Well, I finally did it. I went for the chop and colour. You likey? ….we were halloween shopping and trying on wigs. I think I look like an alluring lesbian so there.
Oh my Buddha i’ve found a new love. Banana on jammy bread. We checked into a pretty nice place where we can stay and eat our buffet breakfast overlooking Hanoi.
One of the “things to do” out here is take a 2 night, 3 day boat trip around Halong bay. We spent half our life trekking round travel agents in the sweltering heat until we found a great deal.
We were lucky enough to be upgraded to a seaview room with a balcony off the back of the boat with the most awesome view. Nunicorn was suitably impressed.
We spent one night on the boat and one on Monkey Island where I befriended a crosseyed cat everybody had cruelly ostracised. Whilst on the island there was also an incident where I thought I was kayaking to a baby monkeys rescue but it almost turned into an attack. I had oars. They did not.
I also found some really cool coral.
The next day I decided to forgo trekking miles up a mountain to instead sit by a hidden away lake. Very zen. We made our way back on the third day around the Ha Long bay islets.
Well, halloween arrived and we realised the only preparation we had done was to buy a bottle of vodka. We went to a corner shop for party hats (the girls went as creepy clowns) and ribbon (i think I was a dead doll?) And clubbed together our makeup to produce this last minute attempt:
I actually made a small child cry, so win? Naaaah I felt bad. But also pleased with my fancy dress attempt.
We found a local family-run restaurant which sold the BEST noodles for the equivalent of less than a pound. The beer was even cheaper. We became fast friends. Grandad would give us some of his apple chunks after dinner and mom would pop round with the free iced tea. They posted my artistic note on Facebook which made me feel a little bit special.
I’ve been so good with my money, honestly. Then I found an ALDO in VIETNAM!! Girls you will most likely appreciate this more than the boys. These shoes were about 90 quid cheaper than the website price so I accidentally on purpose bought them. Probably didn’t think it through too well considering I now have to lug them around in my already-overflowing backpack.
We made friends with the Vietnamese dude who worked at Aldo who took us for coffee and breakfast. Three on a scooter! Yes it’s as scary as it sounds but absolutely normal out here. You regularly see motorbikes with entire families piled on, usually with a toddler standing at the front! Our next, and last new destination, is Laos. Best known for its lagoons, caves… And tubing. Here we go!
Waddya think? Click!