So back in Hanoi again…

Yesterday we headed out to Cuc Phuong where we checked out the Endangered Primate Rescue Center and also did some trail walking. There weren’t many people around and we only stumbled across 2 people early in our walk heading back towards the start. Other than that it was just us. Which was rather interesting at times as the trail wasn’t well marked (signs had faded or been destroyed), and logs had fallen on some sections which required climbing over etc.

Had an early dinner and went to bed by 8pm as we had to leave by 2:30 am to walk to the train station for a 3:10 am train. We were the only people getting on at the train station and it was rather worrying as the time got closer, as we would hear the train in the distance as no one had woken up yet to let us through. At the train stations in Vietnam you wait in like a waiting hall, and when the train is close to arriving they unlock the door and let you through (there are never multiple trains arriving/leaving at the same time). It was rather reassuring when at like 2 min to go some loud alarm went off to wake the station staff up. Then to add to confusion the dude for carriage 2 didn’t open the door, so we had to hop on at carriage 1 and make our way down… where people were in our seats. It’s sort of like a plane, if a seats free someone else might take it, as the person who actually has that seat might have already gotten off. Or in our case hadn’t boarded yet. The people moved back to their seats and I had a nice 2 hour snooze back to Hanoi.

Walked around the Old Quarter today, checked out the temple on Hoan Kiem Lake and caught the water puppet show in the evening. Leaving seeing some of the other sights for when we return to Hanoi (again). I only really want to go out to the Ho Chi Minh Complex and the HHoa Lo Prison (aka Hanoi Hilton). Not to crash hot for the museums. We are going out for a half day tour with Hanoikids though. Hanoikids is a student club in Hanoi that offers free tours of the city. The group slogan is “Be more than a tourist”. Well be going out to Bat Trang with them so I’ll do a write up post outing.

Other than that, it’s off to Halong Bay tomorrow for the day/night then more train journeys north to Sapa.

Time for bed now…