Reisverhalen: Halong Bay, Laos (vientiane, Vang vieng & Luang Pra Bang)

Hi everyone!

 

You havent heard from us in a while but we are still alive and kicking. i think we have both been putting off writting this next story and now the job is a really big one!  There's alot to report about but nevermind here is a shot at it!

 

 

We left Hanoi for a 2night three day trip to the magnificent "Halong Bay"! The place is so touristy we decided just to go with a pre-arranged tour package. It cost us $45 each. meals tickets accomidation and activities all included , except for drinks).

There are 500 tourist boats in Halong Bay and (as you will see in the photos). They all go the same places pretty much. some are more expensive than others etc but i think we got a pretty good deal. others on our trip paid more than us. The group of people on our trip was quite a mixed bunch which made it very fun and entertaining! 2 shirilankan Austrailian guys, another couple from Australia,  an older couple Canadian and Australian, a german couple 2 Russian guys, a very quiet vietnamese couple & french couple that hardly socialised, and us! The first day we traveled to the boat, then had lunch on board while crusing out into the bay. We went to the famous caves and had an hour for kayaking. Pieter and i paddled way our around the corner to our boat through a low cave into a lagoon/bay. It was very beautiful and quiet despite a few other kayakers.

After that we all watched the sun set from the boat as we went to our anchorage near by. Every where there a young women in there traditional woven oval boats layden with cookies chips and other wester food and snacks. But above all Vodka! "Cuse me!! you like to buy some-sing?" That was the quote of the trip!! all the time everywhere, even first thing in the morning before you have walked out of your cabin very funny.

That night all of us had drinks up on the top deck! we had purchased vodka from the sellers in their boats. There was alot of noise on our boat! Pieter and i were the youngest on board. WE all shared stores and tried to sing alon to some songs blasting from tiny portable ipod speakers. I went to sleep about 10pm but the party went on which apparently involved climbing the mast and the russian guys trying to shake it down and also some crazy ideas to swim to the other boats nearby to continue partying! you'll have to ask pieter for more details he saw the whole thing... and was not as drunk as the rest.

So the next day we stayed on "Cat Ba" island. The biggest island ing the bay. Only the french couple were staying on to do the 2night 3 day trip. So we said goodbye to everyone else. We treked up a small mountain and at the top there was a tall  metal tower  which you could climb up. After that we had lunch at our hotel in a small fishing village/holiday town on the isaland, then for the afternoon went to monkey island by boat  and visited floating fishing villages on the way back. All up we both enjoyed it alot. The french couple seemed to complain about alot but, yo get what you pay for and it was a pretty good deal for the places and activities you experience.

 

So by this time we had less than a week left on our visas. We bused south to Ninh Bihn. This place is known as the Halong Bay but on rice paddie fields. It has the same types of towering limestone cliffs and mountains. But just not as big as Halong. We rented bikes here and biked about the rural areas with a hand drawn map. Its wasnt very touristy at the time becase the caves here are most popular when the rice fields are vivid green. There were still sowing the seeds when we were there. Never the less it was still very fun. One our bike ride there we crossed paths with young children walking home from school they all crowed around and soon pieter and i had one each on the back of our bikes. About 2 mins after that my chain came off and i had about 8 boys fliping my bike over and fixing the chain! It was very funny and they had alot of fun fixing it, along with discovering Pieters camera! so as soon as it was fixed we had them on our back seats again for 1km of less till they reached there homes. we continued and reached the right road to to the boating/caves trip. However we got a bit side tracked by two 'nice' local women who said they would take us there. WE both knew they werent the really thing, but gave them the benifit of the doubt that they would still be going on the same cave trip. They took uson a big loop to try to disorientate us a bit. we went on the 'boat trip' and sure enough they didnt take us on the right one. We got back and asked from some money back. Becasue prior to leaving we claried the caves and trip and they said yes yes but just to get us to pay and go. so we sat on there front porch for a long time saying we want some of our money back. It was only $3 each but it was the principle  of things that pissed us off. We sat there and continually asking for 30mins  They seemed like well experienced scam artists  but i think  they were surprised about! haha! finally we left and got a embroided bag out of them. That whole incident put a damper on the idea of the reall boat trip caving so we just took off and biked about the country side a bit. We had some laughs and forgot about it, it was our  fault a bit too, but nevermind! we climbed a rock mountain to a pagoda and shine which was nice and then made our way back.

