. By chance the guy bumped into his ex-girlfriend from home. I had met her before because she was on our Castaway tour. We decided to have a drink in the hostel. I chose to have some fruit juice, being still in recovery mode. Around 16.30 I went back to the other hostel, as I had to be there to check what time my train was leaving to Sapa.
On my way to the other hostel, I bumped into Adam, the Australian guy who sold me my Sapa ticket the day before. He had been the one who told me to get back to reception at 17.00. He gave me a hug and then told me to have a beer with the rest of the hostel, who were sitting down at one of the street bars. I showed him the Sapa-receipt and told him I had to be at the hostel at 17.00. He grabbed the receipt, ate it and spat it out in the street and then gave me a beer. I drank the beer and then headed over to the hostel.
Once at the hostel I was told the pickup was at 20.00, which gave me some time to pack my bag and have some food. At 20.00 we were picked up by a taxi and driven to the train station. From there we grabbed the night train to Sapa. I shared a cabin with Andy, an Irish guy, and a Vietnamese family. Andy and I drank some beers and then went to sleep.
Day 26
We arrived in Lao Cai in the early morning. From there we were picked up by a minivan who drove us for an hour to Sapa town. Underway Vanessa, who had only gotten back from Castaway Island the night before, became sick in the car and had to puke. Once we got to Sapa town we had a big breakfast and an amazingly hot shower at a hotel. After all that I felt a lot better.
Around 9.30 we grabbed our stuff and started walking. A big crowd of indigenous girls and women followed us, some with babies on their backs. They walked along to become friends with you and then try to sell us souvenirs.
We happened to be insanely lucky with the weather, as it was really nice and sunny. The guide told us the week before it had been raining all week, which would have definitely spoiled the experience. We walked for about 16km and passed through a few small mountain towns. We visited a school where the mountain children are taught maths and English.
We were surprised how high-tech this school turned out to be. A big flat screen and sound system in the class room and decent books. Half way we had some noodle soup lunch, which was good. Christophe, a Belgian guy, Andy and me had a beer with it, which tasted delicious after the long and hot walk.
At the second village we checked out the house of one of the ‘tribes’ who live in the village. Apparently some tribes know how to make money off tourists by selling stuff, whilst other tribes don’t understand how to do it and stay poor. I found it really weird how one tribe knew how to do it, whilst the other ones are watching how others make money. The guide hadn’t got an explanation for this, so uptill now I still haven’t figured out why some tribes knew and some don’t. After that visit we continued to walk.
The scenery of Sapa was simply stunning. Around 17.00 we finally arrived at our guest house. It was a big house with a lot of beds upstairs. Me and Andy walked down to the river next to the house and enjoyed the sun going down with a cold beer. Once the sun went down, it became pretty cold so I grabbed my sweater. Meanwhile most of the others were eating garlic fries outside.
Later on dinner was served, which was great and big again. The dinner was started with a show of rice wine, or happy water as locals like to call it. I’d rather call it gasoline, but thats me. After another few shots of gasoline rice wine, I found our guide and some locals quite drunk in the kitchen already. They wanted me to drink more rice wine, but I told them I’d stick to beer. For an hour or so we played riddles inside of the cold guest house. Most people then called it the night and went to sleep. Andy, Christophe, me and the guide stayed up a bit longer. The guide told us he was earning about $15 a day, hard to realize as we payed about $120 each for a 2-day tour. Not much later it got too cold and I went to sleep too.
Day 27
We were able to sleep in for a little bit, as breakfast was served around 9.30am. The sun was up already, so it wasn’t so cold anymore. After breakfast we packed our stuff and went to walk for another 6km. This was peanuts compared to the 16km we did the day before, although one trail from the waterfall through the bush turned out to be a bit of a challenge, as it was muddy, slippery and not very wide. Some of the people in the group were helped by the indigenous ladies.
After a few hours we arrived at a restaurant where we had lunch. After lunch we were picked up by a bus and driven back to Sapa town. There we had a hot shower and then we had a few hours to check out Sapa town before heading back with the night train to Hanoi. For dinner we ate a restaurant nearby. Unfortunately it took over 45 minutes to bake a pizza, so I then had to eat my pizza within 4 minutes to catch the bus in time.
Andy rushed inside of the restaurant to tell us we really had to leave RIGHT NOW, as the bus was leaving. Thankfully he had already grabbed our bags so we could litterally jump in the bus and go. After an hours drive we were back at the train station. The train back was not extremely comfortable, as I had an airconditioning blowing in my face all night. On top of that, we arrived back in Hanoi at 5am.
Day 28
We were picked up from the train station by a minivan that drove us back to the hostel. Reception was still closed so we basicly just sat around and waited for breakfast while checking Facebook. After breakfast I wanted to check in and have a shower, but we had to wait until 1pm to check in. I then decided to splurge a bit and get my private room. That way I could check in right away and also not worry about locking up my stuff etc.
After a nice shower I watched some movies in the tv-room with Hannah, Lewis, Carly and Vanessa. They were about to leave to fly to Laos. I was quite jealous to see them continue their travels, while I was going to fly home within a few days. Once they left I said good bye and then went upstairs to the hostel bar, as at 3pm free beer was being served.
At 3pm there were only about 4 people in the hostel bar, but within 15 minutes we already had a good crowd of people. We had some more drinks and around 5pm most people were already fairly drunk. I decided to drink some water to keep things a bit in balance and also ate a burger they were bbq’ing upstairs.
After playing some beer pong. We went onto the pub crawl, and by now I was nearly one of the guides leading it. Some of the guides even told me to come and work at the hostel. At the other hostel it was really busy too. We had some more drinks and then headed over to Temple bar. The dj playing there was basically playing my Ipod, nothing but great new beats. It became a massive party, together with Adam, the Australian guy from reception and a whole lot of other people.
After Temple Bar closed down, we headed over to the night club on the river front again and had some more drinks. The night was amazing and to finish the night off I had a kebab on the way home.
Day 29
After a nice sleep in, I woke up and decided not to do much today. I asked some people at the hostel to join me for some lunch next door at the Master Chef Restaurant, which is run by a German guy and his Vietnamese wife. After lunch me and an Australian girl from Adelaide went into town to do some souvenirs shopping.
I bought some silly souvenirs like bamboo place mats and fridge magnets. From there we went back to the hostel. I had a little sleep and some food and then I prepared for one more night of partying. Even though I felt a tad sick, I was just throwing some more drinks in, because I didin’t want to spoil my last night of partying.
The night became not as big as the night before, as there were a lot less people than the night before. Yet, we still had a good night dancing around. I then walked back to the hostel for my last night of sleep.
Day 30
I could sleep in, as I had payed for a late checkout of my hostel. I had a shower, packed my bag and had some food in the hostel. I met up with some the guides in the hostel who I was saying bye as I was leaving soon.
Some of the people went with Adam for beers at the street bar corner again. They told me to come along as I still had about 3 hours before I was leaving, but I decided not to as I really didn’t want to risk me missing my flight. I typed my blog and sat outside with some of the hostel people before I grabbed a taxi to the airport.
I then said bye but not farewell to Vietnam, as I had an incredible time in both Cambodia and Vietnam. I definitely will be back for more, as its one of those places that don’t get tired soon. Off to the next adventure!! Thanks for reading.
Oct 21st 2013 – Oct 29th 2013
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