Monday, April 4, 2011

Vietnam-Cat Ba Island-Cat Ba National Park (Day 57)

We had formed a little climber family and all decided to take a rest day and go out for a day hike tour.  Today’s group was Max, Tony, Adam, Carla, Anja, and I.  It cost $15 per person which covered the bus ride to the park, the tour guide, lunch and the boat ride back to Cat Ba and the short taxi ride back to Cat Ba Town.  It was a pretty fun outting.

P3100720

It started from the Cat Ba National Park entrance.

P3100723

About 2 km of paved trail.

P3100724

Then it turned to more jungle.

P3100731

Then the trail started going up and down hillsides.

P3100734P3100736

We took a break at frog pond which had no water and no frogs.

P3100739

But it had leaches.

P3100745

Yes this was the path at times.

DSC_0096

A stop at a old park service housing where they used to check wild game takings.  No hunting is allowed in the park now.

DSC_0105

P3100749

P3100752P3100756

The path to the village and lunch

DSC_0109IMG_9068

While we had lunch our tour guide took a moment for a little puff puff.

P3100768P3100776

Rice paddies of the village.

P3100804

P1010349

From the village the path was paved and went past this little lake or estuary, I couldn’t exactly tell which it was.

P3100808

From the end of the pavement we took a basket boat.  It was a slow and noisy ride but it was pretty cool.

P3100815P3100823

Ha Long Bay is a really amazing place.

P3100833P1010356P3100840P3100848P3100850P3100860P3100875

P1010386

We all got dinner together at Green Mango.

P1010393

After dinner Max stopped to buy these funny Vietnamese hackie sacks.  These women we hilarious!   They kept trying to upsell them more and the price kept changing then once they finally bought them she said “Now my boyfriend buy me an ice cream!” and grab Max on the arm and got him to go over to a convenience store and buy her and two other women ice.  It was hilarious!!

No comments: