countryside excursions

By: JenElliott Mood: full of life Date: 07/24/2007 06:40:51 Music: None

We have returned to the city after a couple of exciting excursions.  Monday we went on a tour of Halong bay which was a little disappointing to us both. It is highly over touristed, but is quite stunning in it's beauty.  We traveled there in a tight minivan with knees almost at chin level for 3 1/2 hours.  Then we were herded on a "junk boat" which suits it's name quite well.  We had to cross several boats to reach ours which involved standing on a plastic chair two inches from a hole that the leg of the chair would have fit nicely through.  On the boat there was a couple more plastic chairs to sit on- the kind that you can buy for two dollars and these were well worn.  The day would have been a bust if it were not for the amazing fresh seafood lunch which was incredible.  We also met a nice couple from Alaska.  The ride back to Hanoi was long and again very cramped.  The first few days here I was feeling quite ill from the malaria medication which made me nauseous and unable to sleep at night, even with ambien.  I finally got over that, regaining my appetite, but developed an intense muscle spasm in my neck and shoulders, which literally had me in tears last night.  After chewing on Flexaril all day and breaking down and taking a Percoset, I awoke this morning feeling great.  Without suffering there is no awareness.  Last night we spent time in the Cuc Phuong Park after travelling to Tam Coc and taking a row boat down the river as well as visiting a couple of Pagodas.  The country side is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.  The park was nice b/c it was free of the honking horns 24/7, though last night we had a wonderful thunderstorm and I fell asleep listening to the sound of cicadas which sound very different than the American insect , I also heard Gibbons screeching their siren like calls.  Today we trekked through the park with our wonderful very informative guide Bac.  He has been teaching us about the ancient history of Vietnam.  Stacy and I both have decided that we have never in our lives sweat as much as we have here.  We are constantly soaked and by day's end stink beyond belief, yet we really don't care, we just ring out our clothes and put them back on in the morning, stink and all.  I love this place.  Tomorrow we head to the mountains of north Vietnam near the China border.  We take the night train, so in the morning we plan to try to see Uncle Ho in his mausoleum.  It seems like we have seen so much already and we have only been here for 4 days.  Well once again, Stacy is passed out and I must wake him for dinner in the city, the Old Quarter is coming alive.  love to you all.  chuc ngu ngon!