I am so looking forward to leaving Vietnam for Laos. We’ve had such stress over the last few days we’re all exhausted. We left Hanoi for the Unesco heritage site of Halong Bay on Tuesday expecting a nice relaxing 3 days. What we got was a Gestapo trained guide called Nam and piles of problems and strife. I’m a pretty easy going person but I along with every other person on our tour was calling for blood by the first evening. Now the 3 days weren’t a complete loss, but that was only because of the wonderful people we met who were on our tour, the scenery and this strange little man who showed us around a place called the hospital cave on Cat Ba Island. We had booked 2 nights and 3 days with a Sinh Cafe tour operator and really looked forward to a nice break. How naive we were!
Nam
I’ve never wanted to string someone up so much in my life. He’s a horror of a human being and shouldn’t be allowed work with animals, let alone tourists. I hope this man gets fired and a raging case of herpes. He sent Dee and Carrie (an English girl on our tour the first night) out in a kayak for 40 mins and when it got dark and they weren’t back it took us at least 2 hours of arguing to get him to do anything. Thankfully the girls were clever and got on another boat once it got dark who brought them back but this was in spite of Nazi Nam and the poor things were completely in shock. Nam treated us all like cattle with orders instead of requests: “Get on bus”, “Get off boat”, “Get downstairs”.
Sinh Cafe
The “organisers” of the tour and employers of Nazi Nam. If I could shut them down I would. They work as a franchise type organisation and there seems to be absolutely no way to get back at them. You’d be better off talking to a wall than these pricks. They lie in every way possible. They don’t bring you on a 4 hour trek to Cat Ba National Park as advertised, instead you go on a 1.5 hour trek on private land where a man with goats shouts at you and shouts at you while wielding a machette.
Rule of Travel: When booking any tour find out exactly what the tour entails and that if there is any part of the criteria that is not met if there is any complaints proceedure.
Halong Bay itself is a sight to be seen and once we got to the National Park and met our tour guide of the Hospital Cave who taught us how to sing “Vietnam Ho Chi Minh” then it went some way to making us feel calmer.
As I said before the people we met were the only thing that saved the last few days. So thanks in no particular order to the following: Rachel and John (thanks for being the calm angry people, keep us updated on your travels), Carrie and Liz (sorry Nazi Nam didn’t let us say our goodbyes, Lids and Dee told me ye were so annoyed that ye were thinking of leaving Vietnam after only 2 days in the country, did ye?), Frederick (thanks for the pool games, if we don’t meet ya in Hanoi over the next few days then good luck in Oz, watch out for them riots in Sydney), Bozz/Beatrice (thanks for making yesterday so entertaining, hope ya have a great time in Spain for Christmas), Andrea (we’ll definately hook up with ya in Perth, you’ve been warned!) and Pauliana (let us know what ya decide to do for Christmas, we’ll see ya in Oz otherwise). You’ll hear a lot more about these wonderful people when I’m less angry. The trip wasn’t all bad and these guys are the main reason.
If ya want to forward us any letters or send us a postcard we’ll be at our friend Kasia’s house from 19/01/06 but we don’t know how long we’ll be there. \
c/o 53 David Crescent
Hillarys
WA 6025
Australia
On a personal note just wanna send all my love to my family. Yesterday was our mother’s 6 month anniversary and its all being brought home with Christmas coming up. Hope you’re all coping. Love you all so much.
Hey there Tee.
Ive been reading all about those scams on the lonley planet not good. I want to go over and beat the crap out of that stupid man for upsetting my sister. Did dee and lids try out any of thier kick boxing skills on him…. but sure dont let if get you all down Loas here you come. So i believe you have a voice of an angel and will be belting the xmas songs out over the festive season. Dee will try god love her but she normally makes up her own words to the songs which can be off putting. but sure god loves a tryer. Hopefully you will be able to get some sort of christmas meal out there. Dee mam has tubes of sweets for you but I told her not to bother sending them that there is no point so me and Kev are going to eat them so they won;t go to waste HA HA HA
Well better get back and do some work have the christmas party tonight, have just been out to purchase some nurofen have a feeling I’m going to need it.
take care Girlies and be safe
Love Ciara
Hey Star Sailor Daughter, guess you did’nt pick up the navigational and orienteering skills from Dad. Sun, wind, tide, flight of birds, direction that palm trees bent…you know! Glad you ok and safe. Gonna have to improve though to be called an astronaut. Keeping an eye on you thro gmail.Love Parents
L
Well said Tee. the Nam scam continues!!
hey captain, yeha maybe i wasnt reading the wind , and there was deffo no palm trees but i read the time of day and saw the eagles circuling, so knew i gotta get out of there. eaten by an eagle is nearly as bad as getting killed by a coconut~~, maybe nam will get hit by a falling coconut with any luck
Hey girls, all joking and recriminations aside, remember one thing: you are alive and well, and unharmed! You learned a lesson for free! (that’s what I said after my Hungarian Mafia episode)
So, when you’re with the Australian version of Nam getting cornered by a croc (Aw yeah?!) then you’ll be like “Aw, nah worries mate, she’ll be right I reckon!”. I’ve heard some not dissimilar stories from the Aussie outback experience, so don’t get eatten by a croc there. There are fools who treat tourists like Nam treated you over there too. Take ‘em down a peg Team LTD!
Don’t worry next time we meet a nazi like him all sorts of cruel and unusual punishment will be rain down on him or her! The world has been warned!
hey girls amana here so sorry i havent been in touch in soooooo longcomp has been on blink and i had a few personal issues to resolve but all good now..teaching in a vocational college in kilkenny french and hist and civics loving the whole school vibe….students are painful tho had ny interview for saint pats hope it went well. kevin says hi and thanks for the post card…love yee ta bitsand take care of yourselves
lots of love
amanda xxxx
Glad ya got the postcard Amanda. Glad to know that someone like you gets to shape the minds of the young. There’s hope for the world if everyone turns out the same, ie. nuts!
oh yes the drunken and violent mindset of the great amanda butler will live on forever only started lest week and have been rated on rate your teachers .ie.glad you are having a goodtime and enjoy christmas your mam would want that she wouldnt want you to be upset ok have a great one i am sure you will with lids by your side….kevin says hi and happy christmas loves ya
amanda
HAPPY CHRISTMAS GIRLS!!!! HOPE YOU HAVE A MEMORABLE ONE!!! IM HEADIN OFF SKIIING TO ANDORRA TOMORROW NITE CANT WAIT!!!!!! P.S HOPE YOU WIN THE FOOTIE MATCH!!!XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX