New Year's Eve Hanoi

29.12

The bus is supposed to pick us up in Hanoi at 9 am, but they tell us during breakfast that it won't come until 11.

So Isi has to go alone because we had to take a more expensive bus that takes our bikes.

Finally, at 12:45, it arrived and the journey began.

From the hotel to the ferry, from there to the next bus, and then onward.

The problem was that the driver didn't want to take our bikes because there was no space left....

Patrick asked what he should do now and if there might be another bus.

The driver looks around, goes into the bus, comes out again and says:' '

nothing

So we suggest that we put them in the aisle.

The driver says no, but Patrick does it anyway...

30.12

There are 2 more German cyclists in our Airbnb.

Claudia and Mario.

We go out to eat with them in the evening.

(after getting boxes for the bikes, bags for our bags, tape, and a new phone for me during the day).

In the restaurant, 3 men approach us and invite us for coconut schnapps....

Later, they insist on giving us more.

Afterwards, they invite us for beer.... Phew, what a night of drinking!

After they leave, we continue...

31.12.

We wake up totally hungover.

Phew, and tonight it's the same again...

We head to the big cyclist gathering at 6 pm.

4 couples and Oliver, all long-distance cyclists, meet at a bia hoi (here beer costs 5000 dong, which is 20 cents!)

Gaby and Stephen join later. We met them in Tonsai, Takhek, and Cat Ba for climbing...

In between, we go to eat soup briefly (the only place where everyone fits) and then back to the bia hoi...

There is no fireworks, but it doesn't matter.

Dead drunk, some more than others, we arrive home at 4 am.