Home

It has dawned upon me that I have never official said I'm home. Not wanting to worry anyone about gaps in my posts, I should say officially:

I'm home.

What an amazing dream-come-true of a journey. If I could do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing. If/When I do do it all over again, I've got a long list of places to go and see and ride (especially thanks to some kind young folks in N. Vietnam who told me some of their favorite places to take their motor bikes).

To S.E. Asia and all the lovely, kind, generous people I met, adeiu for now.

Thanks for reading this account of my travels. Stay posted for a new blog to start some time (maybe).

Cheers!

More Photos

Here's another album of images, specifically catering to cycling themes:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=72735&id=631299823

Photos

A few images from my travels may be found here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamie_yosha/sets/72157617519308880/

My Gibbon Experience

What can I say? After spending time as a challenge course instructor for high and low ropes courses for a little part of my life, how can I turn down an opportunity to play in the trees? That's what the Gibbon Experience seems like at first glance, a "summer camp" for adults, as a friend put it to me. After seeing the land, the people who frequent the space, the work being done by the Gibbon folks and the systems they have in place, I realize it is soooo soooo much more!

Traveling for an hour or an hour and a half East from the Lao border, the mountain climb steeper and steeper. A lot of land is being "managed" (if slash and burn is what one means by "managed") and huge swaths of forest have been removed and replaced with...well....nothing. In places, there are orchards of trees, but they were too distant for me to tell if it was revegitation work or agricultural land. There was quite a bit of forested lands in parts and thick jungle, so one could get a sense of how the land looked before it was "managed" so heavily. Some of the clear cuts were surrounded by some of that old forest space in stark stark contrast. So, taking a turn northward from the main highway and onto a dirt road was quite a relief, as we approached the National Conservation Area and the trees returned to their larger diameters and the undergrowth more and more lush. We got out of the trucks and walked into the jungle for an hour or so and how did that change. Such lovely land! At one point, we saw a man with a semi-automatic assault rifle and the guide said to us "ranger." Make note of that, I'll talk more about that later.

At last, we reached the "kitchen," an outpost in the jungle where the guides slept and much of the food was prepared. He we received our harnesses and instructions on how to wear them. We also got our treehouse assignments. I understood that treehouse 3 was the furthest into the forest we would be permitted to go, so I signed up for it. We walked further into the forest before our first zip which lead into treehouse number one. We received safety talks, again, from our guides and they watched as we clipped in and out of the systems. First zip was a short one, but a nice taste of what was to come. Lush jungle underneath a high treetop tree house with only one way to get in out: zipline! One really gets a feeling of being on an island in the forest with accommodations like this! We zipped out, followed by more walking before we reached the first big zips. More safety instructions. More observation. Two really great zips in the middle of which was a GREAT tree stand platform from which we were told was the best place to see gibbons in the morning. The zipping was fast and phenomenal! Great views of the mountains and the valley underneath, from above, that is.

Tree house number 2 was a little ways off, perched at about 80 or 90 feet off the ground. It was ideal for a couple as it slept only two and we had a couple who happily took the opportunity. More walking walking walking. Up huge hills and down others. Then tree house number three, home for a few days. We zipped in. A very fast zip and a very small perch on which to land on the underside of the house. With the house sitting at about 100 feet or so off the ground, this was quite an exhilarating to get in and out of the house! Our tree house slept five or six and we had two Cannucks and two Aussies and me (And only two hammocks? What will we do?). The zip in and out of the house was so much fun, the Canadians and I got a kick just out of going around in circles zipping in and out of the house (green line means "go", red line means "no," yellow line is safety...ingenious system with colored tapes). Our house had a decent view of the valley and was really high up! We had running water, a small kitchen with a burner and a sink, two hammocks and bug nets (though next time, I plan to bring my own, because their bug nets are more like canopies than nets and trap way too much heat at night) and a bathroom with a toilet, sink and shower and two holes in the floor (Yep, jungle fertilizer! No paper down the toilet, please!). Great great spot!

The two Cannucks and I teamed up to run around and zip to our hearts' content. We went back to the central platform between treehouses 1 and 2 and zipped a few times before making a run to the long zip just beyond our treehouse and between tree house 3 and 5. So incredible, so fast, such brilliant scenary!!! You'll have to wait until I can post video soon!


