6.26.2007

Hanoi Highlights : Halong Bay

6-Jun
0530am reached Hanoi Pho Ga & Viet Tea breakfast at street side stall (eating Viet style)
Took taxi to Handspan's office (Tamarind Café) at Ma May street
0800hr van ride (approx 3 hr, 160km) to Halong City, stopover at souveniers/rest area
1200hr boarded Dragon's Pearl boat for lunch (meals on board rating "good")
Cruise along Halong Bay, sunbathing at boat upper deck, swimming at an island
After dinner, watching stars on boat upper deck and chitchatting

7-Jun
Breakfast at boat deck, enjoying scenery
Visit Amazing Cave (Hang Sung Sot, ie. Hang=Cave, SungSot=amazing)
Back to Hanoi

pho ga (chicken noodle) breakfast near the train station
road side stall selling pho (rice noodle)
waiting at Handspan Travel agent office (Tamarind Cafe, Ma May street)
View of Tamarind Cafe interior

View of Tamarind Cafe exterior
a woman selling flowers at streetside (ma may street)
On the dragon junk boat @ HalongBayView of Halong Bay
on the deck of dragon junk boat

View of Halong BayFishing village in Halong Bay
Fishing village in Halong BayFishing village in Halong Bay
Fishing boatSunset @ Halong Bay
Morning view of Halong Bay
The dragon junk boat "Dragon's Pearl" that we stayed on
Jetty at Hang Sung Sot
Group photo @ Hang Sung Sot
At jetty
Inside Hang Sung Sot Caves
View from atop Hang Sung Sot
Our tour guide (in blue shirt)

6.25.2007

Hanoi Highlights : Sapa 2

4-Jun
Hike up to top of mountain in Sapa town with Nix, flower & rock gardens
Dinner at Viet-French restaurant along the main street
Walkaround the streets shopping
Enjoy beer and fries opposite of hotel

5-Jun
2+ hours walk through Sapa valleys, villages and plantation fields Lunch at hotel (rating "good")
Walkaround town, bought lychees, peaches, plums
Foot massage VDN 70,000 pp
2015hr night train back to Hanoi




Exotic medicine wines
close up of wine (cobra inside)
View on the top of Sapa hill
after climbing up

view of sapa town from hilltop
Costume rental shop on Sapa hilltop
Tea break at Sapa hilltop
Entrance to the Sapa hilltop
Walking thru the valleys
View of valleys
River gushing thru the valley
the 3 little black pigs
The villagers
makeshift classroom in the village
soft stone carvings
ducks in a pondvillage view
Village map board
going for foot massage

6.22.2007

Hanoi Highlights : Sapa

3-June
1650hr flight from LCCT to NoiBai airport, Hanoi
approx 30mins drive from NoiBai to train station
2110hr night train to LaoCai
0700hr reached LaoCai


4-June

Breakfast at LaoCai's train stn surrounding restaurant
1-hour drive up to Sapa hills
Tian Men (3,000+ ft above sea level), enjoy FanSiPan mountains scenery
Silver Waterfall on the way down to Sapa town
Check in Green Bamboo Sapa Hotel, french-styled room with valleys view
Lunch at Viet-French restaurant upper side of Sapa town
Walkaround Sapa Market, Stone Church, Sapa streets


on the night train to LaoCai Lao Cai train station in the morning
Heaven's Gate at Sapa

Street side stalls' wares

Silver Waterfall Silver Waterfall


street stalls at Silver Waterfallhotel balcony view of Sapa
In front of hotelGreen Bamboo Sapa Hotel
Sapa main street leading to hotelSapa tribe children playing

Stone church & square

Women folks selling fruits

Sapa Market

Traditional clothings in Sapa Market


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