A Regional trip report

[solar]

I have been a regular visitor to Thailand since 1998 when I first made a detour to and from BKK, on my way to Nepal for a trekking holiday with a friend who had been to Thailand before and knew the scene.

 

 

 

Last year we decided we would like to try Vietnam (throwing in the inevitable trip to Thailand on the way there and on the return). Funny how all roads now seem to lead to LOS!

 

 

 

This again was to be a trekking holiday and we arranged a three day trip to Cat Ba Island off the NE coast in Haiphong Bay and then onto to Sapa for the remainder.

 

 

 

It was in Cat Ba, that we had the most unexpected experience. We had walked the length of the main street along the quay side of the town, looking for a place to drink. We had obvioulsy reached the end of the town, so we decided to walk back towards our hotel. It was still exceedingly hot and humid, so the decision was made to stop in the first bar that had a) beer, a fridge and c) air conditioning. By chance, we had stumbled across, what was probably the only bar with 'working girls'. There was not much choice. In fact we only saw the two, but luckily we were attracted to different ones. The girls had slightly fairer skin and perhaps a fuller pair of breasts than their average Thai counterpart and both were good lookers. We had now been away from Thailand for 3 days. The temptation of trying 'something new' and the chance of getting this unexpected pleasure was irresistible at 20 US$, short time. The only slightly negative aspect was the 'sound effects'. I think the girl must have been coached by a porn director from the sixties, who squealed at the first touch of her breasts and continued for the whole performance.

 

 

 

Cat Ba Island is certainly a place to visit for its spectacular scenery and if you can loose your wife or girlfriend for an hour or two (or better still, not go with her), its got other less obvious attractions too!

[chilli13]

thanks for sharing this a bit out of the beaten track experience. seems like vietnam isn't all hassles & scams if one knows where to look...

 

 

 

anyway care to compare this experience to the usual thai options?

 

 

 

cheers ;-)

[Sukhumvit]

This is Ha Long Bay way yeah?

 

 

 

Did you go on that ferkin' interminable boat ride out to see the aqua tinkers who live out by the hollow limestone islands. We must have gone at no more than 2-3mph so as not to create erosive waves.

 

 

 

Saw a couple of bars which could have been interesting by the main ferry dock to head out to the islands but didn't diddle as I was with a group of politically correct world travellers on a minibus tour from Hanoi. Somehow I don't think bonking a Ha Long hooker would have gone down too well.

 

 

 

They were also building a highway from Hanoi to Ha Long Bay in 97. The road was a nightmare. So many close misses with construction trucks. Eventually heading back into Hanoi over the Red River Bridge, I think that was the name from memory, we had a crash. Our crummy little minibus drove into the back of the car in front. Saw the accident happening in slow motion. Totally bizarre. Backed up traffic over the bridge.

[solar]

< interminable boat ride out to see the aqua tinkers who live out by the hollow limestone islands>

 

 

 

No, missed out on that one, but the ferry to Cat Ba was a real rust bucket (a converted fishing boat apparently) that gave me the jitters. It was probably the most dangerous part of the whole trip. It did travel at a extremely good rate of knots but still took about 2 hours to get to Cat Ba.

 

 

 

<Somehow I don't think bonking a Ha Long hooker would have gone down too well.>

 

 

 

Luckily we had arranged an 'exclusive' trip for ourselves via the web (agency was Green Bamboo who were excellent and certainly not expensive), so we had no on-lookers to worry about.

 

 

 

Forgot to mention, the 20 US$ included the cost of the ST room above the bar. Inevitably, we compared notes afterwards and we both had the impression that the girls 'felt' different and pleasantly so, compared to the Thai BG. Perhaps they don't get so much regular activity.