Go back to Vietnam. Old Quarter in Hanoi.
We arrived in Hanoi in the early evening and headed for Cat Ba Island the following morning. We had just enough time to walk around the Old Quarter in the early morning before being picked up by our prearranged bus service: 2.5 hour bus ride to the coast, followed by a 20 minute boat ride to the Island, followed by a 45 minute bus ride to Cat Ba Town. We met our Asia Outdoors provided babysitter later that afternoon and planned out the first set of climbs for the following day. We’d spend the next 5 days with Andrew from New Zealand. Despite being in his mid-20s, Andrew is a serious person and was a very diligent and a professional fixer. Everything worked smoothly thanks to his efforts and we enjoyed our time with him; and he was kind enough to take some cool photos from below.
Photos
A snowy hike a few days before we set off for the warmth of southeast Asia (Nov. 2018).
Benny enjoying the snowy Goat Rocks in early November.
Our first evening in Hanoi. Shirley is out on the prowl looking for a place to eat that is still open (Nov. 2018).
At our hotel in Hanoi (Nov. 2018).
First day, first morning in Hanoi. The hotel restaurant was located on the top floor and offered a nice, 360 degree panorama of the Old Quarter (Nov. 2018).
Bustling streets of the Old Quarter in the morning hours (Nov. 2018).
Old Quarter in Hanoi (Nov. 2018).
More Old Quarter in Hanoi (Nov. 2018).
Strolling the streets before we get picked up by the Cat Ba-bound bus (Nov. 2018).
Some three hours later (two bus rides and one ferry ride later) we arrived in Cat Ba Town. Shirley hiking over to the Asia Outdoors office to meet our pre-arranged fixer (Nov. 2018).
The port in Cat Ba Town (Nov. 2018).
Views onto the waterfront in Cat Ba Town from our hotel window (Nov. 2018).
Those structures are floating restaurants (Nov. 2018).
