Postcards from... Hòa Bình

When my teaching contract ended, I had one week in which to sightsee before heading back to the UK. First up was a three-day trip to Mai Châu, then a two-day trip to Hạ Long Bay, and finally a day trip with Ethnic Travel to the Hòa Bình province.

The driver picked us up outside our hotel at around 09:00 and then we were on our way. It didn't take long for the incessant noise of central Hà Nội to be left behind us. We gazed out of the window open-mouthed as the bulging streets gave way to open countryside – something I'd missed in my three months in the capital.

Our destination was the Hòa Bình province and, more specifically, Sông Đà (the Black River). Keen to see one last sight in Vietnam, I had picked the trip out of a catalogue, mainly because the pictures looked nice. I was not disappointed. It was every bit as stunning in reality as the pictures had led me to believe...


Mist over the Black River

Sheer perfection

What lies beneath...

A wooden shack and fishing trap

The boat dropped us off and left our guide to take us on a 5 km hike along mountainous tracks and paths used by the locals. The scenery was utterly breathtaking and to this day, I've never seen anything more beautiful than the Vietnamese countryside.

Goodbye boat

Starting our hike

Solitude

Peace and quiet

 

Another wooden shack and fishing trap

At the end of our hike, we walked down a steep slope towards the river to find the boat waiting for us. In our absence, the boat owners had prepared a feast of fish, vegetables, rice and meat. They barely touched the food themselves though, preferring to sit in a huddle watching us – three obvious foreigners – try and figure out what certain offerings contained and how to go about eating some things.

After lunch, we sat and talked while they slept. Then, the boat took us slowly down river where our driver was waiting to take us back to the noise and chaos of Hà Nội...

Postcards from... Hạ Long Bay

As both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Natural Wonders of the World, it's no wonder that Hạ Long Bay (which translates as "descending dragon bay") is high on people's 'must-see' lists.

Situated in the Gulf of Tonkin, Hạ Long Bay comprises some 1,600 huge limestone islands, which have been eroded over 20 million years. Some are hollow and home to enormous caves, one of the most well-known being Sung Sôt (Surprise Cave) on Bo Hòn Island. Some have amazing viewpoints, while others have beaches, although I believe these are man-made. At least the one I went to was.

We were bussed to Bai Cháy Tourist Wharf where we stood on a narrow ledge and waited impatiently for one of the rickety-looking boats to take us out to our cruising boat. The queue for boats was immense and, if I remember correctly, we stood there for quite a while.

 

The dirty wharf

 

Having survived my rickety boat ride through some very questionable water, I was pleasantly surprised by the style and cleanliness of the boat that I'd be calling home for the next two days. We were given some refreshments and then shown to our rooms. I dumped my stuff and went to grab a prime spot on the sun deck...

 

The sun deck

 

Entering Hạ Long Bay

One of a pair of carved dragons on the boat

And then we set sail, leaving the noisy, smelly, oily wharf behind. There were 'oohs' and 'aahs' as we caught sight of the karst formations for the first time. I must have taken hundreds of them, but thanks to losing my computer to someone who shall remain nameless, I now only have the few I'd uploaded to Facebook. They're far from the best shots I've ever taken, but they do at least give you some idea of what I experienced.

The first of many karst formations

Getting closer

After about an hour and a half on-board, we made our first stop. The boat docked close to Bo Hòn Island. We were taken to shore in a small boat, rather similar to the one we'd used at the wharf. From there it was a steep climb to Sung Sôt (Surprise Cave). Without a tripod, it was too dark in the cave to get any decent shots, but the views across the Bay more than made up for the lack of interior pictures.

Looking back at the boat... just to make sure it was still there



Another boat

 

Inside the cave



Tourists at the viewpoint

View across the Bay

Back on the boat and we continued on our journey, heading for Ti Tốp Island. Once ashore, half the group rushed to sit on the rather unimpressive man-made beach. I failed to see the appeal, preferring to climb the 427 steps to the summit (I didn't realise there were quite so many!). Having huffed and puffed up the seemingly never-ending steps, I finally reached the top and was rewarded with amazing views of misty karst formations...

