Vietnam

Finally something about the trip... that's a two months delay!!

Anyways: I went on holidays with 4 other Europeans, exchange students from CUHK. Wu ge pengyou (the five friends/ Die Fünf Freunde ohne Timmy dem Hund) departed from Hong Kong mid December 2006 to take the nightbus to Southern China. From there we had a daylong bustrip(s) over the Vietnamese border to Hanoi. The ride was funny though slightly annoying. Vietnam welcomed us with its rough side: scam and touristprices/ touristservice. Even the official moneyexchange wanted to have its share. Anyhow, we made it.


We spent only one day in Hanoi - we figuered the lack of time already than! In Hanoi my two future companions decided to remain with me almost for the whole trip - I was positively surprised, expecting to make it from Vietnam on my own.


The next stop was Halong Bay: GOSH! That countryside must have been designed by Slartibartfast. It a coastal area and thousands of mountainous islands are scattered in the water.
We joined one of the obligatory tour trips which makes you feel pretty much like a tougher all-inculusive tourist. But the countryside payed it back and we had a good time, also with the other folks on the boat and Jaquim lost a few rounds of chess.



We headed down south in the slow tourist busses which took us to Hoi An, a pitoresque, charming city (though overpopulated by tourists and taylors). The town is full of very nice (!)souvenir shops, restaurants and taylors. We couldn't resist the offer of taylor made shoes, jackets, trousers ... and ... finally: Wu ge pengyou got Wu ge (5x) Kimonos. All this stuff we had to carry around with us from there on.

Harbour of Hoi An, ©Zara