Penang to Bangkok to Hanoi Vietnam (plane, train, plane)

Leaving Borneo

We left Borneo and flew to Penang, which worked out pretty well because we were there in November and really wanted to spend more time so now we had 3 nights/days to explore. The standard of food was good and cheap due to a huge Indian influence, which suited us (so roti canai for breakfast).

Street art still prolific and some magnificent buildings. A good time was had by all. Next destination Hanoi, Vietnam, but first we had to get to Bangkok. It worked out that it was over £300 cheaper to take the train so we did. Yet again it was a fantastic way to travel, the Minis loved it . We left Penang at 14.30 and arrived in Bangkok 11.00am the following day. The bottom seats turned into Queen size beds so Clare had Scarlett and I had Joe. Sam informed us that he was an independent sleeper so he had a smaller top bunk. If we were more organised (we are not but it is our chosen method} it would be great to do most of your traveling this way, but unfortunately they often get booked weeks in advance, we on the other hand only work on the next couple of days itinery.

We arrived in Bangkok and went back to our favourite hotel  The Malaysia. We put our luggage in our room and went out for a bite to eat  at a local café just around the corner, ahhhhhhhhhhhh the joys of Thai food, I still think it is the best. Meal for 5 just under £10!

This space was just for one person, this is the way to travel, as they say let the train take the strain !!!!!!!!!!!!!

These ones escaped us last time, street art Penang style 1.

Penang, street art 2.

Penang, street art 3.

Up at 03:40 – poor minis didn’t know what hit em. Early flight from Bangkok.

Arrived at Hanoi International Airport at 08:30 but didn’t get to leave it til  after 10:30. Why? Beaurocracy! Visa! And our old favourite, the Queue! If you’ve previously obtained an “approval letter” you can get a Vietnamese visa on arrival.  Sounds simple enough. However, (and there had to be one) the “system” wasn’t working too well and there was a whole bunch of people waiting. Luckily I had rushed off the plane and so our passports would at least be near the top of the pile when the authorities came to our flight.

So the procedure is that you go past the desk that looks like it is the desk you want, to a desk at the other end of the glass office. Give in your letter of approval and your passports and make your way back to the first desk where you stand and stare hopefully, to catch someone’s eye to give in a completed entry form and photos (passport type not holiday snaps). Then you wait, and tut, and huff, and roll your eyes and complain to other foreigners how ridiculous it all is, until your name is called out.  Made it! Almost. Pay  the fee of 45 dollars each and you’re off…………to a really, really long queue at passport control. After about an hour and a half in a boiling hot room with no access to water we, and most others, were looking and feeling somewhat fed up  (to put it politely). AND THEN…….. A modern day miracle…… Joe had wrapped  himself round some metal gate thing near the front and was looking “fed up”. An extremely officious looking guard came marching up to him and I think said “where’s your parents?”  In vietnamese and in a very shouty way. We fessed up, he was ours. Paul was standing somewhere else and I was in the queue about 30 people back. Scarlett and Sam were sat on the floor somewhere.  Paul and I both thought little Joe was in trouble. This guard called us over in a very authoritative way and basically frog marched us to the front of the queue. I think both Paul and I thought we were to be shot at dawn but no, instead this bloke shouted at a few people and demanded we went through next. I looked very apologetically at the sea of people now behind me, but I wasn’t going to argue with this guy (and neither was Paul) . I thanked the guard who made no eye contact or dent in his stern face. We’d made it through the battle line that is Passport Control. Our lift was still waiting for us so off we went to Hanoi.

Hanoi.

We are staying at the POSH HOTEL, 2 rooms, TV, air con and a mini bar all for $48 per night not forgetting breakfast !!!  We spent the first 24 hours just walking around exploring the old quarter were we are based. It is really completely different from the other Asian cities, there is a huge street culture of people selling their wares, chatting over tea, eating lunch or just chilin on a stool. Their whole lives revolve around the small area outside their shop/home, they use it as an extension of their homes. Clare, the Minis and I sat on the pavement one lunchtime to eat noodle soup freshly prepared infront of us for  70p per bowl. Evenings can be spent yet again sitting on the pavement drinking local beer for 20-30p per glass, obviously this pastime is quite popular, but its great just sitting there people watching.

Street food Vietnam style.

Day 3 – First we decided to go to the Vietnam Military History Museum. It was really fascinating seeing the other side of the propaganda coin, especially after all the US films I have seen. Obviously their take on events are the opposite of the gun hoe Americans but that is expected. Inside the museum they have a lot of memorabilia from the battlefield most of which has the caption ”THIS WAS USED TO KILL OUR COMMRADES” it looked strange on a comb but hay-ho!!!!  In the grounds it was great, it was like a huge outdoor trophy cabinet, planes, tanks, rocket launchers a helicopter and a monument constructed out of aircraft parts that had been blasted out of the sky. I just stood there in amazement the Minis loved it. The strange thing about it was that previously that day at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum you couldn’t even cut a corner on the roadway without a camp looking soldier boy signaling at you to get out of the NO ENTRY ZONE but here if it was an American  tank          the Minis could clamber all over it, and they did.

