We should have flown to Hanoi, from Vientianne, on 17th February but we changed our itinerary due to the weather in North Vietnam being cold and wet. Finally, we flew, from Phnom Penh just over a month later. Now we could enjoy the Capital, the Ha Giang Loop and walking around the glorious landscape of Sa Pa in the Spring warmth and dry. Hanoi did not disappoint and we spent a very pleasant first afternoon walking around the smaller of the two “downtown” lakes.

One of the things that we had seen on TV but never thought we would have the opportunity to experience, in the flesh, so to speak, is “Train Street”. The Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh train leaves the main railway station and passes through the streets of central Hanoi, including, at one point, passing down the middle of an actual working street. At 3.30pm and 5.30pm each day, hordes of tourists gather, to sit at trackside restaurants using small collapsible tables and await the trains arrival. Little prepares the waiting crowds, for the speed at which the train will shoot by. The first indication that all might not be as anticipated, was the cafe and restaurant owners moving chairs and tables back from the tracks and remonstrating with customers that they had not tucked their knees in tightly enough. On the far side people were encouraged to swing into an almost side saddle position on their stools. On our side of the track, chairs were removed and tables collapsed while we were encouraged to “keep behind the yellow line”, which, in fact, was a red carpet of sorts. Even this precautionary advice proved to offer a false line of safety. As the train approached, it became clear that having knees, arms or any other body part protruding beyond the mid point of the carpeted area would be dangerous.

I am unable to post video with this blog, so I will post one on Facebook to let you see just how terrifying an experience this was.

We did the other, usual, touristy visits to Uncle Ho’s Mausoleum, the Opera House and the Water Puppet Theatre.

The highest point in Vietnam, and in Indochina, is Fansipan or fancy pants as I call it. The mountain is some 3150 metres high and is just outside the town of Sa Pa. Although we didn’t intend to climb the mountain, there is a cable car that takes you to the summit for $35 and we were quite looking forward to doing this. Once again the weather forecast showed that the week would see a dramatic change from warm and sunny to wet and cold. We decided to switch and do the Ha Giang Loop trip first, while the weather was guaranteed to be warm. We didn’t fancy a motorbike ride in the cold and wet.

The Ha Giang Loop is a little like the “500”, the road trip around the north of Scotland, but with sunshine. A cousin had recently done this trip, which entails a 3 day tour on the back of a motorbike, and highly recommended it. She is of an age (she will love that), although nowhere near our age, and while the majority on the tour are younger backpacking travellers, we were sure our presence wouldn’t spoil the trip for any of them. As our group gathered on the first morning, it comprised four young Portuguese girls, a middle-aged Swiss couple and ourselves.

We had booked the trip through a travel agent in Hanoi, who had tried to convince us that a jeep tour might be more appropriate. We are glad that he didn’t persuade us of that, but, we did ask to have our accommodation to be upgraded to private bathrooms!

We find that age differences count for little whilst travelling and so it proved on this trip. We were treated as everybody else, no concessions as to the activities, and welcomed with open arms by the organisers, the bike riders and the Portuguese party girls, alike. Indeed, their joie de vivre and constant dancing and singing gave the trip a lively vibe that only added to our experience. Such was their influence that the last night saw the emergence of a new karaoke talent in the form of a previously shy and retiring girl from Anfield via Knaresborough. Who will ever forget the rousing rendition of “Dont Stop me Now” and the excitement of the crowd at Cheers Hostel in Da Gia? (I know, who thought it would be in a Vietnamese town with a name such as that!)

On concluding the Loop, we travelled on to Sa Pa. The weather had indeed changed and for three days we sat in mist and drizzle…and cold. On our last day there it was only 4C at 1pm. Three wasted days in a four month trip is not too bad though.

Off the coast of Haiphong in Northern Vietnam, lies Ha Long Bay. This is a 1700 square mile area of sea within which there are thousands of Karsts and islets. It has become almost compulsory to take an overnight cruise through the bay. However, this has become somewhat oversubscribed and some people say that you can almost walk across the bay there are so many boats there. Our research led us to believe that we should instead go to Lan Ha Bay, closer to Cat Ba Island, which is said to be quieter but just as dramatic as regards the landscape. Indeed, this is what we did, and it is.

Our tour group was very different from that on the Loop. We were on board with 8 others; four retired ladies enjoying a highlight tour of Vietnam and a family of four; father, mother, daughter and son in law, enjoying not very much at all! Both groups were French, The Brittany ladies at least attempted to converse with us while “Les Miserables” just mumbled and muttered their way through, not even interacting much with their compatriots, unless forced to do so. To think, I have French antecedents!

Our final few days in the North were to be spent at Tam Coc, Nimh Binh Province. This is described as the inland Ha Long Bay. It has similar karst landscapes but you are transported through the region on row boats rather than sea going steamers. The locals propel the boats using their feet and face forward, thus ushing, which seemed, to me, to be far less comfortable and much more arduous than facing backwards and pulling. The whole scene, to me, was reminiscent of the boats on the Nidd at Knaresborough.

We chose to transfer from the North to Central Vietnam on the “Reunification Express” from Ninh Binh to Hue. Express is not the first word that comes to mind when describing the journey. It seems that once out of the streets of Hanoi, the train actually reduces it’s speed!

On reaching our hotel in Hue, we realised that it was the same one that we had used in 2004, when I had celebrated my 48th birthday here. Now it was time to celebrate my next birthday. Not planned but a nice coincidence.

Happy birthday to me…happy birthday to me…happy birthday dear Alex…happy birthday to me.