We have finally had a chance to type up some more of the blog, enjoy reading about our last few days in India and our first week in Vietnam...

Day 14 - 14th November (Taj Mahal)

We woke up early to see the Taj, as it was Sunday it gets very busy by mid morning. We went up to the rooftop restaurant to see it but it was so foggy/hazy that we couldn't see a thing.

We paid the relatively steep fee for entry and made our way there.As our hotel was only 500/600m down the road from the Taj we could do it all by foot. The Taj itself was fantastic.It is so big and beautiful, it was quite breathtaking.The only thing that could have made it better was the weather.As it was so foggy we didn't see the sun until 9/10am.It also made the photos look a bit hazy.

After the Taj we didn't feel like going to the fort or any other places like that so we decided to try and find a taxi to Delhi as we didn't really want to hang around until 6/7 in the evening for the train.

We got a reasonable price and went with it. To get a good price we got a non-ac car which meant it got quite toasty in the back.It was a pretty long drive and we spent a lot of the time dozing. The driver also didn't speak English which made it a bit more difficult.

The good thing about having a taxi the whole journey is that you get dropped straight to your hotel.We stayed at Wood Castle again, we love this place and we were really well looked after.Returning was just like visiting good friends.

In the evening we chilled, had some food and some beer.We also went to a telephone booth to call home.On the way we spotted a barbers that looked quite up-market so Krish got a hair-cut and shave including head massage for just over a quid... bargain!

Day 15 - 15th November (Final day in India)

This morning we chilled out and then headed out for a final walk around Delhi.Since the red fort & Arkshardham Mandir (Swami Narayan Temple) were both closed on a Monday we decided to test the metro and go to Connaught Place.The metro was very busy but surprisingly clean and not smelly, totally different to what we had come to expect, but it was far too crowded to be able to say it was a pleasant journey (for Krish anyway, as they had gender specific carriages and the men's one was really busy).Also to get into the station you have to go through screening similar to that of airport security (we assumed this was due to the terrorist attacks in Mumbai).

Connaught Place itself is very 'westernised' but you are constantly reminded that you are in India as there is still loads of tobacco spit against the once nice white walls and pillars, and there are still plenty of beggars (we actually saw a female beggar being hit by some angry man, it wasn't very nice), and not all of the pavements had been finished so sewage pipes were still not covered (stinky!!!).We didn't spend a massive amount of time here as it felt like a 'fake' India.We walked around for a bit and went for some coffee and cake at 'Coffee Day' coffee house, which was recommended by Nikita and Shivani.

By the time we got back we had enough time to have a shower and pack our bags,The very nice people at Wood Castle let us use a spare room for an hour or so.They also gave us our yummy dinner for free; the Kadia Paneer was especially good.When our driver for the airport arrived it just so happened that it was the same driver who picked us up (with car fixed!).

That was it.... the India part of our journey was complete and we both had an amazing time (and no Delhi Belly!).

Day 16 - 16th November (India to Vietnam)

The day started with us on a plane.We were travelling from Delhi to Bangkok and then Bangkok to Hanoi.We pretty much slept most of each journey.We had some time in Bangkok airport before we continued to Hanoi.

Bangkok airport was very nice, it was so clean.Wherever you looked you could always see at least 1 or 2 cleaners working away.There were some really big statues, we're not too sure what of but they were cool and there was also a really nice Buddha temple.There was another cool set of statues which depicted a scene from Hindu scripts (the churning of the sea of milk) where the sea was churned by the demons and demi-gods by turning a stone on a turtle shell with a snake in a tug-of-war style with Lord Vishnu on top, it was a pleasant surprise to see that!

We also had five minutes to step outside and even though we were at an airport the air felt so much cleaner and less dusty than it did in India.

After we checked in and went through security we got a bit peckish - even though it was around 10am in the morning we fancied pizza so we got it.It was so good to have some pizza even though it was a strange time for it.

Our flight from Bangkok to Hanoi was quite short but as we mentioned earlier, we slept most of the way.We arrived in Vietnam with passports, visa approval letters, money and passport photos thinking that we were sorted.Somehow it seemed to take forever to get approved for entry, of the whole flight we were the last ones to get through.There was pretty much just our two bags left on the motionless carousel. One of the other bags on there belonged to Erica, who we met at the visa approval desk.We lent her some money for her visa as she had lost her credit card, had no cash and her boyfriend with the money wasn't going to be arriving until much later in the day.She seemed quite genuine and nice so we lent it to her thinking that if we didn't get it back it didn't matter as it wasn't that much money.We exchanged details and she promised to give us our money back that evening, she was even willing to leave her camera with us as deposit, which we didn't take and took her word instead.

