HALONG BAY, HANOI AND A HELLUVA LOT OF TRAFFIC

Sorry, can't resist....

Good morning Viet nam!

Spent a day and a night cruising Halong Bay. The limestone rock formations, over 3,000 of them are amazing. We had some fog and overcast skies but the scenery was magical just the same. Accommodation and food were outstanding as well.

Our home for the night...

Visited one of the 200 caves...

Me Cung Cave

And then there was the kayaking....in the South China Sea....oh my Buddha....

Had a very fun night of karaoke after a gourmet dinner.

On the drive back to Hanoi, we passed many rice fields filled with people working.  It is planting season. Many are transplanting seedlings, two weeks from planting they are 8-10 inches long. What tough, back breaking work.

These are the seedlings being harvested and replanted in another section.

Back to Hanoi, to the hustle and bustle. Everything happens on the sidewalks, cooking, eating, fires, parking, selling, you name it. We took a cyclo tour through the city at rush hour.

I have never, ever experienced anything like the traffic in Hanoi. There are approximately 8 million people in the city and most have motorbikes. Crossing the street is something else. They tell you, NEVER run, as the drivers wont know where you are going and wont have time to react. It took all my might to suppress the urge to run, but it actually got to be fun. This is the type of traffic you have to step into...

Cyclo tour, a trip highlight for sure.

Thanks to Colin for these great night shots...

This city is crazy, that is the only way to describe it. We had a lot of fun once you get over the shock of the busyness. Next stop, Saigon aka Ho Chi Minh City....stay tuned...

LAST DAY IN LAOS

Spent our last day in Luang Prebang walking the city and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere before heading to Hanoi. The people here all seem to be happy and laid back. We crossed a crazy, rickety bamboo bridge across the Nam Khan river. The bridge is up for 6 months a year, but is taken down before the rainy season when the river rises higher than the bridge.

Had to pay this sweet lady a dollar to cross the bridge.

Walked the other side of town, saw another beautiful temple, kids playing, then over a pedestran and motorcycle only bridge.

All these kids need to have fun is a shoe on a rope.

Oh yeah, also found these fish traps but the turned out to be tourist traps....

Family of four on a bike, very common.

So many Asians use umbrellas to shade themselves from the sun, women also use a whitening cream on their skin as they all want pale skin.

And back to our beautiful hotel, Parasol Blanc....a peaceful spot with beautiful gardens.

Our breakfast patio.

This lady is selling little birds in a cage....so you can buy them and set them free. Then she will catch them and sell them again.

Off to Hanoi, Vietnam now, stay tuned.....

SABAIDI

Sabaidi is the greeting in Laos. Everywhere you go, you hear "sabaideeee". 

We rose before dawn this morning, to walk into town and give food to the monks. They collect offerings of food in exchange for blessings. The locals cook food for them, and we tourists give sticky rice and packaged treats that we bought.

Sitting on the sidewalk patiently waiting for the monks. The sticky rice is in the basket and you just make little balls of it and place it in their metal urns.

Sort of like trick or treating, except this is a daily ritual and the only source of food for the monks.

We had a great afternoon at Tat Kuang Si Falls, such a beautiful spot. Went for a swim and enjoyed a picnic lunch under a tree looking out over one of the pools.

There is also a bear rescue centre at the base of the waterfalls.

The bears here have been rescued from the illegal wildlife trade.

This guy seemed quite content in his hammock.

Enjoyed some free time this evening at the night market and walked around town. 

Considering the fact that Laos was never on our radar, we have loved exploring it and are so pleasantly surprised by how much we have enjoyed it. The people are very friendly, food is fantastic and the natural beauty is everywhere. We would love to come back and spend more time here.

Heading out on a bike ride tomorrow, then off to Vietnam. Stay tuned....