Another view of the boat

The disappointing man-made beach

 

Proving that the best things come to those who climb...

Back on the boat as evening draws in

It seems so long ago now that I can't remember where the boat docked for the night. I do remember being slightly disappointed when I woke up and realised that I was heading back to Hà Nội that day. I would have loved to have stayed longer, but doing so would mean not being able to take my final tour – a visit to Hòa Bình. So, as we made our way back to the wharf, I gazed out to sea, trying to capture every last view...

 

Leaving the Bay

One of the carved figureheads

If I ever make it back to Vietnam, a longer trip to Hạ Long Bay is definitely on the cards. I barely even scratched the surface with my one-night tour.

Postcards from... Mai Châu

Around 160km (99.5 miles) south of Hanoi in the Hòa Bình province lies the rural district of Mai Châu. I'd never even heard of it, but a colleague who'd been living in Vietnam far longer than I had convinced me to go. I can't put into words how glad I am that I did, because to this day it remains the lushest, greenest, most beautiful place I've ever seen. And as if that weren't enough, I got to take a boat trip down the equally stunning Sông Yên (Yen River).

To get there, I opted to take this tour with Ethnic Travel, partly because I wasn't sure how else to do it, and partly because I liked what they stood for – environmentally, culturally and socially responsible tourism.

Our guide, who spoke excellent English, was very friendly and incredibly knowledgeable. But the thing I liked most about him was that he was so passionate about his country. He talked to us about history, local customs and the hill tribes who lived in the Hòa Bình Province. He also went out of his way to point out little things we'd otherwise have missed, such as the lotus flowers at the side of the road, and he even stopped the car to allow us photo-taking time. And take photos I did. This is definitely an area of Vietnam I'd like to see more of.

Lotus leaves in front of a rice paddy en route to the Perfume Pagoda



Close-up of a lotus flower



Boats on the Yen River



Peace and tranquility



First look at the Mai Châu valley



Happy child riding a buffalo



The view I woke up to



Terraced rice paddies



Ploughing the fields the old-fashioned way

Postcards from... Tam Cốc

Thanks to my crappy timetable, it was weeks before I saw anything outside Hà Nội. But in the meantime, I'd done loads of research, so when the time finally came, I knew exactly where I wanted to go and which operator I wanted to use. All the guide books gave this particular operator great reviews, their website was slick and professional... so what could possibly go wrong? Ha!

You know when you see a picture of a dish on a menu and then the meal comes and it's nothing like the picture? Well, this particular tour operator (who shall remain nameless) was like the disappointing meal. The staff were not friendly and they certainly weren't helpful. I enquired about a day trip to Hoa Lư (The Ancient Capital) which is priced at a steepish US$65pp (£41.50/€52) for a group trip. They laughed as they told me that not only did they have any group trips for the coming Thursday or Friday, but they had nothing for the next three weeks... However, they could take me on my own for the bargain price of US$135 (£86/€108) – more than it would cost for TWO people! Look, I may be a foreigner, and by virtue of that I may have money at my disposal but that is beyond a rip-off. Enraged, I left, still tourless.

So, the next day, having done some more research, I ventured into another office, which, at the time, was right opposite the Tour Operator Who Shall Remain Nameless, and enquired about a trip to Hoa Lư and Tam Cốc. And this is what I got: Sure. No problem. When would you like to go? Next Thursday? OK. You can join a group. That will be US$25. US$25?! (£16/€19) When across the road I was being held to ransom for US$135?! It was a no-brainer. I booked and paid for the tour on the spot.

Lotus leaves on the Ngô Đồng River

Known as "Hạ Long Bay on land", Tam Cốc (meaning 'three caves') is a section of the Ngô Đồng River that runs from the village of Văn Lâm through a scenic landscape of rice paddies and karst formations. Our trip involved a three-hour boat ride along the river, floating past lotus leaves, fishermen at work and of course, the three natural caves – Hang Cả, Hang Hai, and Hang Ba.


