So long Vietnam, hello Singapore!

The next morning we'd packed and checked out, and got to Hanoi Airport well in time for our flight to Singapore.

Hanoi airport

We'd become used to the more comfortable climate of the north of Vietnam, and had travelled to the airport in a temperature of around 19C.  So we were unprepared for the shock of the temperature in the 30Cs when we landed in Singapore that afternoon.  R had to explain to me that Singapore is only 1 degree north of the equator.  I'd always imagined it to be closer to the Tropic of Cancer, so again my poor geography was demonstrated in bucket loads.

Once we'd arrived at R & J's house, we were shown our room, and then R suggested we head into Singapore town to see the sights.   Either my camera didn't like the new temperature or I'd not got the setting right for night time shots, but these are the best few of the 20+ shots I took that evening...

Ah.  Bright lights, big city!

Each night there's a water show - fountains and special effects including lasers and music.

Looking across the bay to the Colonial side of town - note the Singapore mascot, the water lion with the jet of water from his mouth.

Keeping it short tonight, been a busy day in realtime, and I'm getting over a stinky cold, so need to catch up on my beauty sleep!  

Night y'all.  Kat

Hanoi nightlife

At this stage of the holiday/adventure we'd become more confident in going out to eat unchaperoned in the evening.  We found that most of the Vietnamese we encountered could manage some English, either as a courtesy, as we were obviously racially foreigners and English would be a good 'lingua-Franca', or as a safe bet so that they could sell us something.  Either way, we took a taxi ride away from the hotel and found a place to eat, and did a bit of people watching as well.

Street food - noodles

ah.  I love the smell of the durian fruit in the evening

pavement parking seemed pretty normal - a bit hazardous if you're taking everything else in and not looking where you're going...

Cafe-bar in Hanoi, overlooking the Red Bridge in the park

The Huc, meaning Morning Sunlight Bridge - see this link to Wikipedia for more information:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ho%C3%A0n_Ki%E1%BA%BFm_Lake

Tom thought the Cafe band were really cool, and they kindly let us take his photo with them.  They were singing covers of blues, R&B songs in English

This was the end of our Vietnamese adventure, but not the end of the holiday.  The next day we took to the sky to fly down to Singapore, which is where R and his family live, and was the reason for us making the trip in the first place.

Kat.

Ha Long Bay, part two

There was an early morning yoga on the top deck before breakfast, so I made my way upstairs to give it a go.  About 6 of us copied the leader, who was all dressed in white, and had a CD playing peaceful meditative music to aid the ambiance.  After about 20 minutes we'd all finished, and I had to smile to myself as the yoga leader swiftly changed out of his white robes to reveal that he was in fact one of the cooks.

Early morning from the top deck

the view to Dao Ti Top - you can see the temple / viewpoint on top of the island, and the beach where some of our party went swimming...

The next activity on offer was kayaking.  So we boarded the transfer boat and headed off to join in.  

This was the Ha Long Bay taxi for those not kayaking

Their first time in a kayak!

Water monkey

another water monkey

In the lagoon

Lagoon entrance/exit

Piccadilly Circus?

Now the pith helmet makes sense...

Ramming speed?

Kayak station

kids will be kids!

 And all too soon it was over.  The activity was well organised, and I'm sure health and safety issues and risk assessments had all been fully addressed, but there seemed to be a distinctly more relaxed, old fashioned, grown up approach to the whole shebang.  And it was all the better for it.

We returned to our boat, had lunch, packed, paid the onboard expenses, and then set off for shore and the coach transfer back to Hanoi.

I will never get over the VietNam wires!

 On the way out to Ha Long Bay we'd noticed a couple of war cemeteries, so I asked if we could stop at one on the way back.  Having visited the Military and War Memorial Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, the 'American War of Aggression' was still fresh in my mind, and as with all war, the tragic waste of life on all sides needed to be remembered and commemorated.

No words needed.

another scooter.  The sign google translates as:  'promote cultural tradition and way of carrying money, rich districts build beautiful modern civilisation'

It's getting late.  Hanoi nightlife next time.

keep it real y'all!  Kat