So, how's it work? And why is it sooooo darn expensive? Who's making a profit here? I believe that this is locally-based ecotourism at its best (well, pretty darn good!)! The Gibbon organization provides the logistics and advertising and makes arrangements with folks interested in the experience (like me!). We each pay an exorbitant amount of money for a three day, two night all expenses paid eco-experience in the jungle. Each group has two guides, who are typically locals from the local Hmong community or local Lao communities. Jobs. The guides must first volunteer to learn about the org, the jungle, the systems and the clients. Once they're hired, they work in shifts, taking a few trips and then a few days off. The Gibbon folks work on their English and pay them a modest (very modest) wage, plus tips. The guides say the like it! They like the zipping and they like meeting all the travelers and working with them in the forest. It's clear from their response to the gibbons that they also really love the gibbons as well. Guides also learn and assist with new constructions. They install new zip lines and replace old ones, repair old tree houses and are working on another new one at present. Meanwhile, a whole corps of "rangers" (also paid, not sure how much though...Jobs) spend their days hiking the deep interior of the protected area, looking for poachers, miners and any others who would do damage to this fragile ecosystem. The folks in the office work with the government land management agencies to further protect the land and obtain funds for projects. It's pretty brilliant work.


So, Gibbons. Each morning, the gibbons are highly active and sing (and by sing, I mean SCREAM!). They call at about the same time each morning and their calls last for about six to fifteen minutes. During that time, their location is quite clear and while they're singing is the only time one may approach them. So, they sing, we determine their location. They stop, we're silent. They sing, we zip/run/move in their direction. They stop, we're silent. Eventually, it's possible, or so they say, to see them pretty close singing in the treetops. That's how it's supposed to work in theory. In practice, it's much much more complicated. First, gibbons move UNBELIEVEABLY fast through the trees. Much faster than I could ever conceive of sprinting on flat ground. Second, their range in the valleys is impressive. They can be on this side of the valley or that; they can be at the top of the draw or all the way down at the bottom. So, being lucky enough to be near where they are when they start singing is important (our guide says 100% of guests hear the gibbons and only about 50% actually see them). Third, with so many guests wanting to see them and zip lines being the fastest way to move around to get to and from places, humans make A LOT of noise in the forest. Attempting to "sneak" up on a gibbons while they're singing with two guides and five guests is akin to an elephant sneaking through a pile of leaves and dry twigs.

My tally: Well, the first day, they were so loud, they woke some of our group out of dead sleep. They sang a little early and were very very close to our platform. I believe the platforms have been constructed to be nearby where the gibbons typically sing in the morning, increasing the likelihood of seeing them. Their song was curious, very primitive, birdlike and extremely loud. I had never before had much interaction with primates (other than my other relatives, the homo sapiens sapiens I know), so this behavior came as quite a shocking surprise to me. We attempted to get closer to where they were singing, but the singing had ended before we made it up and out of our platform and by that time, they could have been a mile away dining on their favorite fruits. The second day, our group became determined to increase our likelihood of seeing gibbons and we obtained permission to zip in to the central platform in the dark, before dawn, and to wait silently until after sunrise when the singing would occur. Complications aside (like other guests zipping in just before the singing was to begin and while the gibbons were at the top of a tree very very close to us), our group got to witness an entire "family" swinging through the trees on the other side of the valley from where we were. They ascended this incredibly gargantuan tree and were getting ready to sing when they realized (because of all our noise) we were watching them, and they slipped back down underneath the canopy. We pursued their location, but we waited ten, twenty, thirty minutes after the normal singing time and no singing from our family of gibbons. We began to walk out when the faint call of gibbons rang out in the air. They had moved very far away from us before initiating their morning call. I ran back up to the zip line and zipped to the central platform just to have a clear opportunity to hear their call one last time. From their lccation, I could tell them moved far down the draw and crossed to the opposite side of the valley before singing (this is like a kilometer or two in under 20 minutes). Their song was, once again, lovely, startling, alien and amazing. It was this morning when I saw the whole scheme of the idea behind this ecotourism. There were three families of gibbons living "happily" in this immediate area. Forest protection and restoration is underway and the guests are the best form of advertising.

