Sunday, September 5, 2010

Day 68 Fri 03/09 - Halong Bay Heritage Cruise Day 3

Today Weather : 28 - 35C   Sunny and Hazzy all Day
Today Spend : 510000 vnd     Total : 2040000 vnd

Had a very good sleep last night, the sea was so calm that you don't feel you are sleeping on a boat. I did not join the Kayaking cos' too early to wake up at 6.30am and if you go, you only have 30 min, so forget it and continues to sleep until 7am for breakfast, A miserable 5 slices of square bread per person and only a small piece of butter shared by a table of 4 persons, a fried egg and a very small cup with only half- full coffee.As the boat continues to sail, we saw a nice beach where many people were swimming, but was told, one need to pay 60000 vnd and that is not included in the package, frustrating indeed!!Why can't they include all these?? I don't mind paying a little extra for a better programs and meals. So far, the meals were of very cheap low quality, the services were bad , unfriendly and every extras like hot water means money. Halong bay no doubt is beautiful and unique but somewhat its glamour has been tarnished by the unfriendly,unprofessional and money crazy minded tour operators.Other than having to say " Yeh...yeh...Halong Bay..I been there before.." There is nothing else to really shout about. Back to Hanoi and stay the same hotel . Tomorrow will need to source for a new camera and also to take the bike for a ride to identify the roads out of this mad city full of  motorcycles devils!!!


Day 67 Thu 02/09 - Halong Bay Heritage Cruise Day 2

Today Weather : 28 - 35C   Sunny and Hazzy all Day
Today Spend : 304000vnd         Total : 1530000 vnd

After breakfast in hotel, the bus took us to visit the Cat Ba National Park. Of the group, only 6 of us went. 4 young French girls from Leon, 2 young men from Czech Republic but were borned in Vietnam. The guide dropped us at the Park entrance and left us on our own to trek up to the summit of a hill (225m) and then down on the same way, it took us 2 and a half hours. A big disappointment that my camera was found faulty when I reached the summit, the LCD screen blackout. Very lightly I will have to get a new one in Hanoi. That's about the only activity of this so called "National Park" The bus took us back to the hotel for lunch and by 3 pm back on the boat for the 2nd night stay.This time sharing room with a French guy. No other activities,just relax and enjoy the views from the top deck. At night, we arranged our group games: 4 French 3 female1 male , 2 Germans both male,one American, 2 Czechs and one Malaysian, introduce their country games and sing along with a guitar. The ssesion ended late into midnight before some went to their room to sleep but most prefered to sleep on the deck.



Living on floating houses
Hard working Vietnamese women making a living
At the Cat Ba pier
A 45 min journey on a minibus thru' the mountain
Breaking up the rock to make road wider
Our bus passing the rock hill
At the Cat Ba National Park entrance



Trekking up the summit on our own

Note: at summit camera dead.