First stop: Hanoi.
We saw Vietnamese landmarks like the one pillar pagoda in Hanoi...
...met dead Vietnamese nationalist heroes like Uncle Ho Chi Minh...
...had our first motorbike taxi ride in our lives...
...watched the traditional water puppet show...
...attempted to attend a Catholic service at St Joseph's on Saturday night, but decided to leave after 10 minutes because we couldn't understand a word they were saying...
...watched an exciting cockfighting session opposite the iconic Văn Miếu...
...slept in beautiful and clean hostels...
...ate the famous Vietnamese phở bò or beef noodles...
...before leaving for beautiful Halong Bay.
Halong Bay, meaning descending dragon, is a UNESCO world heritage site with thousands of limestone islands and isles.
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The view at Halong Bay was breath-taking and the cool winter sea breeze, perfect.
We also visited a grotto on one of the islands. Can you spot the obscene piece of stone?
That's me relaxing on the deck of our junk.
After returning to Hanoi, we took the night train to Lào Cai and transferred to Sapa. My brother hated the train ride because it was too noisy and too crammed for him. I, on the other hand, loved my rocking bed and cosy corner.
Sapa is a small town where the non-Viet minorities stay. They live in villages and plant rice for a living.
This is a Black Hmong lady.
We trekked 12km and 6km on our two day Sa Pa trip...
...held on to our dear lives while crossing valleys...
...encountered village animals close up...
...chewed on sugarcane like hungry monkeys...
...and I tried to marry my brother away into the Sa Pa villages. Apparently, grooms-to-be have to pay about 8 million dong to the family of his bride, or give 2 buffaloes as a bridal gift.
Finally, we really walked a lot during this trip in our attempt to save some cab money. Thank God for the Hanoi trip. =D
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