After we got our bags we were happy to see that the pick-up we had arranged was still waiting for us, even though we had taken so long.The driver was the only one around holding up a board with names on so he was easy to spot.The drive from the airport was longer than we thought (especially was it was free).It was quite a nice drive, still not 'civilised' but a hell of a lot better than we were used to in India.

We finally arrived at our hotel, which was really lovely and really close to the lake in the 'Old Quarter'.It was called 'Little Hanoi Hostel 2' (there are about 2 or 3 of them).We were greeted with welcome drinks and dragon fruit (which neither of us had had before, its very good).We spent quite a while sitting in the lobby and talking to other guests discussing travelling and also trips that we could do in Vietnam (we got quite a few good ideas, and it was recommended that we book through the hotel as, although it might be cheaper to book trips elsewhere, they may not be as nice as the ones through the hotel).The main guy at the hotel's name was something like 'Che-uan' but he said people also call him 'Chin' (very friendly and welcoming guy).

We went out for dinner in the evening; we found a really nice rooftop restaurant/bar overlooking the lake, just around the corner from where we were staying.

After dinner, when we arrived back at our hotel, we were pleased to find an envelope from Erica with all of the money she owed us in.We've exchanged a few emails and we think that if we ever got stuck in Milan, we have someone we know who would be willing to help us out.

Day 17 - 17th November (Hanoi)

Today was a complete chill day.After breakfast we booked the trips we wanted to do through the hotel.After that we pretty much did nothing (as Jen was feeling a bit ill with a cold).Krish had to go to the bank around the corner as it had eaten his card the night before.They tried to charge him $10 but since it was the machines fault he was having none of it!

The hotel also brought us an awesome cake to celebrate our honeymoon.They must have got slightly confused with our names though as it said "Happy Honeymoon Krishan and Anne", the thought was nice though.

Staying in the room all day and resting was worth it as we managed to catch up on some well needed sleep, wrote some more of the journal and sorted out some photos.

Day 18 - 18th November (Halong Bay)

Today we had to wake up early as a coach was picking us up to take us to Halong Bay.The decision to take a rest day yesterday had paid off as Jen was feeling a lot better.

The coach trip to Halong City didn't take too long but it was quite crowded and there wasn't much leg room, which made it feel like it took much longer than it should do.

As soon as we got to Halong Bay we got on a junk boat and headed off towards the islands.The boat had 3 floors and was well looked after.The bay was so calm Krish didn't feel seasick, which was very good!We got given our room, but it wasn't until the 2nd or 3rd time we went in there that we realised that we had a private bathroom.This may sound a bit stupid but it was because we hadn't yet shut the main door to the room and it was behind there, duh!

Soon after we left we had lunch on the boat. We then went to some caves that were discovered in one of the islands. The whole place was lit up really well and was quite fascinating to see.Apparently the shapes of a lot of the rocks/formations inside looked like animals/people, some of them were good and you could actually see what the guide was on about but some we think they were clutching at straws.

After the caves the boat made its way to the place where we would stop for the night.For this journey we sat right at the front of the boat with our legs dangling over the edge.It was absolutely amazing, the weather was slightly foggy/hazy so we could only see vague shadows of the islands in the distance but they became clearer as we got closer and then by that point there were more emerging from the fog.We spent ages just watching the islands go by, it was quite surreal but was really special.

The area where we stopped for the night was surrounded by islands so it was quite sheltered.There were a lot of other boats here, all different sizes and levels of luxury.It was around dusk so we had a quick chance to go for a swim.After thinking about it for a few minutes we decided to go for it, the reason why it took us so long was not because we were scared of the water being cold, it was because the way to get to the water was to jump off the top of the boat which was around 10m above sea level.We both did it and it was pretty cool!

Swimming was followed by dinner, then after that there was not much else to do (apart from karaoke which no one seemed up for) so we headed to bed as we were pretty tired after waking up early.