Since it was so hot, the boat people made the hat-less wear lotus leaves – I got the giggles every time I looked at this guy!



The first of the three caves

A woman fishing



The second of the three caves

The now sun-dried lotus leaf hat



The third and final cave

Life on the river

I took hundreds of photos on my three-hour boat ride, but sadly, the only ones I have left are the few medium-resolution ones I uploaded to Facebook. And to add insult to injury, they aren't even that good! Nonetheless, I think they give some impression of how lovely that part of the world was.

Postcards from... Hà Nội

It was late spring 2010 and I had just retrained as an EFL teacher. Now all I had to do was find a job. But, thanks to some very poor timing on my part, Europe was not forthcoming. In desperation I widened my search and thus I came across a job in Hà Nội. Truth be told I wasn't entirely sure where Vietnam was, but I figured I'd apply anyway. Long story short, three weeks later I was on a flight bound for Hà Nội.

Nineteen hours after I left London, I landed in the city that was to be my home for the next three months. Unbeknownst to me, Hà Nội was about to experience the longest heatwave in its history, with temperatures reaching a scorching 46°C (115°F). The intense humidity would make it feel like a sauna. Thunderstorms would be frequent, but the rain, though torrential, would be a welcome change from the incessant heat. But I didn't know any of this. In fact, I didn't really know anything about life in one of Asia's fastest-growing cities. But I learned. And quickly.


Navigating my way along Hanoian 'pavements'

For someone like me who had never been out of Europe before, Hà Nội was eye-opening! I couldn't get my head round the 'pavements' or the incessant traffic. The pushy xe ôms (motorcycle taxis) were the bane of my life. On spotting foreigners (and their perceived wealth), they would call hopefully, "Moto, moto!", or, as happened to me on more than one occasion, simply grab you and try and force you onto their bike!

The one xe ôm I can honestly say never bothered me – he was always asleep!



Same guy, different day. Still asleep!

When I got my head around crossing roads, I found my way to Hoàn Kiếm Lake (Lake of the Restored Sword), an oasis of calm in the urban chaos. A friend and I used to spend our evenings sitting on benches by the lake watching the world go by. As darkness fell the Tortoise Tower would be lit up and together with the passing cars and nearby buildings it would cast neon-bright reflections onto the still, dark waters...


The Tortoise Tower on Hoàn Kiếm Lake



The lake at dusk



Pretty despite the lack of a tripod

Without doubt, one of the must-sees in Hà Nội is the Old Quarter, a maze of streets dating back centuries. I braved it a couple of times, but truth be told, it was far too manic for me, far too claustrophobic. I couldn't bear the hustle and the bustle, the crowds and the endless stream of motorbikes coming from directions. Nonetheless, it was a (wannabe) photographer's dream...

Woman taking an afternoon nap in the Old Quarter

Wares for sale in the Old Quarter

Traffic confusion

Tea-sets for sale in Hàng Bè Market



More tea-sets for sale in Hàng Bè Market

A chained-up child (he was hastily unchained when I was seen taking his photo)

Away from the chaos of the Old Quarter and its immediate surroundings, life was calmer than I might have expected. One day I went in search of Văn Miếu, (The Temple of Literature) – a Confucian temple dating from 1070 and also the site of Vietnam's first university. It was so quiet and peaceful, you would hardly have known it was in Hà Nội!

One of the buildings in the complex

The entrance to the Temple of Literature

The stone steles at the Temple of Literature

A stone stele at the Temple of Literature with money left by visitors

Incense

Bags of dye – my favourite picture from my walk to the Temple of Literature

The thing I loved most about my time in Hà Nội was being privy to the street life. I loved seeing the street sellers at work, and I never ceased to be amazed by the people cooking street food! I also enjoyed watching people load their bikes or themselves up with incredible amounts of paper, cloth, plastic or whatever, and go about their daily business. Below are some of my favourite photos.

A businessman buying peanuts from a street seller



A heavily-laden motorbike

Wicker baskets for sale

Street food, Hà Nội style!

46°C (115°F) it may have been, but this overburdened woman carried on as normal!