Vietnam Day 16: On the Boat or Off the Boat?

We left early the next morning to catch a bus to Ninh Binh. The bus driver RACED along the coastal roads at speeds we had yet to hit on this trip. It became evident pretty quickly that he was trying to make the ferry and we were glad we weren't on the water side of the road in case we tipped! We arrived in time to pull aboard... kind of... There was lots of backing up and pulling on and turning and maneuvering and us being at the back of the bus meant that we could tell we had definitively NOT cleared the edge of the main part of the boat. But according to Vietnam standards, we had. So we got OFF the bus for the ferry ride in case our bus slipped into the water partway across!

That red and white gate is meant to
swing across behind the bus

Our view from the back of the bus window. 
Yeah... that gate isn't going to close!

What followed was an uneventful three hour bus ride.

Adapting to playing without a table:
Discard pile on Alex's leg,
Draw pile between Erin's legs, 
Card we're attacking in Alex's pocket, 
Played cards facing out, 
Our hands facing in!

When our bus arrived in Ninh Binh, we had to catch a 20 min taxi to our place. On just the short ride, paradise unfolded before us. Ninh Binh is known for being the inland Ha Long Bay. With its tall karst mountains, narrow valley, and winding river, it was clear why. We were really excited for the days ahead of us!

10 Steps from our front door

Our Cabin

Sunset dinner views...

Vietnam Day 15: Panoramic Views

Our last day in Cat Ba was Easter Sunday. We decided to do a short morning hike, then surprise the kids with an afternoon Easter celebration. 

Adventure Girl's jellyfish sting was still pretty sore so she and Craig stayed home. Erin joined b.e.a.n. travels for the 3km hike straight up the mountainside. It was really hot and humid so despite the hike being short, it was tiring! The air quality here is also really terrible. There are nightly burnings of garbage and cleared trees and leaves. We hardly saw the sun or the sky the entire time we were here. The pollution added an extra challenge to our lungs while hiking. 

The path has carved stairs out of stone and switchbacks through the jungle towards the peak. Once you reach the top, the views are incredible! It's a true panorama with tree covered karst hills all around you. 

Back at our place, the kids enjoyed a scavenger hunt to find a bag of Easter treats. They also made some decorations and surprised Craig, Alex, and Beth with a "fancy" table for all seven of us. We each did a phone call home, too. It can be hard travelling long term (over a month for us and 6 months for b.e.a.n. travels) so little things like this can help everyone, especially the kids, have a taste of home. 

The dairy free chocolate Erin found!
We did a taste test of the cacao beans 
grown in 6 different regions around Vietnam

To cap off our time in Cat Ba, here's a picture of a random, crazy-looking bug!

Vietnam Day 14: Out on the Bay

Erin's number one request for this trip was that we got out on the water in Ha Long Bay, so we booked a full-day boat tour leaving from the Cat Ba port. 

Right away, it was stunning. The tree-covered cliffs rose straight from the water with a narrow passageway for our boat to sail through. It quickly became a maze of mini toweringly-tall islands with small coves and slips of beaches scattered about. We also passed the occasional fish or oyster farm.  

Our first stop was for kayaking. Since the tide was low, we were able to kayak through an arch in the rock and in to a cove. Our guide showed us an oyster farm and taught us the local process. 

Adventure Girl paddling
Erin up ahead

The second stop was for swimming. We jumped off the boat (a thrilling 3-4 meter jump in to the bay below us) and enjoyed the spectacular cliffs all around us. 

Unfortunately, Adventure Girl got stung by a jellyfish so our swim got cut short. The crew sprung to action helping her out by rinsing it with fresh water, rubbing lime juice on it, then covering it with toothpaste. She powered through the rest of the boat trip despite being in pain. 

We were fed a feast for lunch then were taken to the largest fish farm in the area where we were amazed by the size of the fish! 

We couldn't quite ignore how much pollution we saw in the bay, and Ha Long is supposed to be even worse. 

Next was a stop at Monkey Island where we took a bamboo boat ashore. We were disappointed to see guides feeding the monkeys and encouraging them to jump up on them so that left a sour taste in our mouths. There was an option to hike to a viewpoint, which Craig did. He agreed with our guide's description that it was 70% dangerous as the terrain was spiky rocks. There were even people climbing it in flip flops and bare feet!

We finished off the day by watching the sun descend in the sky between the cliffs. Overall, it was a great day. 

Vietnam Day 13: Cat Ba

We took it pretty easy for our first day in Cat Ba after our two previous travel days. Our guesthouse is outside of Cat Ba town and the setting is serene.

After some schoolwork and blogging, we headed in to town for a sunset dinner by the beach. The kids were excited that the city busses on the island are like a giant 3 rowed golf carts!

We found a great restaurant right on one of Cat Ba's beaches that even had board games and giant Uno cards to play with. We enjoyed a delicious dinner and let the sunset unfold before us. 

As the evening wound to a close, it felt like it couldn't have been a better night... until we got a group text from some mutual friends with some very good news! :)  We all went to bed very excited and happy for our friends! 

Vietnam Day 12: Hanoi

We dragged ourselves out of bed the morning after our late-night flight. Our bus to Cat Ba left at 10 am so we only had a short window of time to see Hanoi. Thankfully, Craig had found us a hotel right in the old quarter so within moments we were wandering the narrow streets with food stalls everywhere.

Between us we took separate trips: Alex on his own, Craig with Adventure Girl, and Erin and Beth together. We all circled the important Hoan Kiem Lake of the Returned Sword. Erin and Adventure Girl had read the story in preparation for the trip and were excited to see the central Turtle Tower, Ngoc Son Temple, and the red Huc Bridge. 

The rest of the day was spent travelling to Cat Ba. We had a bus, ferry, bus, and taxi transport in total. We arrived at our garden guesthouse in the Cat Ba hills excited for the days ahead in the Ha Long Bay area.

Cambodia Day 11: Lovely Lotuses

We had most of the day left in Siem Reap before our flight to Vietnam. The girls took the opportunity to do one last excursion to the nearby lotus farm. 

Here, we learned how the stalk of the lotus plant used to be thrown away. Now, the whole plant is used to produce fantastic creations, such as scarves, purses, tea, and baked goods. 

Our guide took us through the steps of harvesting the lotus plant with a hands-on tour. We broke stalks to see the long threads of fiber on the inside. We ate fresh lotus seeds; their taste was similar to a pea. We unfolded the petals of a flower bud to feel the spongy inside that can be used as a body scrub. We even tasted tea brewed from its petals and leaves.

Next, we took part in crafting our own souvenirs: a lotus seed bracelet, a bracelet made from the plant fibers, and paper we decorated with leaves and petals from their garden. 

It was an incredible experience, both formative and enjoyable, for all five of us. 

On our way back home, we stopped at the Satcha Handicraft Incubation Centre. Here, Cambodian artists work on ethically and environmentally sustainable pieces of artwork in the disciplines of wood working, painting, leather works, fibre arts, and more. The serene setting adds to the ambience, full of creativity and peacefulness. 

We finished the afternoon off with a swim in the pool and lots of organizing. It was a smooth but late-night trip to Hanoi, Vietnam. 

One last temple...
at the pristine Siem Reap Airport