Day 19 - 19th November (Cat Ba Island)

Another early start again as we wanted to squeeze in some kayaking before we headed to Cat Ba Island (a populated island in the middle of Halong Bay).It was good fun and the water was surprisingly warm for that time of the morning.

After kayaking we headed to the island, where we were greeted by a coach to take us to the hotel via the national park, where we did some trekking. We trekked to one of the highest points on the island (when we say trekked we mean half trekked and climbed the rest).We felt so sorry for some of the people who weren't told that it was best not to wear flip-flops for this (our friends at the hostel warned us) as some sections were quite steep and it was very hot and sweaty.The views from the top were quite spectacular and there was a rusty lookout tower to add extra height to your perspective.To get to the top you need a decent head for heights as it wasn't the most stable looking and there was plenty of points where you are reminded of how high up you are.Jen decided not to go up but Krish took some photos for the both of us!

After the group got back to the bottom (which was harder than going up) we got back on the bus and headed to the hotel.There was an option to go on a trip to 'Monkey Island' but we declined as we were already tired enough.Instead we headed in search of the beach where we just chilled out.We also found ourselves an awesome hotel to stay in for the extra nights we had planned to stay on the island.It was a bit more expensive than we needed to spend but the location and standard of the room were too good to resist.And plus it had 2 pools and a spa!

In the evening we had a few cocktails in the hotel bar.The bartender was pretty cool and did a lot of his talking through a translator tool on google.We also played some table football with a couple from Holland and got some more ideas on what to do with the rest of our time in SE Asia.

Day 20 - 20th November (Pool day!)

Now this feels more like a honeymoon.We checked out of our 'standard' hotel and got picked up by the new 'luxury' hotel on the beach, Cat Ba Island Resort & Spa.

We pretty much spent the whole day chilling by the pool.We had wifi so we caught up on emails, uploaded some photos and wrote some more blog/journal.

The only times we left the poolside were to sort out some washing (for a fraction of the price to what the hotel would charge) and to go for a walk to see the sunset.We followed a path along the cliff edge towards one of the other beaches and found a really cool spot to see the sun go down, it was setting right in the middle of two hills/rock formations, perfect photo opportunity!

The hotel food was quite expensive so we headed to the main strip on the harbour where we found a hotel selling food where we could sit outside and watch the world go by.The food was pretty good Vietnamese food and was very cheap.

When we got back to the hotel we went into the bar (which was pirate themed, inside a make-shift ship and everything) where we had 3 for 2 on tiger beer.We played some pool while some of the staff who had just finished work let their hair down and sung karaoke, not really our thing but we hung around for a while anyway.

Day 21 - 21st November (Pool day 2!)

Business as usual... After an awesome breakfast of everything they offered we had a nap by the pool, all morning!! In the afternoon we did the same, unfortunately the sauna and steam room were out of order so we couldn't make the best use of them L

In the evening we went for pizza at 'The Noble House', this was pretty much our day, apart from sorting out our bags for the forthcoming Sapa trip and watching 'Law Abiding Citizen', another Jamie Foxx saves the day film.

Day 22 - 22nd November (Halong Bay to Hanoi to Sapa)

We had to wake up early to make sure we caught our bus to get the boat back to mainland Vietnam.The coach journey was very warm.

The weather wasn't great when we got on the boat so we spent most of the time undercover, this gave us an opportunity to type up some more of our blog (which was well overdue).

We had a long coach journey back to Hanoi, this coach was not built for anyone who is even slightly tall, it was really uncomfortable but we somehow managed to snooze for a bit.

We got back at 4.30pm and our train to Sapa was leaving at 9.10pm so we spent the time in-between just relaxing in Hanoi.We checked emails, booked flights to Saigon and made sure we had everything packed for the trip.We also had some really good food at a restaurant next to the hostel.

We got on our train and unfortunately we were sharing a cabin with a crazy French couple who clearly didn't know the boundaries when it comes to showing affection in public.As we write this we are worried about what is going to happen when the lights go out...

Day 23 - 23rd November (Sapa-Day 1)

It was a very early start (5am) after a very late night (as Krish couldn't fall asleep until the Frenchies did, so continued to read his book on the kindle until he was sure they were asleep, and as far as we know everything was ok).

