After resting our butts from the motorcycle ride we started the next morning for our last adventure: Halong Bay --- this is what everybody has already seen on TV, in a magazine or in a brochure: Pictures of boats cruising the bay with it's beautiful mountains sticking out of the sea straight up a couple hundred meters.




It was only 2 hours later in the bus that I realized that I didn't even get a receipt - not very Berit like. I was so lulled into the homey atmosphere and having already done 2 trips organized by that guesthouse I completely trusted.
So this is what our deal was: Halong Bay 2 days one night - all meals included. Drive from Ninh Bing with a bus from the hotel and returning to Hanoi by bus. Kayaking and cave tour, swimming and karaoke included. 65$ pP Since I saved on time and money going to Hanoi and organizing the tour from there I took the disadvantage of not being able to compare the price (running from 50 to 85 for the same deal)

So here we were: in the bus of course a public bus even though it looks cramped



we had plenty of space and after all not bad. NO receipt - NO contract nothing only the knowledge that we paid 195$ and the trust that it will work out - somehow. 4 hours later we got thrown out of the bus in the middle of a highway in blistering heat. Soon we were surrounded by people who wanted to help -> of course it's more like earning some money from us. Since I paid for the whole trip I started explaining my situation. Needless to say that
first nobody cared
second nobody understood us.
One taxi driver offered to call a friend who spoke English and he called the number of the guest house 160 km away to ask about the deal. Really nice. He even called back 3 minutes later and suddenly from the middle of nowhere a guy came and explained us that he was already waiting for us. And so it was: we drove with the cab - no additional pay - to the harbor got transferred on a boat then again onto another boat. All went smooth, even the biggest chaos turned into something that was actually organized. Great.
We just had a good time: the cabin was nice - water for the shower not enough - but who cares. Food was great, nice people from Australia, Belgium, France and Switzerland. The kids also made friends with always smiling Quan, a trainee for a tour guide on the boat, and they learned a new card game called: Bullshit. Of course they loved it.
Jumping off the boat from all the top (about 6or 7 m) and kayaking was fantastic and so all in all a perfect 2 days - we neglect the crazy and uncomfortable ride back to Hanoi in the minibus.
Quan guided us last night through Hanoi and pointed out this ladyman - I wouldn't have guessed ... thank you for a nice evening, Quan - Megan already wrote you an email.