Busy busy!

Sorry for no updates but it's been a busy few days!

On Thursday we said goodbye to 2 girls from our tour group of 7 and met 9 more that would be joining us. This more than doubled our group, so the dynamic has changed a little, but it's definitely still a blast, for the most part they're pretty fun people!

Friday we set out early on a 4 hour drive to Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO world heritage site known for its stunning cliffs and junk sailing ships. We lived aboard for a night in probably the nicest rooms we've stayed in of the whole trip (hardwood floors, teak bathrooms with showers in every cabin) while we sailed around part of the bay. (I have a million photos of random rocky cliffs. Be warned)

Saturday we drove back to Hanoi, had a few hours off, then had to be back to catch a 13 hour night train from Hanoi to Hue. 4 of us wandered around Hanoi a bit in our free time there (without getting hit by cars!) and 2 of us even managed to grab a "bir hoi" ("how the locals drink"...for 5000 dong (about 25 cents) you get a pint of half-decent beer to enjoy while sitting on the street corner. Picture 2 westerners and about a dozen old Vietnamese men sitting on the street together. It was awesome, AND we still made it in time for the train!

The night train went ok, though it was far less comfortable than our last one. This time my cabin decided to turn in early, so I took my beer and cup of noodles and went to a cabin a few doors down (where we sat around drinking and talking for a few more hours. That's the best part of night trains! The worst part unfortunately is that the beds are built for your typical Vietnamese person....not for anyone over about 5'8". I managed to get some sleep, though there were a few others not quite so lucky.)

So that brings us to today, in Hue. After a lovely buffet breakfast overlooking the city, we went on a walk around the downtown core, in the pouring rain. (now if I was smart if have skipped this...my cold has progressed into a terrible cough...but I'm not that smart) Now we've got a bit of time before a few of us are hiring motorbikes (yes mom, with drivers) to take us around to a few of the more remote sites to see.

I can not wait till we head further south and it starts getting warmer. Hanoi was between 5-10 degrees, the boat was even colder. Hue is a few degrees warmer than that, but raining. We're hoping the sun finally comes out for our 3 says in Hoi An after this. Keep your fingers crossed!