When we arrived at Lao Cai (the nearest train station to Sapa) it was still dark.The exit to the station was chaotic with plenty of drivers/tour operators holding up boards with peoples names on.Our new friends Jane and Ian, who we had met in our hostel and were doing the same trip as us, soon became Dan and Ian as there must have been a misunderstanding with the names.Half asleep we were bustled onto a minibus which was fully packed with tourists and their luggage and made the hour and a bit long journey into the hills to Sapa.

After having breakfast and checking into the hotel we were introduced to our guide for the next couple of days, her name was May (pronounced 'My').We then left for a mini trek around the smaller villages near Sapa.We were dressed in our walking gear complete with boots and waterproof jackets (unfortunately it was raining) but May was dressed in traditional 'tribal' clothes with added bright purple wellies and a multi-coloured umbrella.She was short, young looking and full of enthusiasm, her laugh was really infectious.After talking to her during the walk we found out that she was from a village nearby and was only 16, turning 17 in a few days.

The walk should have allowed us to see some spectacular views but as the fog was so thick we couldn't see anything until it was pretty much under your nose, what we did see though was very cool.We just hoped for better weather the next couple of days.

In the afternoon we had some free time around Sapa, but as the weather was so rubbish we didn't really fancy exploring and getting wet again.Krish though he saw a spa earlier on in the day that wasn't too far away, so in the hope of finding a sauna and steam room to relax in we headed in that direction.After reaching the hotel that Krish thought the spa was in we realised how bad Krish's reading was as in reality there were no signs for a spa, it was just a sign saying 'Sa pa Hotel', in his defence though the spacing in the letters was a bit dodgy.Instead we headed straight to 'Baguette et Chocolate', a cool, relaxing little coffee/cake shop right next to our hotel.This was another recommendation from Jen and Scott from New Zealand, who we met at the hostel in Hanoi.We have pretty much based our northern Vietnam itinerary on their recommendations and it's worked out really well, so we have a lot to thank them for!

In the evening we (Krish, Jen, Ian and Jane) decided to go out for dinner as the lunch served by the restaurant in the hotel was pretty rubbish and we didn't fancy eating there again (even though it was included).We found a nice little restaurant down the road with an open fire, and even though they served 'crap soup' we decided to go in J!

Day 24 - 24th November (Sapa - Day 2)

Breakfast at the hotel was a buffet, but by the time we got downstairs (which was still early) there was hardly anything left.We promptly headed over the road back to the coffee shop we went to the day before and had a more substantial meal.Paying for extra meals because the food they provided was crap was beginning to make this trip a little more expensive than we hoped L (food aside it was a very good trip though)

Today was a full day of trekking and the plan was to do the 12km route to the homestay where we were spending the night.Our group had grown in size, in addition to the 5 of us from the day before: Krish, Jen, Ian, Jane and Rhea (a lady from the Philippines), Shir and Adva from Israel, who had arrived on the train today, joined us.Since the morning was supposed to be tough Rhea was advised to get a motorbike taxi to the place we were having lunch, she didn't have any boots, only sandals.

In addition to the new arrivals we were also joined by a hoard of local women.We knew they would eventually try and sell us something we were just not quite sure when they would strike.After our first check-point we had to start our descent into the valley, as it had been raining the previous day it was very slippery and muddy under-foot.At some points it was so steep and slippery we considered just sliding down, if it wasn't for the ladies helping us down (who were all wearing wellies, some carrying stuff to sell and some carrying their children!) we would have been left in a muddy heap on the floor at the bottom of the valley.The ladies who helped us out, one called Che and the other we can't remember, were so helpful we thought it was only right to buy something from them in return.They had struck, but we didn't mind as their assistance was amazing.

After lunch we did our last couple of hours of trekking to the homestay, we were really grateful that this part was fairly flat and not that muddy! We reached the homestay early and as we were all tired, and the weather had started to get bad again, we stayed in and watched films on HBO and STAR movies (yes, the homestay in a little village had cable, we were really surprised!).

Dinner was cooked by our homestay family, it was very tasty and there was so much to eat.They also treated us to some rice wine, which wasn't much like wine, it was more like a really strong shot.

We thought that the mosquitoes would be the only thing to worry about that night, but we had deet and a mosi-netso we were well protected.However, we were woken up in the middle of the night by rats scuttling above us.Thankfully we were sleeping in a raised bed off the floor unlike the girls upstairs whose beds were on the ground, right where the rats were L