So, there were downsides to the experience (like the lack of protein the second day after all the walking/hiking/zipping we were doing, not everyone had forks or plates or cups on every platform at every meal, I didn't have a sheet on my bed, nor did I have a towel like others had, there weren't enough snacks to match the amount of physical activity we were undertaking, some platforms didn't have water during certain times of day, the drivers who drove a little too fast on the dirt roads with a songtau full of passengers and a high center of gravity), but if I was given the opportunity to go back, I'd do it in a heartbeat! Next time, if I can, I'd take the "Waterfall Experience" to have the opportunity to head deeper into the jungle and to experience some of the zip lines even further in. There are good things going on in that forest. For me, it was evidenced by how happy my guides seemed about their jobs and how affirmatively they spoke of their work when I asked them if they liked it. Seeing the armed rangers and knowing that they roam deeper in the jungle, where supposedly many other great beasts like tigers and bears wander, to protect the flora and fauna and knowing that even the Gibbon X folks are evolving (I heard that they are teaching rangers and guides basic GPS skills in order to map relevant events on the land), this is a really great opportunity for all.

I promise to post photos soon.

BTW, for the birders out there: birding in this lush a jungle was near impossible for me. It was all by ear and, unfortunately, the guides couldn't match the song to the bird for me. I was startled one morning by a flock of what the guides called "hard bills" which looked like toucans with huge tails! They were making all sorts of racket because I crossed underneath their flight path. I did LOVE the bird song and heard some amazing call and response. I was surprised that birds that were clearly of different species were singing in a similar key and their songs seemed to go together quite well. I ended up whistling back and forth with my housemates and with the guides, who also appreciate the calls.

Of Water and Stone, Boats, Breeze and Fellowship

Halong Bay

First, I must say that finding a reputable tour company in Hanoi is like finding a motor bike driver who DOESN'T say "Motobike?" when you walk by. It's damn near impossible.

I did a lot of online research and discovered that there are various "classes" of trips on Halong Bay, but that they basically break down into three categories: budget, mid-range and fancy shmancy (to quote a former coworker). I really wanted to have a good experience because I read some awful accounts of peoples' Halong experiences online and basically decided to go with one of the two most highly recommended upper-mid-range companies (I'm sorry, I don't have my notes with me for their names). I investigated both of their offices and discovered they each had excellent customer service. The prices were a little steep, but I was going to just go with it to ensure a good experience. Shortly after visiting the second office and while I was debating my decision, I ran into this nice Frenchman, Laurent Kiti (see Hanoi post), sat and had a drink and conversed a while before asking him if he knew a reputable company, JUST to get a third opinion. He introduced me to Thuy at GP Travel, who gave me his Halong schpeel before we starting just talking. We talked for like an hour or two, he was very friendly and the office wasn't too busy while I was there. It was a really pleasurable conversation. Afterwards, I went with my gut instinct...I liked him a lot, I liked what he had to say about his business and I felt he was pretty honest. Let me say, I was and am not disappointed. I was actually quite impressed with his honesty and openness about the business.

After the fact, I'm so satisfied with my experience that I must recommend him as a good, honest, excellent mid-ranged Halong tour operator and suggest anyone considering visiting Halong to consult him as one of your sources for information. I happily offer his contact info:

GP Travel
Thuy, owner (or speak to Vihn)
29 Hang Giay, Hanoi
Tel: +84 4 39263043
Fax: +84 4 39343797
Mobile: +84 983373387
I paid $85 + $30 (additional charge to have my own room) for two nights, three days (one night on boat, one on Cat Ba), kayaking, bicycling, island and cave visits and three star accommodations


Not only did I get what I paid for, I got a lot more than I expected!!! I had been watching the weather carefully for a couple of days, attempting to be strategic (I told one Vietnamese man I was trying to win the weather game...he responded, "In Vietnam, you can never win the weather game.). The day I booked, near typhoon force winds and rain battered Hanoi for a portion of the day. The computer forecasted sun and part clouds for the weekend, so I just went with it and hoped for the best. It was kind of the same with the tour operator. I booked it and just went with it.

