So finally, (and when I say FINALLY..I mean it), we are in Hanoi, Vietnam. The route to Hanoi from Vang Vieng was not an easy task, nor should it be taken by anyone. EVER.
So, as you can probably see by Chloe's posts, Vang Vieng was like a Wonderland for adults. Probably 5 of the best days of our lives. If you come to Southeast Asia and you do not go tubing in Vang Vieng, then you are a LoooooSER and you are missing out big time. Words, not even pictures, can describe the amount of good times we had, and the amazing people we met. We will try to post some more pics soon.
Anyways, like I said, we ended up meeting a bunch of other people in Vang Vieng who told us they were hitting up this place called Halong Bay in Vietnam. They were planning on taking a 3 day, 2 night party boat/cruise which would be stopping at all of the beaches and islands (along with kayaking, snorkling, etc.)..and obviously we HAD to go with them. So, we ended up foregoing our plans to go to Luang Prabang (another city in Laos), and staying another phenom night in Vang Vieng, so that we could leave on the 28th on a 24 hour bus over to Hanoi.
So we got on a mid sized bus in Vang Vieng at 1:30 PM, which drove us 4 hours to Vientiene (the main area of Laos where most buses/planes depart from). When we got to Vientiene, we caught the 6:00 PM sleeper bus which would be taking us to Hanoi (a 24-hour ride). We all got settled in our own little 'bunks'..Jocelyn and I were in the back of the bus (right besise the toilet...yum), along with one other passenger in a 3-person bunk. Very cozy. Chloe got a solo sleeper bunk (there were two layers of bunks - a layer on the floor and a layer on the top). Anyways, after a 6-hour delay at the Vietnamese border, and hours of horn-honking later (the Vietnamese people honk their horns at all times. Why? I don't know)..we finally made it to Hanoi 32 hours after our departure from Vientiene. Overall, it was the experience that we will always remember, but we will also go down in the books as the girls who conquered one of the "Top 5 Worst Bus Routes in the World". BEAT THAT.
FINALLY a descriptive post that gives us a clue about where you are and what you are doing ...(besides drinking)......although based on this hellish ride, it sounds like this time you guys needed a drik or two!
ReplyDeletePlease keep up the posts...the weather is getting colder here and we love being 'warmed' by your adventures. : ) XXXOOO!!