Hanoi day 4

Today suppose to visit some place then go back to hanoi but the man who provide wrong information to the boat location and timing screw us up big time. We woke up at 6am but supposing to catch the 7am boat to iceland but we was taken to the wrong harbour which will not be operational till 2pm. Screw up. We had to take a 2 hour bus ride to another harbour. 

Halong was surprisingly a more colorful and vibrant city compared to hanoi. Took some really nice picture. 

This is a crop from a paranoma shot. I just love this shot. So many things and tell so many stories like that. Okie la. I a bit overthink things. Around 12 noon we take off in one of the boat to iceland. 

Okie. Now i realise i am not going to iceland. But goingn to an island. I see. 

That is a sky view taken outside our new hotel. The hotel are newly built and all facilities are working nice and renovation done up. 

In this island which is restricted to foreigner. I was told not to speak a single words to the local. Something like shutter island. When some local speak to me i just ignore them. Sandy explain that i am a viet named minh. her brother and i am mute with some mental problem. Ask them not to speak to me. Lol. 

We rent 2 motorbike and ride our way through the jungle to the mini harbour. It is like going thru an island to another smaller island. There were told to be stone look alike again. 

The boat stop over at an island. With only 3 of us. Not counting the driver. We started to cam whore. 

All the stone we took resemble some kind of animal. For you to excerise ur imgination. 

For the sun is setting. The sky gets really dark after 6pm

Head back to hotel to get our seafood dinner then head back to base to rest. 

Hanoi day 3

Day 3 woke up at 6am and prepare to go halong bay which will be 4 hours drive away from hanoi. Recommended by the locals and clp so its on my top list although its expensive. 

The bus trip took so long we watched huo yuan jia and god of gambler 2 movies and i listen music and sleep so many times in the bus. 

Inside the cave is just some artifical lightning and i don't really know how to apreciate the nature wonder. 

Thanks sandy for being the tour guide and ask me to randomly crash into other tour group to heard what they say. End up i crashed into a japanese group. 

On the boat they brought us around the ocean to see some stones that the local said represent something. Just like the one printed on vietnam dong. The actual stone the actual spot where they took the picture for the notes. I don't find it fantinating to me. 

The stone above is said to be a man and women kissing. Well you need to use a little imagination here. Well they say our imagination is limitless. 

Me and tracy tried kakaying to some hidden spot like you need to pass thru some hole to reach them. We found the zao cai mao in one os the holes. 

Can you see the "cat" with its tail??

The setting sun is nice but only near evening. 夕阳无限好，只是近黄昏。

At night they promise to bring me seafood because we skid lunch on the boat because it is just simply too much. Too expensive. 1kg fish is 750,000 dong. The 2 kg fish cost us around $100 sgd. crazy. 

Its too late we had to lodge at halong. Went shop some nation for tomorrow. They stuff my bag full of combat nation like as if we were refugee. 

Hanoi day 2

Day 2 should deserve a title of it own cause there are so many checklist in a day. The most promient is the task to test the SNAKE! Yes i had finally accomplished snake challenge. We met up during lunch at my hotel and set off to a deserted location quite far away in seeking of the legendary snake meat. And that shop is popular in hanoi. We were presented 3 option ranging from 1mil or 1.2mil or 1.7mil for the king cobra. We chose the 1mil $60 sgd equivelent.

Preparing snake is a long list but i guess i can wrap up by post a video. Which helps to speak a thousand words.

Before the snake parts are out in dishes you got 3 items out. The beating heart, red blood and green bile which surprising is a very nice green looking liquid. 

All in all i can't really taste anything thru all the snake disk except the snake fillet ginger fried. The snake meat is tender but not too grewy and it tast better than it looks. 

The mid day is hanging out with sandy and her husband at a cafe just beside the duck rides. 

At night i took tracy motor and ride her to the famous lake. It takes a lot of courage being pillion behind me. Somemore the vietnam crazy jam and traffic. Moreover tracy front brake was not respondsive. Tip riding inn vietnam is you gonna be decisive. Make your intention clear, the rest is up to the experienced rider out there to give way to u. Ignore traffic light, ignore traffic direction. Just follow what the front rider is doing. I am impressed with myself doing things so out of the box. 

I praying for coconut worm. The restruant called and told us that the worm had arrived. We went down and i got to try out the exotic live coconut worms. 

The komodo dragon is not for feast. Display but is a live pet. 

The coconut looks hard to swallow and for a hardcore exotic food eater. I do face some problem stuff the wriggling worm inside my mouth. My first try i got too gentle with it and it bite my mouth when it is on my tongue. I split out the whole muthufucker. I attempt to bite off the head first but the body is so chewy i can't split it apart. Plus the body liquid just spirt out like a bad ass. After seperating the head from its body. It still wriggle there for 1 hour. 

We finish at 11:45pm and they have to ride back on the empty street 1 hour away back home. Poor things. 

Hanoi day 1

Just touch down airport and i am angry with myself for not checking in luggage caused me delay and additional cost to post my item back to singapore. My expensive facial form and the 5 toothpaste gonna be quick post back to home. 

It is the 3rd time i go oversea alone and expect some people just turn up at airport to fetch me. And this time like previous 2 time. I moment i exit arrival somebody is here welcoming me. So lucky. 

Tracy still have to work so sandy was tasked to accompany me for day 1. I headed to hotel then exchange some money and off to get my duck egg first. Followed by the rooftop to have a tea break. 

Hotel i booked thaison and i do not really like the place even it has a rating of 83 on agoda. Bathtub too small and cramp. Lobby kinda smell funny. The sliver lining is that the staff speak english and extremely funny and friendly. Got a free upgrade to superior room. 

Street food is good and tasty if you can reqlly overlook all the cleaniness issue. I think they are better than thai. Maybe personal preference. 

Rushed thru 3 place of interest. First we went visit the first university of hanoi and i am surprise to find that the teaching was in chinese. A lot of pretty syt at the uni taking graduation shot. Second place is the famous lake at the center of hanoi which was rumoured that a sword was taken from the emperor by a turtle to the sea dragon lord within the lake. A lot of couple taking wedding ahot near the lake. 

Dinner for pho cuon and stop over at a random themed cafe and then head to the famous night market similar to bugis street. My impression of night market had further detoriate due to repretation and imitation of stuff. Absolutely nothing to buy at all night market. 

Pho cuon is popular in hanoi. Hcm had their version in rice paper. Both are nice in their own ways. 

Unlike HCM where u can party late. Hanoi is very strict with crefew and all stire closes latest by 11pm. Police will be on patrol.