Hanoi - return from Ha Long

Before leaving the hotel we went for a walk in the forest and came across two local farmers who invited us up the track to their farm,It was hidden in a secluded valley in the hills. They did offer some food but sadly we had to get back to the hotel but what loverly people.

The trip back to Hanoi was pretty uneventful, great hydrofoil boat to Ha Phong City and then a bus back.

The original hotel was full so we wandered around until we found a very nice hotel on one of the main streets Maison D’Hanoi – expensive for here but a great nights sleep!

Walked up to Ho Chi Mins mausoleum but found it was shut.  This man really is the hero of the nation, much like Gandhi in India.  They still refer to him as though he was still alive.  After reading the history section of the guide book about the birth of Vietnam though the centuries and the struggles with the  Chinese, French and Americans in the 20^th century you can see why.

We got chatted up by a local, Mr Doan, who said he was a guide and after some negotiation – limited as we’re not very good at it, we ended up on a tour of the city by moped – it was an absolute hoot! We rode close enough to pass the camera to each other and also close enough to hear Mr Doan commentary whenever we rode past a place of interest. The junctions were not for the fainthearted - knees and elbows in to avoid a collision!

We visited several museums and artisan workshops before going a a very “local” lunch before being dropped back off in the city centre. Don carries a little notebook of recommendations that the tourists have written about him and he deserved the praise. We never did find out what his mate was called.  What a great afternoon.

Now waiting to catch the night train up to Sa Pa the mountainous northern area which is apparently inhabited by lots of different ethnic Vietnamese.