 

From Ninh Binh we got the "bus form hell" (as quoted in the lonely planet). We had decided to just go with it because it can be just as hard, timely and pricey to cross in to Laos by your on means. it takes 24hours from Hanoi to Vientiane in Laos. but we got on with 20hours ahead of us. Sure enough when we got on the back half of the bus was packed full of anything and everything!!!!! the rest of the seats were taken up and in the eisle there were huge sacks of rice and grains and people leaning over from their seats to sleep on them. there was even a guy sleeping in a hamock that was strung from the hand rails above. He had the best seat in the house! Luckily we got a seat each , together. After 3 hours we got a flat tyre! It was no wonder we did wyth the load that bus weas carrying! the roof was a huge mound of luggage too! We had a resonably quick turn around with the new tyre though ! only 45mins! and like everything in Vietnam or anywhere in south east Asia one huge bus tyre arrived on the back of a scooter! later on we picked up 6 more tourist and some got seats but 2 of them had to sit cross legged in the eisle. One of them was 195cm high and for three hours he sat cross legged!! ouch!

We got to the border at 6am and the office opened for processing at 7am. Even then it took at least 1 and a half hours to process everyone!! paying random small fees to get your passport back! After that it wasnt untill 4.30pm that we arrived in the capital. WE had thought of getting off before to travel south to some caves but that idea went out the window when the drivers didnt know where to stop, or had already passed it! we will never know

 

Vientiane lies next to the Mekong River and on the opposite side you can see Thailand. Its wierd to think this river flows so far and through several countries. we saw  it in Vietnam and Cambodia.

During our 3 days here her spent time in the market where Pieter eventually bought a nokia N series phone and i got some sunnglasses to replace my broken ones. we visited some land marks on of which was a monument made from materials sourced originally form the USA for an airport in the capital. We also rented bikes again and visited the most famous temple Pha That Luang. That was quite spectacular. In teh evening we went and had some drinks near the river side where there are local eateries lining the riverbank. From here we watched the sun set. It was perfectly round and was a mixture of vivid orange and pink with a purple and blue sky. It was alot like in Shinoukville,Cambodia and alot of other places we have watch it set in south east asia.   

Before we left we got a Lao massage. $3.50 each for a full hour! We got one together at the same time, you put loose cotton clothes, and then... you die and got to heaven No! but you really to feel amazing afterwards, parts are sore at times and some of the streches and techniques they do feel a bit wierd but they work very well! We both decided we have to have another on before we go!!

 

Our next stop was Vang Vieng. Most well known for its tubing down the river and its many many caves! There are guest houses everywhere! and very cheap too! we paid $3 a night for a room! and alot ofthe guesthouses have a  raised wodden seating area along the street side of their building, all directed toward two TV which are probably playing 'Firends' 24/7!! You can sit and eat with the low table or slouch and watch TV till your hearts content. Alot of the eating places and resturants have seating like this. WE rented bikes and rode 13km out to a collection of caves on day and returned to have lunch and then ride another 7km the other way to a touquoise lagoon for swimming. There are toweringmountains that souroaung this town. And there are many caves throguh out them! the roads are rough and the sun is hot but we decide to bike. On our second day we went tubing. You get a truck or trackor inner tube and float down the river. its takes 2/3 hours in the dry season when the rivers low. But you can very very easily spend all day at one of the popular bars/ stop offs along the way! There are huge swings constructed, pumping music  and platforms and seating structures for lounging in the sun and enjoying a 'Beer Lao'.  Many many people come here and chillout for the day! its alot of funn and very entertaining watching people take a leap and swing out into the river. We saw a few bellyflopers during our stop off there. on the third day we saw one of the most specatualr caves, it was signposted from the road and tyook us 1km to a crystal clear pool and a hidden cave whichh we got shown through for a small fee. on the way back we saw a new born calf (baby cow). It had only just happened and it looked as though another was on its way but we left and biked back to the town.

 

We are now in Luang Pra Bang, It tookus 7hours on the narrow winding roads to get here.  Again it is situated next to the Mekong river and there are many many temples in this town! its very busy with tourist but also very historic. At night theres a handcraft market thast spans the length of the main road in the hisoric part of town. theres alot of variety and everything is layed out on the ground. WE will be visiting it again tonight thats for sure! Tomorrow we are going to do a traditional Lao cooking course. and Pieter can do it normally and i can do it in vegeterian so we are both excited about that

 

Well i think thats finally about it for this time round. I hope you enjoyed reading about what we have been up to. we will be heading north to Nong Khiaw soon.

 

 

 

Take care everyone!

 

 

 

 

lots of love!

 

From Nina and Pieter!