Hanoi, Vietnam
Sea Topaz
Duncan Briggs
Tue 28 Feb 2012 06:05
We have been in Vietnam for a week now. To get internet on our laptop is difficult, so this is without photos this time.
We had one day exploring Hanoi, which is a busy, but fascinating town. A bit like Hong Kong used to be when we were first there.
We then went on an overnight train to Lai Cho on the border with China. Then by bus to Sapa, where we spent three days trekking in the hills and meeting people of the minority groups there. We had one night in a home stay with a local family, which was a great experience. We then came back to Hanoi on the overnight train and have seen more of the sights here. Yesterday we took a day trip to the Perfume Pagoda, two hours drive by bus and an hour on a boat rowed by local women. It was located in the Karsts mountains, beautiful country sight. It is also a very popular trip for locals and it was very busy, interesting though.
Tomorrow we will move further south. First stop Ninh Binh.