The Day of Many Kilometres

This morning was more relaxed than the previous day. Our plan was to borrow a couple motorbikes from Tuyen and cruise around the Island for a while. Before we started off for the day we had the good fortune to take care of a major responsibility involving train tickets to our next destination, Sapa. I had planned on booking tickets online the week before, but due to a national holiday there was no one in the booking office to confirm my purchase until after we were to leave Vung Tau. So, plan B was to get on a computer at some point during the trip and book from there. This was still the plan as I was talking to Tuyen the day before and he told me that he could arrange everything we needed from the lobby of his place and all would be set. I was more than willing to let him do all the work, especially because the price was exactly the same as if I had've done it myself online. His plans included a pick up for us at the bus station in Hanoi, where we would be arriving later that night, and a shuttle across town to pick up our tickets and then on to the train station. The arrangements were made, and we finagled a couple bikes for the day out.

I believe we ate a quick breakfast at the restaurant adjacent to our hotel, but that may have happened the day before, I'm not quite sure. Either way, we set out around mid-morning and headed northwest out of Cat Ba town atop two steady Honda scooters. We followed the western coast about halfway up the island, taking our time and snappin' photos along the way. At the halfway point we turned inland, a little leary of the clouds brooding above our heads. As we made our way south through the heart of the island we didn't incur more than a few drops on the head. Our bus for Hanoi was to leave at 3:15, so we made short work of the Jurassic Park road which we'd rode over on our first crossing of the island two days before.

Upon returning to town and leaving the spectacular scenery of the outlying areas behind, we made for a Cat Ba pool hall. Now a Cat Ba pool hall is really just a couple of ancient tables under tarps in the front of an open concrete cubicle. In the back were a couple dusty TVs in front of which sat a gang of young boys deeply engaged in some video game, and one poor old fella obviously saddled with the duty of keeping an eye on the wee gaffers while they wasted the day away. We bought a few bottles of beer and some glasses with ice, as the brew wasn't refridgerated, and set to putting the creaking table and weathered balls and cues to work. We poked those rocks around with little success for an hour or so and headed off.

This time we went east out of town to explore a little bit down a road we hadn't yet driven. It didn't last long though, as the road came to a cul-de-sac about a kilometre from the town. Down a small path was supposed to be some great large resort, but we didn't bother looking as we really didn't care too much. Instead we ended up having an awkward beer at a floating restaurant in the harbour across from our hotel. The reason I say awkward is because the staff were very eager to set us up with all the tools nessessary for a full lunch, and seemed a little confused when we said we only wanted a drink. While we sat it also began to sprinkle a bit. We didn't stick around for another and headed back to the hotel to pack up.

It was almost 3 when we brought our stuff down the the lobby and assuming we had a few minutes to kill, Dad and I procured a couple beers from Tuyen's fridge. I had taken about two sips and was in the bathroom when I was hollared at informing me of the arrival of the bus. I came out and was about to toss back the rest of the bottle when I was politely told that I could bring that sucker aboard with me. Great success! It was a mini-bus, maybe a 15 or 20 seater and not full by any means. It took us along the western road which we'd cruised earlier, and after a short while turned left at a place we'd turned right at on the motorbikes a few hours before. We wound along a precarious and beautiful track for a while until eventually descending to the sea and hopping on a fastboat which would take us to the outskirts of Hai Phong which we'd flown into earlier in the week.After alighting, we waited a few minutes on a very barren and exposed spit of land with nothing in sight but a small shelter/terminal type thing which I suppose was for protection from rain. In about 5 minutes another bus came along to take us into Hai Phong. In the city we transfered vehicles once more onto a much bigger greyhound style bus for the trip to Hanoi. A comment was made about the efficiency of our transportaion despite the numerous connections. Each time we changed buses, or boats, or whatever, there was never more than a few moments wait. It was all well coordinated. As we lurched through some kind of market area in Hai Phong in our big bus we passed a street literally overflowing with pineapples. For what seemed like kilometres we drove by stacks of these fruits taller than an average person and probably 20 feet in diametre. They were being unloaded from trucks, presumably coming to the city from outlying fields, and good lord there were a lot of them.

I managed to pass most of the bus ride sleeping, but it still seemed long. This could have been because our bus became so packed as we picked up people along the way that there were people sitting on stools in the isle. Eventually we made it to Hanoi, our pick up at the bus station was a little late, but he did turn up. He was a friend of Tuyen's, and he took us to his office to get our train tickets. At this time Mom, Dad and Jess got to glimpse the Old Quarter and all of it's calamity for the first time, as this is where the office was. Just getting in and out of a taxi there is a challenge because the streets are so packed and narrow. We got the tickets and got to the train station in lots of time. The building there isn't much at all and most of the waiting is done on small plastic stools at drink stands in the courtyard area. Dad and Jess sat with the bags and Mom and I set off looking for a bite to eat and an Atm. We managed both, luckily coming across a delicious Kebab sandwich cart a couple blocks away. we ordered 7 sandwiches, probably providing the lady enough business to go home for the night, and then headed back to the station. We got the food down in time and soon after boarded the train. It was very similar to the train which Brandon and I rode from Hanoi to Saigon 9 months prior. The cabins are compact, with 4 bunks, but it was air conditioned and comfortable enough. We had a couple drinks before killing the lights, but not much, as we knew we'd be getting up at 6am when we arrived in Lao Cai, and it was another hour or more along a winding mountain road to Sapa.