Vietname (04 Oct 2011 to 09 Oct 2011)

Po, Herbert, Franco, Terry and I went to Vietnam.
It was my first time to have a trip with Po, Herbert, Franco and Terry. It was a great trip. The trip would be better if it was not rainy and Po's camera was not stolen.

Exchange rate : I USD = 20810 VND
1.5L bottle of water 15000 VND
Beef rice noodle 24000 VND
Vehicle from hotel to airport 15 USD

04 Oct 2011 (Hong Kong to Hanoi)
Stayed in Hanoi View hotel - Ngo Si Lien

• My father went to the airport with me and he met my friends.
• Po, Franco, Terry and I had 翡翠小籠包
  
• I met Connie and David at the Traveler's Lounge, they went to Taiwan.
• Again, I could not have free massage at the Traveler's Lounge because of the long long queue.
  
• We made money exchange at the airport. 200 USD = 4162000 VND
  
• We did not take the airport car which costed USD 30 single way and USD 50 round trip. We travelled from the airport to the Hanoi View Hotel - Ngo Si Lien. But the stupid taxi driver did not know the way, he kept on asking local people.
• We had booked four single rooms, but for the first night, the hotel could only provide us two single rooms and one twim room.
• Due to typhoon and heavy rain, there was no internet connection.
• Most of the shops and restaurants were closed in such a stormy and rainy night. As instructed by the hotel staff, we went to a restaurant for dinner. The restaurant was closed and the light was off. Fortunately, the staff opened the restaurant for us when he found that we were discussing at the entrance of the restaurant. This restaurant served very good food and the staff who was a English teacher warned us that we could not go to Ha Long Bay due to typhoon until the end of the week.
• We bought bottles of water and went back hotel.
  

05 Oct 2011 (Hanoi)
Stayed in Hanoi View hotel - Ngo Si Lien

• In the morning, we found that our hotel was located in the market.
  
• Rainy day again, no lift service in the hotel, had to go up and down stairs ...
  
• We had breakfast in another hotel's restaurant. Po and I had chicken noodle. Franco and Terry had bread and egg. The breakfast was just so so.
  
• Po and Franco picked up Herbert. Terry and I stayed in the hotel room.
  
• We travelled from the hotel to the 胡志明 museum.
  
• We had lunch at Seasons of Hanoi restaurant near 西湖邊.
  
• After lunch, we travelled to the French Quarter.
• We walked around 還劍湖 and bought water puppet tickets.
• We noticed that we met the same white couples in several tourist spots eg 胡志明 museum, 西湖, French Quarter and 還劍湖.
• Po lost his Sony camera. We reported this to the Police and the nearby hotel staff translate the report form for us.
• We travelled back to the hotel by taxi and bought five pineapples and two dragon fruits in the market near the hotel.
• Po, Herbert, Franco and I went to the Spa by taxi. The facilities of the Spa were very disappointing, so dirty and ...
• We went back hotel by taxi, learnt that we could go to Ha Long Bay the next day. Then went to the Water Puppet Theatre by taxi.
• Before the water puppet show, we had light dinner in several restaurants. We had deep fried spring rolls in the first restaurant, wonton noodle and beer in the second restaurant, beef rice noodle and steamed spring rolls in the third restaurant. These were not big restaurants, only small stalls, but the staffs cooked the food for us with gloves on the hands.
  
• It was raining heavily. After the water puppet show, many greedy taxi drivers were waiting outside the theater. One of them asked for XXX USD. We finally got on another taxi.
• We had fruits in my room.
  

06 Oct 2011 (Hanoi to Catba Island)
Stayed in Catba Island

• Terry had early breakfast at the hotel.
  
• After check out, the tour operator Roy picked us to Ha Long City. It was a long long 3-hour drive. We had a stop for refreshment, had bread, coffee, milk and snacks. We saw that a girl of a noodle stall had used her hands to hold the dirty dollar notes and grabbed the noodles without gloves.
  
• We had boat trip in Ha Long Bay. We visited Sung Sot Cave after lunch at the boat. While all other guests having kayaking in the fishing village, we stayed in the boat taking photos until we arrived Catba Island.
  
• In Catba Island, we travelled to the hotel by bus.
• Roy had dinner with us and we decided to cancel the tekking next day.
  
• There were disco, karaoke, bicycles and massage in Catba Island.
• After dinner, we bought some fruit, beer and water.
• We had fruit, massage, Shaw Brother's old movies in Po's room.

07 Oct 2011 (Catba Island)
Stayed in Catba Island

• Instead of trekking, we went to the beach after having breakfast in the hotel.
  
• After lunch, we had boat trip. In the Monkey Island, Po, Herbert, Franco and I had kayaking. Terry looked after our stuffs.
  
• After dinner, we bought some fruit. We had noodle and beer before we went back hotel.
  

08 Oct 2011 (Catba Island to Hanoi)
Stayed in Hanoi Aurora Hotel

• We had breakfast in the hotel.
  
• We travelled from Catba Island back to Ha Long City. We changed two boats, one vessel and then boat again.
  
• There was a Spain girl with a handsome guy. The girl kept on talking everywhere everytime on bus, vessel, having lunch ...
  
• We had lunch in the great vessel, we also made our own spring roll in the vessel, delicious.
• As there were many many boats around the wharf, our boat crashed with the others twice.
• 3-hour bus drive from Ha Long City to Hanoi Aurora Hotel.
• We had free welcome drink in the hotel. Po got a special drink. The hotel staff licked Po's tea spoon to taste Po's drink and then use the same tea spoon to stir Po's drink.
• It was raining very heavily. We had dinner in different restaurants recommended by the guide book. We had 蒸粉卷, 牛腩粉
• After having rest in the hotel, we go to a bar, disappointed ...
• We had dinner again and then go to the bar, disappointed again ...
• We had dessert near the hotel.
  
• We had fruit, watched photos, massage in Po's room.
  

09 Oct 2011 (Hanoi to Hong Kong)
Stayed in IBIS Noven Hotel

• Before having breakfast in the hotel, I bought coffee (Creative 4 and G4) in a convenient shop and a shop. The greedy shop owner gave me a "good price". After bargaining, I got a reasonable price. Then I bought some 扎肉
• Then I brought Franco, Po and Herbert to buy some coffe and 扎肉
• We travelled from the hotel to Temple of Literature by taxi and then had lunch buffet in Brother's Cafe which was a temple.
• We visited Military History Museum and had drinks in Highland Coffee. The service of Highland Coffee was bad.
  
• Went back hotel by taxi and travelled to the airport by a vehicle (15 USD)