Dont they look butch? Compton Street here we come, watch out boys!!!!!!

The Minis couldn’t believe they could clamber all over the exhibits, they could only if they were American.

Second trip was to Hao Lo prision affectionately known by the American pows as the Hanoi Hilton !! this is where all the US pilots were taken once captured. It was  built by the French in the 1880’s to house the Vietnamese revolutionists. Before we went I had a quick read up on wikipedia  so I new how  the Americans felt about it. As you can imagine it was awful, rationing or contaminated food with human/animal excrement, torture, beatings, isolation, it had it all, so in we went. Firstly you walk around the inner rooms, which have been turned into a museum with display cases housing exhibits, all about the French who first used it hold/execute all their political prisoners. Next usage came during Vietnam war same type of thing as the previous museum but with the added visual treat of some photograph of the pows playing basketball/volleyball and football in the courtyards with the caption of “we made sure they had plenty of exercise and play time to make their stay as pleasant as possible “ also photos of them decorating a christmas tree and sitting down at a large dressed table ready to tuck in to their Christmas dinner “we also provided them with Christmas cheer”

Propaganda is amazing, you just don’t now who to believe !!!!!!!!!!!! The last place was the actual cells that were used to incarcerate people along with solid steel shackles that they wore. Small, dark and horrific I cant imagine what it must have been like. We all enjoyed it.

Hanoi Hilton.

That evening we went to the Water Puppet theatre, got there at 4.55 took last 5 tickets for the 5 o’clock show. What a great experience. We had front row seats which were wicked infront of a large pool of water, the puppeteers move there puppets from the rear /side of the stage from behind blinds, It must take a huge amount of practice and skill to move them around the pool. At one point there must have been 20 puppets moving around the pool, it lasted about 50 minutes which was enough we all thoroughly enjoyed it.

Water puppet show.

Clare booked us on a 2 day 1 night boat trip to one of the new wonders of the world Ha Long Bay. It was a 4 hour bus ride to get to our boat which was short for us. We arrived at about 1 o’clock along with 100s of other people and were transferred onto a small water taxis which took us to our boat for the 2 day trip. The Minis yet again were over excited when we got on board. They had their own cabin with 3 single beds. To them that was luxury. Sam said it was the best bedroom that he had stayed in this trip.

The Minis very own cabin.

We had lunch and met our fellow guests (20 including us) that were to be with us for the next 2 days and then headed off straight to a cave ( Hang Sun Sot ) along with 30 – 40 other boats. We moored up and had a short climb up to the entrance, torches in hand again we went in  ( I don’t think Clare was really looking forward to it, don’t know why???????). The torches were not necessary due to the fact that the cave was lit up like  Christmas lights, it was more like santas grotto which was a shame. What with the sheer volume of people and poor Tony trying to make the whole experience interesting I couldn’t wait to get out !!!!!!!  Next was the promised kayaking experience so back on the boat and a 10-minute punt to a floating fishing village (along with the other flotilla of boats) that also rented kayaks as a sideline. I wasn’t that fused about doing it but the Minis were up for it so in I got in with Sam, Clare with Joe and Scarlett paried with a German guy we met on our boat. We paddled around a couple of limestone pinnacles, which in the allotted time as specified by Tony (1/2 hour) was quiet good. Back on the boat next stop the planned swim/beach experience we were literally 5 minutes from the beech location and so was everyone else. Oh my god, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. All around us were beautiful weather sculptured limestone islands, a supposed new wonder of the world  and some idiot has decided to import sand and make a beach/volleyball and 5 aside football pitch for the whole flotilla to descend on, it was hideous, they even had deckchairs and sunbeds to rent as well as 2 shops unbelievable !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They did have a path to the top of the island that we went up and the view was spectacular it’s a shame that one of the new 7 wonders of the world is being turned into a theme park.

Beautiful, but busy.

The Minis had a swim and back to the boat we went. We had dinner and went to bed. Next day we spent a couple of hours pootling about on the water  and then started to head back. On the return journey we were taken to see the iconic Ha Long Bay ‘TWO FIGHTING COCKS” pinnacles. For the life of me… I have heard of poetic license but come on, look at the photo yourself and see if you can see them because I cant!!!!!!!!!  Back to Hanoi for a few more pavement beer sessions, next stop Nihn Bihn only a couple of hours by bus. Even though the place was teeming with boats it was still a beautiful and fascinating area. Cant beat natures wonders.

Two cocks fighting ????????