This was it the end of the fellowship, the day had come as I knew it would, Kat and Mike would head west then north into China and Tibet, have to put here that had I not meet Zach, Elise, Kat and Mike I would have been ready to come home by now and not have any misgivings about missing out on China and Tibet, now well I really wish I had enough money to carry on with them but alas it is not to be, I will be home in the beginning of September, going to head to Ha long bay and then Thailand for a week or so before climbing on board the big bird to bring me home.
Kat was up early again and off with the computer to breakfast, then I meet up with them, they had some bad news when I arrived, someone had got there Visa number and was spending their money online, lucky for them the bank was onto it so no loss for them besides having to cancel their card and change a load of banking stuff. It’s just something you don’t really want to deal with.
After some breakfast we headed back to the hotel to pack, I was going to have to move as the hotel we were in did not have any cheap rooms. Once we were all packed and moved out we said our good byes, good lucks, and they headed off up the hill and away towards China, they would have a fun day as they had the big downhill to ride and then a border crossing. So that was it the fellowship was over, with a few twists of the peddles.
I headed out to look for a hotel and to see if I could book a night train back into Hanoi, then I would head off to Ha long Bay. I found a hotel for my stuff and it was only up two flights of stairs, and it came with a great view across the valley to the hills on the other side, later I would find out that they throw in bed bugs for free, bugger not again.
I moved my stuff into the room then stopped at a few travel agents to find out about tickets, the train was full, I would have thought that everyone would stay around for a Saturday night but it seems not, so night train was out and the day train you have to buy the tickets on the day, excellent, so I had a afternoon to kill before sleep and the ride down.
I hired a bike and a driver to take me up to a waterfall (Silver water fall, 100m high) and then to the top of Tram Ton Pass and a look around there. We headed off and up the towards the pass, I got the driver to stop so I could take some photo’s along the way. Once at the waterfall I paid my 5000dong admission and wandered up the hill, the waterfall was pretty nice but there was loads of people all walking up doing the obligatory posed photos. I did not really spend that much time there. My driver must have thought he was onto a good thing when I was back down in only a few minutes.
The next was the pass and a look down the other side, the mountain range was mostly still covered in cloud but it was a nice view down the valley to the bottom way off in the distance, would be a really good ride down, but I don’t think I would be looking forward to riding back up. After spending a bit of time here we headed back down a bit to the start of the walking track to Fansipan mountain, I wondered up to the look out which again was a nice view, well really it was a great 360 degree view of the valley and the hills. I wandered back down and the my driver said he had got a pass for me and I could go and wander the tracks around were we where, I asked him how much it was and he said 50,000dong, which I have to say I just about choked on.
I headed into to see how much it really cost, seems it was only 15,000 I had caught him out, he tried to make out that is what he was saying but the look of panic when I had walked in said more then I needed to hear. So I was by now thinking what a cheeky git. Then when I walked out to head off on the paths around the area he said only 20 minutes, now when we negotiated the price it was for 3 hours and by my watch well mobile phone we had only been gone an hour and a half at the most. Well I took my time and headed off, the lying bugger could wait till I was ready to head back now.
There was only two ways to go, one up towards Fansipan or to Lovers waterfall, hhmmm so off to lovers waterfall I went. The track was a easy wander, on the way I came across a snake wandering down the path as well, not sure what kind of snake it was but I gave it a wide birth, did not want it getting to friendly. Lovers water was a nice little waterfall as far as they go, did a few photos and then made a hasty retreat as I had a swarm of mosquitoes looking to make me there lunch.
After we had got back to town I paid up and waited for my change the cheeky bugger was not going to pay up, excuse me my change now, the bugger just looked at me so I grabbed my money back and went to head off to get change, then he produced the change. So I was pretty fucked off to say the least, he won’t be getting my recommendation that’s for sure.
I spent the rest of the day writing the blog and sitting out watching the mountain slowly disappear in to darkness, then headed out for dinner, it would be a early start and a long day so wanted to get a good nights sleep.
No comments:
Post a Comment