The eighteenth week

Day 122- 128

On 5.02. we had breakfast at our accommodation and went for a walk in Cát Bà. There was a short circular hiking trail around a high rock. After my cold, it was still exhausting at times, so we rested in the afternoon.

The next day was even more exhausting. We rented scooters and went to a national park. There, you can hike up a mountain. The path was quite challenging! It went up several steps, and we had to climb a lot. But the view was fantastic!

Ivar went another 15 minutes to another lookout point. I stayed at the first one and rested.

On the way back, we bushwhacked a bit. According to Komoot, there was another hiking trail to a frog pond. We had to go through some vegetation to reach the hiking trail.

As often, the hiking trail was paved. It is an old road to a village. We don't know why the road is no longer used.

The first stop we made was at a lake that was not there. It probably only exists during the rainy season.

At a fork in the road, we had to make a decision. It's still 4 km to the frog pond, but it was already 4 pm. So we went to another marked pond, which was only 1 km away.

Unfortunately, this pond was also not there, and the road ended in a dead-end. Anyway, it was still a beautiful hike, almost alone, very peaceful in the middle of nature!

On 07.02. we took a boat ride through Hạ Long Bay and Lan Hạ Bay. We were picked up at 8 am! Phew! Getting up so early...

Unfortunately, the weather was mediocre, but at least it was dry! We lay on the upper deck on the sun loungers and enjoyed the view of the karst rocks.

At one stop, we were put in canoes and allowed to paddle around for 1.5 hours. Since it was low tide, we sometimes got stuck. But our canoe had experienced this before. The hull was already very thin, so I was worried that it would break if it hit another rock. Sometimes the guide had to get out and pull us all back into open water.

Still, it was nice to paddle around, through caves and past steep cliffs. We also met really nice French people with a great sense of humor!

On 08.02. we took a bus to Hanoi. Here we will spend the lunar new year. It will be from 09 to 15.02. During this time, many Vietnamese people travel to their hometowns. Therefore, many shops are closed during the holidays. Buses do not run, and tours are not offered.

We stayed at the 'Mad Monkey Hostel' in Hanoi. And suddenly we felt very, very old. The hostel seems to be more for young backpackers who have a '20' at the beginning of their birth year and like to party. But in the evening, there was free beer from 6:30 pm until it was gone (which only took about 10 minutes...).

In the afternoon, we wanted to go to the Laotian embassy to apply for our visa to Laos. But unfortunately, they were already closed due to the holidays. So we went to a shopping center. I urgently need new shoes! Mine have huge cracks in the soles. It provides nice ventilation, but if there's a puddle, my socks get wet.

On the first evening, we joined the free beer event at the hostel and watched the beer Olympics. It was a game that the hostel came up with. The prize was beer. Well, everyone was very excited and loud. So the two of us, old people, went out for a walk, doing what old people do!

We found a street that was red. Red from all the items you need for the new year! Red is a lucky color.

We also found a street where one side has beautiful street art, and the other side has pre-grilled dogs.

In our hostel, panic was spreading that everything would be closed on Tết Nguyên Đán, the lunar new year. Our hostel even organized an expensive party. However, in reality, some restaurants were still open. Although they slightly increased their prices, we're talking about cents.

In any case, the 09.02 was like New Year's Eve in the Western world. In the morning, we walked around Hanoi a bit and explored this noisy city.

In the evening, we had dinner with a British guy and had a few beers. The British guy was feeling a bit under the weather and went back to bed. We were already planning to meet Aurelie. We met Aurelie at our accommodation in Cát Bà and arranged to meet tonight.

Together, we circled a lake in Hanoi. There were various stages and light installations. On the stages, there were dances, songs, and other performances.

Aurelie said goodbye around 11 pm. She will fly to the Philippines tomorrow morning and still needs to pack. Ivar and I bought beer and watched the fireworks, which were really huge and grand!

After the fireworks, we let ourselves be carried away in the crowd. Small fires were lit everywhere, and things were burnt that are believed to bring luck or money for the new year. In front of almost every house, there was a small altar with offerings (e.g., chicken, fruit, we even saw a bottle of Jim Beam!). Some also scattered rice around their house. We found that a bit strange.

On 10.02., I slept in. Unfortunately, I had to get up around noon because Ivar was already showered and dressed, standing next to my bed.

We had Bánh mì and delicious coconut coffee for lunch! At 2 pm, we met Hana. We met her in Tuy Hoa, but she lives in Hanoi. She showed us around Hanoi a bit and explained a lot about the lunar new year. For example, it is very important who rings your doorbell first in the new year and steps over the threshold. The scattering of rice around the house is supposed to ensure that everyone in the house has enough to eat in the next year. She also answered a very important question: what happens to the items on the altar? They can be eaten after a certain time, because the ancestors in the afterlife have already eaten from them and are finished!

Hana had a lot to tell and show us. She also showed us a famous ice cream parlor and bought 4 ice creams right away (even though we were three). We had only eaten half of the first ice cream when she immediately lined up for the next one! Obstacles bounced off her like water on a lotus leaf.

In the evening, we were just exhausted. Our stomachs were full of ice cream, and our heads were full of her stories.

On Sunday, 11.02., it was Ivar's birthday! We had traditional Bánh mì and coffee. Then we strolled to the Cathedral of Hanoi, which is modeled after Notre Dame. But well, this cathedral was not as impressive as the original.

We continued to the Hanoi Citadel. The mood turned slightly sour due to hunger. So we quickly found a noodle soup kitchen and had a decent bowl of noodles.

The citadel was very crowded. The queue in front of the ticket counters was too long for us. Instead, we got a drink and went to the adjacent park. We read for a while until it got dark.

We strolled back and had Shawarma for dinner. Yeah, something non-Asian for a change. It had to be done!

Then we had Bia hơi. This is fresh beer from the same day, with few preservatives and low alcohol content. Therefore, it is very cheap. A glass costs about 80 cents. We took a whole tub (about 1 or 1.5 liters) for just under 3€. And not just once.

While drinking, we met different people! In the end, we were an international group: 1 Austrian, 1 New Zealander, 1 Canadian, 1 Filipino, and 1 Tunisian! We went to another bar because we finished all the Bia Hơi (Ivar insists on mentioning this fact. He is very proud of it). At some point, we got hungry and wanted Bánh mì. During dinner, there was a heated discussion about whether pineapple belongs on pizza or not. The Tunisian was very shocked by the idea, while the Canadian (who learned that night: Hawaiian pizza was invented in Canada!) defended it. We didn't agree, but eventually, we separated peacefully.