Saturday : sunny

Well we didn't end up going to the same place as yesterday for breakfast. Kind of wish we did, this place didn't have a lot to offer. Although it was still nice to have an iced coffee.

Next we hired a scooter from our hotel and went for a ride to the Cat Ba National Park. Along the way we went down this dirt, rocky, road. That took us through this awesome jungle looking valley, where Hospital Cave was.

Hospital Cave was keep secret during the war. It also seemed secret now too, there were only four other people on the cave tour. It is hidden away inside a mountain, with a small steel door for the entries/exits at both ends of the cave. Tons of rock was removed, and concrete was used to form up walls and the floors, for the three levels. It had 2 hospital rooms, a surgery room, kitchen, living areas, bathrooms, meeting rooms, even had a movie theatre, swimming pool and training area in a big natural cave area . It was only used by top V.C officers.

Not too much further down the road was the entry to the National park. I tell ya, if you want to see Vietnam for free, travel or go see attractions when the locals are on their two hour lunch break. No one is ever at the ticket booth, it has happened quite a lot to us. So off we went with our free pass. We headed off for the lookout on the peak of a mountain. It's ment to be a four hour return trek.
We got about 20mins in, to the top of one hill and decided to head back. The mosquito situation was bad, I have honestly never seen so many. It was like a swarm of flies, big ones too. Not taking my chances with malaria.

Back on the bike, we hit some corners, along the windy ocean road. It was the long way home but it was fun dragging the pegs and scaring Kim hehe. Don't worry these scooters a slow, trucks can overtake them going up hills.

We spotted a lookout at the top of a hill that is probably better than the mossie infested one at the park. Its just up the road from the hotel too, over looking Cat Ba town, the bay and surrounded by mountains.

Nice hot sunny day today, at the lookout we decided to go and have some drinks and lunch at a restaurant we passed earlier on the bike.

The place was made completely out of bamboo, very nice looking place. Good food and drinks, really nice fella running it too. We liked the place so much we went back there for dinner and organized to hire a kayak for tomorrow.

We stayed there for a few hrs having drinks and talking to this chap. Until it cooled off, and we went back to the hotel to get changed and to go to the beach.

No swimming today because we didn't bring any money to the beach to pay for parking, b*****! Nevermind, big day on the water tomorrow, and we had cold showers instead.

After dinner I thought it would be a good idea to go and get some food and drinks to take with us tomorrow. The town was busy tonight, people everywhere. It was like a big party looked like everyone was having a good time. I got asked by two working ladies if I would like to have a good time with them. I said I was having fun already thanks.

Back at the hotel had a few more drinks and people watched from above, then got my bag ready for tomorrow.