For those interested in details, here was my itinerary: In the end I got a pretty standard Halong itinerary, but it seemed that there were a few added perks (and I'm not sure exactly why...not sure if I paid for it or if I got in the tour guides good graces by being friendly Jamie and he just let me get away with it!). The mini bus picked me up at my hotel. We drove all over Hanoi picking up irritated tourists who had been waiting for a pick up longer than expected. I was understanding, it's a big town and people stay all over the place,but I was one of the lucky ones picked up on time. We traveled to Halong, stopping at an arts center that supports people with agent orange poisoning, a center which practiced and retailed, among many other arts, production ceramics work. (BTW: It was really interesting to see the molds and slip casting in bulk in progress...never seen that before!!!) We got to Halong, our tour guide made arrangements and led us to our boat. We sailed in Halong, UNDER SUNNY SKIES (Yeah!!!), stopping at the "Surprise" Cave (ha ha, what a surprise *sarcasm*). The guide gave us his song and dance in the cave (I've seen the same song and dance now three times...they seem to all be "same same"). We had EXCELLENT food the first dinner, docked in a bay with other boats, but tethered to no other. My accommodations were quite nice, the dining room quite nice, the food excellent (soooooo much seafood!!!! and sooo well prepared). From there, I kayaked for part of a day, I visited Tetop Island, got dropped off at Cat Ba, took a spin on a bike around the island, stayed in a lovely place with 9th floor dining area, ate more great meals, took a long kayak trip with a new friend to Monkey Island and then motored home slowly. All this was followed by lunch on land at a HUGE dining area for tourists and one more stop at another art center and then back to Hanoi.

The boat was small and intimate, only eight rooms, I think. It didn't have the fanciest sun deck, but it was quite adequate for leisure and photography. At times, it was utterly quiet on the water, which was totally pleasant. Our boat had a group of French tourists, a newly wed couple, an Aussie chap with his Vietnamese sister-in-law and me. Pretty small and nice. I took pleasure in setting off in the kayak off one of the floating fishing villages and finding my way to a quiet cove to listen to the birds. There are so many birds in the crevices in the rock and I saw pairs of raptors here and there fishing (I don't think they were ospreys, because their wings didn't have that classic shape). Others on the boat had to pay if they wanted to kayak, but for me, the tour guide said I paid for it. OK. There was a big discussion about how the morning would work. At first, they said I'd eat breakfast earlier than the others and then get picked up by some other boat. Then the French folks said they wanted to stop at Tetop on the way out (I don't believe I paid for that). Then, more discussion in Vietnamese. They changed their minds a few more times. Later in the evening, they told me we would all go to Tetop Island for sunrise and then have breakfast and then they would drop me off at Cat Ba. This is what we did.

Tetop Island is an island that has a pagoda at the top with a great view of a section of the bay. I walked right onto the island with a ticket from the guide. He said I paid for it. OK. Nice view. OK hazy sunrise, but quiet and lovely and we were the first and only ones there so we had the whole scene to ourselves. Many photographs and videos ensued.

We motored slowly over to Cat Ba where my guide transferred me to another guide. I waited on the docks for a bit while other travelers arrived and, oddly enough, met back up with a gentleman I had seen in the morning before I left my guest house and who happened to be staying at the same guest house as I back in Hanoi. He was in my group. Interesting. We were immediately buds, seeing that we'd be paired up anyways with our tour guide. We drove to Cat Ba National Park where the guide said that I had paid for a bike rental. OK. I was feeling a little low in the morning and the suggestion of me having a bicycle to use perked me right up. Just what the doctor ordered! What, 20km to get around a loop on the island. Two hours. Up and down. No problem! And off I went, alone! It was sooooooooo sweet! I wish I had had my bike, because it would have been such a lovely ride with it. The rental bike seat didn't go up high enough for me, but beggars can't be choosers. The ride was utterly silent, jumped up over a ridge and then followed the coast up and down for a ways before jumping up and over the ridge again. I was invited by the security guards at the National Oceanographic Institute to join them for a cup of tea but I declined, sadly, fearing taking too long. I had no cyclometer, which I had grown so accustomed to using. This was my first ride in this trip with a time limit, which was strange! I didn't even really stop to take photos. That was fine for me, though, because I really needed a fast and furious ride! I got back feeling great and stoked that I got to see such a pretty place by bike.

On to the hotel. I got dropped at one, my tour mates at another. My hotel was "three star" which felt a lot more like four star to me! I was on the sixth floor and had a LOVELY room. I ate dinner on the patio on the 9th floor with a view of Cat Ba Cove! So lovely! One meal, I was the ONLY one in the restaurant and had three wait staff chatting with me and serving me. I felt like royalty! (I paid for this right?). The following day, my new English friend, Gareth, and I were motorbiked over to the harbor (I paid for this right?) where we were given a boat (and paid a little extra each on the docks to have our own boats) and set off with "directions" to find a place called Monkey Island. The guide said he would follow us, but he never came. This resulted in a MUCH longer kayak tour than he had intended for us. I had expected to see, like the previous day, HUNDREDS of boats and kayaks on the water as we paddled. Seriously, there was not a single boat on the water while we were paddling. It was eerie and eirie! SO UTTERLY SILENT, just the sound of our paddles dipping in the water and occasional "pinch me" conversation. We both couldn't believe where we were and what we were doing. We saw the monkeys on Monkey Island, but the adult would sit with it's back to us, preventing me from photographing its face, which I saw only a few times. I got lots of photos of the kids and adolescents playing in the trees. We hiked over the other side of the island, admiring the geology of the island and back to wander the beach and look at all the crazy shells and corals (and skip rocks, a favorite pass time of mine). We paddled back the long way, admiring vacant coves and little islands cackling with bird song from cavity nesters again. Such a delight. The wind kicked up a little as did the waves, provoking a little sea sickness from me (I did so well on the way over!), but not bad. The paddling was really choice. It would be lovely to take an extended journey with camping and paddling through the Bay.

