Vietnam IV: Hanoi & Ha Long Bay

It took well over a year into my trip to reach Vietnam. I believe I stated in a previous entry that Vietnam is the Asia I envisioned when leaving home. This trend began with the canals in the Mekong Delta and continued though out the country. As a traveler Hanoi has to rank as one of the very best cities to visit in SE Asia. After having already been to more than a dozen major Asian cities, Hanoi is what I had been anticipating from the start, but never found.

Although under going name changes and restorations Hanoi has been a capital city for more than a thousand years since the Vietnamese gained independence from China in 938. 

The city is pure chaos.

 I need to get a tripod

Mmmm Durian

The real reason Hanoi is so great is that a draft beer on the street costs about 15 cents US

 Hoan Kiem Lake

Too funny to not take a picture

No stay in Hanoi is complete without taking a trip to Ha Long Bay, one of the top tourist attractions in all of SE Asia. I was excited my friend Susana I had met in Macau would join me for the trip to both Ha Long Bay and Sapa. In all honestly if you have a week in SE Asia the combination of Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Sapa is probably the best trip you can do in my opinion. 

I looked forward to visiting Ha Long Bay before leaving home but lowered my expectations due to stories of other travelers. I have heard more complaints about being ripped off and not getting what you pay for relating to Ha Long Bay than anywhere I think. In addition, I saw a couple pictures and it looks like the Andaman coast in Thailand

Short on time we booked a one night boat tour and it was nothing short of spectacular. I found Ha Long Bay to be absolutely unbelievable.

Ha Long Bay has roughly 2000 islets mostly made of limestone

The limestone in the bay has gone under 500 million years of formation changes

Spent the night with this view of the moon. Once again, a tripod would help

Sunrise

Slept on the deck of the boat. May have anyway but the presence of cockroaches in the room made it an easier decision. This did not deter from the trip at all, the boat was nice and scenery amazing

Could have happily spent another day or 2 hanging out on the deck drinking beer and cruising the bay

I do not remember the name of the cave

Next stop, the famous terraced rice fields of Sapa