Breakfast was ready at 7 AM. We had a bit to eat and left the island at 8 AM as planned. We'd been awake early thanks to the heavy rain and thunder starting at around 6 AM effectively ruling out any chance of a last morning swim. Rain or not it was too cold anyway.
The transfer back to the big ship took just over two hours, then we were back on the cruise ship meeting a few of the other guys from yesterday catching up on how they've had it on the ship. Our attention was quickly drawn towards the chef from the boat introducing us to our "cooking class" - or - "how to roll a Vietnamese spring roll". So we had spring rolls for early lunch and the rest of the food for the lunch buffet arrived a little later. We managed to have lunch on the boat before arriving at the harbour in Ha Long Bay around 12 - and then waiting for about 30 minutes to disembark.
Back on the bus we headed the long way back to Hanoi stopping at another bizarre souvenir supermarket, the ones where you can buy everything from t-shirts and magnets to 10 ton granite and marble Buddha's - (they have them on display!).
All we wanted was to get back on the bus and back to Hanoi as fast as possible. Eventually we made it back to the old quarter and asked to be dropped off as soon as possible, not wanting to spend 30 minutes going round and dropping people off at some odd hotels. So we walked back through rush hour Hanoi, got to the hotel, had a new room - this time with balcony - and rested for a while before going out for dinner.
Jen was also in Hanoi, her last evening before heading back to the US, so we met up with her, went looking for dinner and found an odd local place where the food was good and the service was crap but there was a nice atmosphere. And then the Welsh guys from the boat suddenly dropped by and we all headed for a bar for beers and solving world matters. And more beers. Giving Jen a big goodbye hug - and a see you soon hug as well.
Tomorrow is going to be nothing but relaxing. And a bit of shopping it seems.
The transfer back to the big ship took just over two hours, then we were back on the cruise ship meeting a few of the other guys from yesterday catching up on how they've had it on the ship. Our attention was quickly drawn towards the chef from the boat introducing us to our "cooking class" - or - "how to roll a Vietnamese spring roll". So we had spring rolls for early lunch and the rest of the food for the lunch buffet arrived a little later. We managed to have lunch on the boat before arriving at the harbour in Ha Long Bay around 12 - and then waiting for about 30 minutes to disembark.
Back on the bus we headed the long way back to Hanoi stopping at another bizarre souvenir supermarket, the ones where you can buy everything from t-shirts and magnets to 10 ton granite and marble Buddha's - (they have them on display!).
All we wanted was to get back on the bus and back to Hanoi as fast as possible. Eventually we made it back to the old quarter and asked to be dropped off as soon as possible, not wanting to spend 30 minutes going round and dropping people off at some odd hotels. So we walked back through rush hour Hanoi, got to the hotel, had a new room - this time with balcony - and rested for a while before going out for dinner.
Jen was also in Hanoi, her last evening before heading back to the US, so we met up with her, went looking for dinner and found an odd local place where the food was good and the service was crap but there was a nice atmosphere. And then the Welsh guys from the boat suddenly dropped by and we all headed for a bar for beers and solving world matters. And more beers. Giving Jen a big goodbye hug - and a see you soon hug as well.
Tomorrow is going to be nothing but relaxing. And a bit of shopping it seems.
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| Cold, rainy - and still beautiful |
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| Cooking class - roll |
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| "Homemade" |
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| Fusion food |
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| Souvenir supermarket - furniture section |
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| Waiting for the bus to pick us up |
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| Our bus delivering two big bags of fresh clams. Why not |
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| Meeting up with Jen |
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| Not winning the beer game |
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| Dinner and Tuborg |
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