I ate again on the 9th floor, this time with my own private restaurant and servers and then met Gareth to take a walk. It was a lovely evening on the Bay and the lights of boats was mesmerizing. There are many floating restaurants and bars, but we passed on those because you never no how things go when they hold the keys to the boat to get you back to land. We just chatted for a while and enjoyed the quiet night.

The following day was a slow motor through and out of Halong Bay, but a lovely overcast day. The Bay was calm and serene. What an unforgettable and seemingly unreal place!

Long post for a great experience!

Finding Buddha's Lost Children

After an absolutely incredible experience at the Gibbon Experience (deserves its own blog entry another day) and a quick visit to Luang Namtha to look at the road and scenary (in preparation for my next ride here and because I was so close), I looked into visiting the Temple of the Golden Horse, a monastery in the mountains near the Burma border, close to me and featured in the documentary entitled "Buddha's Lost Children" which Sharon and I saw at the Rafael last year or so. When I realized how close it was to me and that it was basically the same direction I was already traveling, I made the most direct path I could manage to go there.

I made it to the temple this morning by motor bike. The motor bike driver overcharged me, but it was so worth it because the road is very hard to follow and find. I'm in the middle of feeling so awe inspired to have had the opportunity to visit. On my way in, I actually saw the group of boys mounted on their horses and riding while singing. I believe they were returning from collecting alms. I followed them down a dirt path down a fairly steep hillside and into the main temple compound where there was a group of Thai tourists (I later found came all the way from Bangkok, some from Southern Thailand, to visit the center) awaiting the boys' return. I met and spoke with the main nun featured in the film and kindly had translation from another nun who has been at the center for four years and who speaks excellent English. Sadly, the abbot, Phra Khru Bah Neua Chai Kositto, was away meditating in the forest for a few days in lead up to a festival which will begin on March 30 and last for ten days and in which he will be leading over 150 children (with lots of community support). They invited me to return for the festival and extended the invitation to return to volunteer at the center and to learn Thai, kickboxing and meditation. Seeing the center and meeting these people who have near mythic status in this country, I can't tell you how tempting that sounds. I told them it would not be possible at this time, but it's certainly on my mind. I may rearrange my final travels in this country to make the festival on the 30th. It means a lot more bus time and a little less exploring, but it would be such a tremendous privelage and honor to meet Kositto.

I would highly recommend seeing the film (http://www.buddhaslostchildren.com/), which tells the story of this place and the monk and nun who run it and the work they undertake. The temple works with villages along the violent and quite chaotic Thai/Burma border. It accepts young boys, some of whom are already addicted to drugs, teaches them meditation, kickboxing (the traditional form which is not about violence, but about strength of character, the nun told me), Thai culture, normal school subjects and helps them to stay away from drugs and violence. They operate temples all along the border and have the mission of creating peace in this chaotic place. Kositto, a former Thai kickboxing champion, has been at the center for a long time and, like I said, has near mythic status in this country because of his work. He has mad many enemies, though, the nun told me, because of the work they do in helping people turn away from drugs and end their addictions. I really do believe these people are the real deal, present day saints, if you will.

It is highly likely I will return there, if I can manage my schedule and if I'm able to remember the way. It would be worth it simply to shake the hand of the abbot or to bow to him with highest respects.

Wow!

Uncle Ho and the Plight of the Dying Art

Hanoi (I'm trying to catch up!)

