Vietnam

We arrived in Hanoi on September 15th, greeted by an enveloping hot and humid atmosphere, and we are now in autumn.

We start to wonder why everyone who has been to Asia is so fascinated by it. There is no doubt that there are spectacular landscapes, but outside the big cities, and if you are not by the sea, the humidity is really suffocating, making it hard to enjoy your surroundings.

Anyway, after landing in Hanoi, we waited outside the airport at taxi point F17 as indicated on the bus ticket we had booked online. There was no bus station at the airport, and communication was difficult when we tried to ask for help. Eventually, a passerby told us to wait in front of point F17, where the bus to Sapa would arrive. We waited, although it was suspicious that we were the only ones there. We had set a maximum waiting time; if the bus didn’t arrive by 7 pm (it was supposed to arrive at 5:50 pm), we would head to Hanoi and reorganize our tour from there. Don’t forget, it was extremely hot, and our clothes were soaked, so we weren’t exactly at our best. Around 6:20 pm, a minibus arrived, and the driver asked if we were Giuseppina and Martina. Still, we were the only ones waiting. After confirming our names, he took us to the “office” to check in and wait for the sleeper bus that would take us to Sapa. The office was a small roadside place with chairs and fans that didn’t help much. They took our passport numbers and told us the bus would arrive around 7 pm. Still a bit puzzled by how everything somehow works out, we, exhausted from the heat, sat on tiny benches and waited by the roadside. Another person arrived who was also taking the same bus. Around 7 pm, the much-anticipated bus arrived. Inside, it was freezing, and there were only sleeper berths. They gave us two, and we finally lay down, heading to Sapa. Meanwhile, the hotel informed us that they would leave the keys on the reception desk because we would arrive too late for them to wait for us. The bus was super modern and comfortable if you are small like me; otherwise, you wouldn’t fit lying down in the berths. It was already night, and the road to Sapa is long. They told us it would take about 5 hours, but we arrived at the hotel at 1:30 am. A week before our arrival, Typhoon Yogi had hit the area, and landslides were visible. The road is partly mountainous and narrow, and I must say I was scared watching the bus climb the mountain.

I already wrote about Sapa previously, so I’ll move on to our departure for Ha Long Bay. We took a minibus from Sapa at 2 PM to arrive in Hanoi in the evening and then left with the organized transfer the next morning. I didn’t want to take the sleeper bus again and spend 7-9 hours on the bus to get to the Bay. It was an excellent decision. Jenny from the hotel in Sapa had organized everything: transfer and hotel in Hanoi, transfer to the Bay, one-night cruise, and transfer to Ninh Binh the following day. They are very organized; we didn’t understand how they do it. You pay everything in Sapa at the hotel, and they distribute the money to everyone else? Who knows. Anyway, it works. You don’t have to do anything, just follow the instructions. There are hostesses with your name on a sheet who guide you or rather move you from one place to another. You feel like a package. We paid about €200 each for everything (the cruise alone was about €115).

Ha Long Bay is incredible. We were lucky to have a corner room with two huge windows at the front and side, a very comfortable bed, a nice bathroom with a tub, shower, and air conditioning. We had a great time, but always remember that outside the air-conditioned areas, the humidity is overwhelming, so you tend to stay inside. We went outside in the evening after dinner with a nice cold fruit cocktail :)

The consequences of the typhoon are tangible. Many boats are half-sunken, and there are many pieces of floating polystyrene in the water. Unfortunately, it wasn’t possible to see the Bay in its full splendor, but it was a beautiful experience, perhaps even more touching due to the state of emergency. On the ship, we ate decently. Drinks were not included, and a bottle of wine cost €40, which we obviously didn’t buy, but everything else was well organized, and we also learned how to make “Summer rolls” (there was a waitress who was always in a hurry to clear the table even if you hadn’t finished ;). Anyway, after a beautiful night in the bay and a hearty breakfast-brunch, they took us back to the mainland with a smaller boat. Everything proceeds well-timed with schedules and transports over which you, as a wandering package, have no influence. What is never missing is water. Wherever you are, on buses, in hotels, or if you take an organized tour, the first thing they give you is a bottle of water. The reason is naturally the risk of dehydration. You sweat all the time, your clothes are always wet if you are outside, and if you move, you sweat liters. I’m not exaggerating; the humidity reaches up to 90%, usually around 75%. Actually, if there is a fan nearby, you realize that the temperature is not that high, but as soon as you move…

After Ha Long Bay, at the dock, there was a hostess waiting for us who asked for our names and then told us to wait for our bus to Ninh Binh, which would arrive shortly. The bus arrived just as Giusy lit her usual cigarette. I don’t know how many cigarettes she threw away on this trip. We left around noon and arrived in Ninh Binh in the rainy afternoon. They dropped us off at the bus office (I don’t know how to describe it), and from there, a taxi took us to the hotel (not included in the price but cost about €3). As soon as we arrived, it started pouring, a summer downpour, just to be clear. Here it must be normal. The hotel structure is very beautiful but empty, no restaurant or SPA as described on Booking. We later understood that it is low season, and they keep it open just if someone books. However, it also has a beautiful garden and a pool, but it is far from everything, so we had to move to eat with the receptionist named Fritz, who took us for triple what a taxi would cost, but we had no choice, and anyway, it was about €10.

The next day, we went to the Trang An river, visited the Bai Dinh Temple, and I climbed a hill to see Hoa Lu from above (never again). The tour was organized by Get Your Guide, and they picked us up at the hotel at 9 AM and brought us back at 6 PM. I sweated there as if there was no tomorrow. Anyway, it was beautiful. Here, to enter the temples, you have to cover your knees and take off your shoes.

We left a day earlier than planned, heading to Hanoi because the weather didn’t look promising, and we had done what we wanted to do.

From Ninh Binh, we took the train to Hanoi, which was an experience from another dimension. First, there was no one at the station, so we doubted a train would come. There were two tracks (still closed when we arrived), and it wasn’t clear which track was for Hanoi, but the direction was clear: there were only two possibilities, Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh. To our surprise, the station eventually filled up (about ten people), and the train arrived slowly but on time, and it arrived in Hanoi just as punctually, passing through the city center with buildings just a meter away. We had taken second class, which seemed like our fourth class, but we arrived, took a taxi, and reached the Lavander Hotel, which I recommend. It has very comfortable and clean beds, is in a good location, and is inexpensive. The next day, we booked a walking food tour, which was very interesting and delicious, and the guide was very nice.

We finished our Vietnam tour on September 23rd and flew to Bangkok.

In conclusion, I can say that from what I saw of Vietnam, it didn’t blow me away. Definitely interesting, and we certainly saw very little, but I would return perhaps only to visit the islands. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see the coastal part.