Day 19 - Haiphong

Had a very early morning text from Dad. He was up early as he was catching the ferry to Haiphong at 9.00 am. While he's been on Cat Ba he has been having his meals at the same restaurant. It is a family run restaurant and Dad has been having hugs and "high-fives" off the owners son, so the family have been looking after him well ! He said he'd been eating a lot of sea-food, but to date he'd seen no improvement in his spelling! Would have to agree with Dad on that one :)

He text later to say he'd had his last breakfast with the family and caught the bus, then the ferry and then another bus to Haiphong.  Dad said only he got off in Haiphong, the rest of the bus were heading to Hanoi.  He has got a room at the Duyen Hai Hotel (I can only find a Vietnamese page!). The hotel costs £16 a night, ensuite, TV but no air con and Dad says it's very hot at the moment (he ought to be here!). There is no bike hire at the hotel so he went for a walk instead. His text says "dun miles" which at first I thought was a place, but then realised it meant he'd walked miles !  He had found a big lake with the help of a map. He had also found a museum but it was a closed. Dad hadn't met another tourist but the local people are really friendly. Tomorrow he is hoping to get a bus to the Do Son region.

Dad did text again later to say Haiphong is basically a big container port town and a gas terminal. He has today had the worst meal of the trip in his hotel and that he won't be having breakfast there in the morning!  He reckons he's been spoilt in Cat Ba. He did say the beer was pretty good though !