Martin's Travel Journal Just a few photos and ramblings from my trips.

Goodbye Vietnam

VIETNAM | Friday, 29 April 2011 | Views [555]

Our last full day in Vietnam was very much a relaxed affair - money and tired legs dictated that it would be. After a number of late nights we decided to have a lie in and then after breakfast we strolled, for the last time, the hectic streets of Hanoi, stopping in numerous shops to do some last minute souvenir buying.

We had lunch in a contemporary restaurant (relative to Vietnam) that is pushed right up next to the cathedral before heading to Hoa Lo Prison. The prison was originally built by the French when they controlled Indochina but became famous during the Vietnam War when POWs were held here. The Americans nicknamed the prison the "Hanoi Hilton" due to the harsh conditions in the prison. Stark contrast to the blatant propaganda in the museum today where the Vietnamese speak of the poor treatment by the French but photos and descriptions from the war make the prison seem like a holiday camp.

After exploring the few remaining cells in the prison we sluggishly returned to the hostel to relax and pack. That evening we had some if the BBQ on offer at our hostel before John and I played guitar in the bar - earning some beer in the process.

We headed out into Hanoi to have some 10p beer at a street bar (with the MOST moody waitress we had ever come across) and then grabbed some food from another street stall. After eating John and Hannah then made their way back to the hostel as they had an early flight the next day. After three weeks of travelling together this was our parting point as I made my way to the new backpackers hostel to meet with sone Brits from my dorm.

The next morning, very hungover, I made my way to the bus to take me to the airport and enjoyed my last taste of Hanoi and said goodbye to Vietnam. An epic day of travelling lay ahead as I had to fly back to Ho Chi Minh City before flying on to Jakarta and would not reach Amy and Dan's apartment until well after midnight. The wait in Ho Chi Minh was terrible due to the timings of the flights (thank goodness for the iPad) and luckily some of the girls that had been on the Halong Bay cruise turned up in the airport as they were also flying to Jakarta so I had some company on my way to Indonesia.