Hanoi is a work of art. Prior to arriving, it was etched in my imagination as one of the great cycling cities in Asia, second only to Beijing. In reality, my imagination has to strain very hard to imagine the streets, alleyways and boulevards filled only with bikes, cyclos, pedestrians and handcarts. If, in my mind's eye, I replace every motor bike with a bicyclist and every car with a hand cart, I see an image close to what I had initially imagined for this historic city. In reality, this is a town now dominated and overwrought by the motorbike, with a minor second player the automobile (I couldn't believe the comparative number of SUVs to cars...even BMWs!). They line the sidewalks, the fill the roads at stop lights, the rest on every street corner along with man and a cigarette who inevitably tauts me for a ride with the everpresent philisopical question "motobike?" There are bikes here. I see them now and then, but nowhere near as vibrantly as in my imagination. I strain at the stories told to me by older folks who remember a very different Hanoi, a nearly silent one in which bicycling was the only means of rapid transit. A silent Hanoi, nearly impossible to imagine. The minor back alleys in the Old Quarter, only sometimes three or five or seven feet wide are no deterrent to the path of motor bikes. They're everywhere!

I pedal around town for a few days, but give up to foot to take in the sites and attractions. I can't help but immediately be attracted to one of the main tourist attractions in Hanoi, the mosoluem of Ho Chi Minh and the Ho Chi Mihn Museum. I can't prove it with photos, because they took my camera from me before I enterd, but you'll have to take my word for it, "Uncle Ho," as he is affectionately known in (N.) Vietnam, is lying down there, under ground, in the mosoleum, dead as a doornail. I followed up my visit to see the good ol' Uncle with a trip to his house where a very nice young man from the university lead me around, practicing his English and tourism skills. He was very kind and at the end of the tour excused himself to meet up with another group, no upward facing palm. On from there to see the museum and to get my fair share of N. Vietnamese propaganda. I have to say, after my visit to the Uncle Ho Museum, I discovered a big respect for this very intelligent leader. I don't know exactly how to couch his politics or exactly what his politics mean in the contemporary world, but this is a man who wrote in various languages letters, articles and even poetry. I bought a book of poems he wrote in prison, a sort of collection of thoughts in confinement and solitude. Written originally in Chinese on glued together cigarette papers, I found them surprisingly thoughtful. I wasn't too keen on the translation which held pretty steadfastedly to rhyme schemes that felt forced and unnecessary, but the poems were interesting.

In the handful of days I spent in Hanoi, I sorta fell in love with the town. There are sections I really like in the Old Quarter and, with my strong magnetism to quiet calm places, I even found some very charming quiet places filled with others (both Viet and expat) who enjoy tranquil surroundings. I received an invitation from an abbot at a quiet little wat to return to speak English and share stories, this year, next year, any time. Again, even amid the chaos of the city, Vietnamese generosity showed its face and I dined a kind lunch with a Vietnamese gentleman who demanded to pay for my lunch as I was finishing eating.

I visited various museums: the war museum, uncle ho museum, fine arts museum, the "Hanoi Hilton" where Senator John McCain CLEARLY was incarcerated (they have many photos of him and even his entire flight gear retinue, including his parachute, flight jacket, breathing mask, boots, etc.), I visited the site of the first university in Hanoi called the Temple of Literature (which made me think of all my literary buff friends, he hem, Dylan and Devin) and simply wandered around a bit. I caught two shows at the water puppet theatre, something I recommend to anyone anywhere! The company often tours the world, so if you see it coming to a major city near you, get tickets and be prepared for a treat! I really enjoyed simply strolling around the lake! I caught it in the rain, on foggy mornings and, finally at the end of my stay, utterly clearly at night with all the lights reflecting! What a treasure!

My guest house wasn't that great, but it was cheap and not in the tourist books so it had very few farang hanging around, which satisfied my needs. The neighborhood was very downhome and it took me several days and the help of a new friend from London to even find internet there.

As far as cities go, not a bad spot! I had the great luck of meeting an expat man who I conversed with for quite some time before asking if he knew of a reputable Halong Bay tour company provider. He runs several restaurants in town and I promised him I'd stop in and dine at his place. Myraculously, when I showed up at the door of the restaurant he gave me a business card for, I had eaten there the previous night! I'll put a big shout out to Laurent Kiti and suggest to any traveler stopping in Hanoi to drop by his classy little restaurant called "Kiti" and in a GREAT part of the Old Quarter (38 Hang Hom Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi). The Halong Bay tour company he offered me was very very good and I had some very nice conversation with the owner (about politics, the economy, culture, etc.) prior to deciding to book with them. And, in hindsight, everything he stated came true and more. But more about that soon.