If you’ve ever seen or read about Lemony Snicket’s series of unfortunate events, I feel like I lived it in Vietnam. Ha! We arrived in Vietnam after a long two day travel through China and were excited at the traveling adventure before us. Our aim: Halong bay. It is a natural beauty to say the least. And we heard nothing but good things about it! First we arrived in Ha Noi which is another crazy, bustling city. The only difference we found between here and Ho Chi Minh was that there are really no safe places to walk. People cover the sidewalks with their motorbikes and store things so you are forced to walk on the street where potential death is just around the corner. Motos buzzing around you inches from your teeny toes just waiting to bite you. But I just hold on tight, take a deep breath and figure God didn’t bring me all the way around the world just to have me die in Vietnam. (really the picture below doesn’t do the traffic justice!)
We hung out in Ha Noi for a day but didn’t find much in the city besides a lovely lake which offered little solitude as you are haggled by street vendors. So…off we went to Halong Bay! Initially we were going to go with a tour group which offered a package deal. But we decided we wanted more freedom so we found our own way there hoping to save some money. So we caught a 4 hour bus ride and a two hour boat ride across the bay which was absolutely breathtaking! Check out God’s creativity:
I mean, there are THOUSANDS of these islands around Halong Bay that stick straight up out of the water. It is quite the sight to behold! We continue to be awed at the creation of this world. PLUS, I got to relive my pirate days as we “sailed” along. Being on the water again reminded me so much of my summer living and working on the sailboat. So that was a joy!
We were fortunate enough to find an AMAZING place to stay! While it was quite a hike up to the seventh floor, we had a huge bay window overlooking the water and all for only $3 a night! If I have to compliment Vietnam on anything, it would be how cheap it is to stay here! This was our room and the view from the window:
Can’t beat THAT view for three dollars!
So here we were, on an island off the cost of Northern Vietnam. Things were looking pretty good! And overall, our stay there was quite pleasant. But anyone who travels will know miscommunication (especially over prices of things) is inevitable. And this city was full of people who were just not very nice and we felt like we were being lied to left and right. So after a few days, we decided to head back to the capital. But we couldn’t leave without a little kayaking around some of the islands to brighten our spirits. Check it out:
Heading back to Ha Noi, we thought we were in the clear as far as having a hard time with the locals. As soon as we stepped off the bus, we were swarmed with taxi drivers wanting us to take their taxi. We asked for the “meter to be runned” (in many countries we have been in, the drivers would rather make a deal on a price but in that you are way overcharged) So we were happy to hear that he would run the meter as he would take us back to our hostel. However, when we got in, we noticed the meter was going very fast and after only being in the cab 3 minutes, it had already charged us over 10 dollars! When we got to our hostel, the lady from the desk came out and started yelling at our driver. Finally we gave him about half which was still way over priced. But she later told us to never take a taxi with a meter. In Vietnam, they are called “jumper taxi’s” and are well known for having a skewed meter. Well, so much for all we “learned” about travel this year! ha!
Later that day, we didn’t get what we ordered and I almost died of laughter (literally I was choking on my water and couldn’t breathe for a good minute after laughing at a joke that I told..sad, I know). So needless to say, each prayer before a meal starts with a sigh and “Lord, we thank you for this day and this food but are wondering what you are trying to teach us through all of this!” We are coming to remember that we do not have any rights. As much as we would like to believe that we do, we do not! And we continue to trust in the Lord as we travel on this journey. Even in the mishaps, we have had the chance to meet other fellow travelers and swap stories. Jon got the chance to have two hour conversation with a gal on the boat tour we were on about faith, the Lord and having a relationship with Him. And even through the common frustrations of travel we remember we are not perfect. We learn forgiveness, compassion and mercy and I am thankful that I continue to be refined in these areas. And at the end of the day, we are STILL in Vietnam and still smiling and having the time of our lives! So despite hard days, I am thankful.
Needless to say, we are excited to trade Vietnam in for Malaysia! We fly out tommorrow and spend one night there before heading back to Thailand. Thank you for your continued prayers. We need them!
Love to all from the East,
J,E&S
