It's an amazing thing to travel the world but it's even more amazing when you get to enjoy it with family! Chris' parents, Jim and Jocelyne, joined us recently in Hanoi, Vietnam for a few days! We stayed in the old quarter which is made up of chaotic old streets filled with shops, markets and restaurants and the most intense traffic you'll find anywhere. We got very good at dodging traffic, it's nuts. Hanoi is an interesting city with French, Chinese and traditional vietnamese architecture tied together with a lake in the city centre offering a fantastic spot to relax and take romantic strolls. Jim and Joce had been in Hanoi for a few days be the time we arrived so they took us to a couple of their favorite spots including a pub on the lake. The next morning we packed up and took a 4 hour bus ride together to Halong Bay! When we finally arrived to the port we were taken to our home for the night. We stayed on a junk ship iconic in Halong Bay for it's unique sails. The tour director was fantastic and everything was timed and organized impressively well. The cruise through Halong took us through the unique rock formations that makes the region famous. It's absolutely stunning here, very other wordly. It was a bit foggy but still incredibly impressive. We made our way to a cave formation which required a good number of stairs but was well worth it. Inside the caves there are two impressive caverns with massive rock formations carved out by water over time. They've done an interesting job lighting the interior to give the cave a colourful, almost tacky appearance but was fun to walk through. The entrance and exit to the cave also offered some great photo ops over Halong Bay. There are hundreds if not thousands of people in Halong daily with nearly 200 junk boats like ours available in the area not to mention the day trip boats popular with local Vietnamese. Despite these masses of people it's still incredibly enjoyable and doesn't have that tourist trap vibe to it that you might expect. The next morning we were treated to 6:30am sunrise Tai Chi on the roof. Can't say any of us were particularly well coordinated but it was a nice way to wake up! After breakfast we headed out for a kayak! Seeing Halong Bay in a kayak has to be the best part our time here. Being at water level gives you a much better appreciation for the size of the huge lime stone rocks scattered about. During our ride back to port we had a quick cooking class of spring rolling. I think I'm a natural at it. After another 4 hour drive back we had 1 more day to enjoy together before heading our separate ways. We decided the next afternoon to hire a tuk tuk bus to give us a tour. Definitely a fun way to see the buzzing old Hanoi without having to dodge traffic! That afternoon we headed out to the airport together and said our fare wells. Jim and Jocelyne headed over to Siem Reap and we headed to Luang Prabang.
2 Comments
Crista
12/11/2016 11:57:25 pm
You make me want to travel--a feeling that is foreign to me. Miss your faces!!
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Erin
12/24/2016 03:25:11 am
Meeting up with familiar faces in foreign lands is always a blast! Great shots of the cave and Halong bay - cool idea to see it all by kayak!
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