From Tam Coc to Hai Phong we traveled 140 km by motorcycle, from there we took a ferry to Cat Hai (the first island before reaching our destination, Cat Ba) for 38,000 Dongs (motorcycles and 2 people), and from there we took another ferry to Cat Ba for 43,000 Dongs in total. We arrived in mid-afternoon, and from the pier to Cat Ba Town there are about 25 km.

Once in Cat Ba Town the odyssey began to find accommodation. It was Friday and was plagued by Vietnamese tourists, but packed to the brim. Everywhere we asked we had room for Friday but not for Saturday … The price of Saturday night was through the roof!

Asking door to door a woman stopped us on the street, and told us that she had a room for us, that it was a house … we thought we did not understand, but we kept talking, we bargained the price, getting a price of $ 10 per night … Great! !

Now we had to understand where he was, because at his hotel he said he was full the next day … He took his motorcycle and we followed it, he took us through alleys to a house, opened the electric shutter as if it were a store and told us that it was that. It was a house !! with kitchen, dining room, and the room.

The room had a height of 1.5 meters, and there was only one mattress on the floor, although with air conditioning … Everything was new, very clean and very correct, and after having asked everywhere we accept … Also included breakfast , that we had to go take him to his hotel.

With it we also hired the one day tour of Lang Ha Bay, belonging to Halong Bay, for $ 13 each, which we would do the next day. So shower, dinner in our neighborhood, completely local and to sleep.

The next day I played the tour. We had read so many things about scams and bad experiences that we did not have too many expectations … it was like a must see. So we went to breakfast and then a car picked us up to take us to the pier.

There we climbed into a large boat, one more of the many that were there. We waited for everyone to go and we set sail. The day was splendid! the landscape was impressive, full of protuberances that came out of the sea, like this! suddenly!!

As we have already said, they are rock karst (post it is worth …) but without having any idea of ​​geology I can say that they are impressive !!!!! After a while of sailing and observing rocks, like the “chop stick”, we stopped in one place, with other boats, there we disembarked and we had to catch a kayak, in pairs.

Once we were in ours we started to explore the area. There were a lot of people, but once you went forward they were distributing in different areas and it was not so annoying. The environment was very beautiful, with birds like cormorants, and we had a pretty freaky fish, type tabby, like a small scorpion, that was following us … in the end it was even a little scary … We took a good turn, beautiful! And we went back to the pier, the last …

We sailed again, while some sailors set the table. The food was very good and very filling !!! Nothing extravagant, rice, rolls (by the way very good), tofu, fish, chicken and vegetables, all very well cooked, we were satisfied. The next stop was to snorkel.

The problem was that the sea was full of jellyfish … so a swim and up, yes, pulling the highest point of the boat! Jerónimoooooo !!!!

Then we stopped at Monkey Island, which was a disappointment because we only saw three monkeys, and I was drinking from a can of fanta … On this island you can do a climb to the highest point and enjoy fantastic views!

The ascent in the last section is not easy, and less with flip flops, so better to wear suitable shoes to avoid scares … And from the Monkey Island we went through a floating village, very curious, and back to earth.

The day had been great, above our expectations, which were nil, and totally recommendable … The company that took care of everything was: L Travel, if you do not have it clear, talk to them.

In Cat Ba there is also a natural park where excursions are organized. We prefer to go and look for a nice beach, but there is no beach either … The landscape is the best, but not the beach itself.

Our experience in Cat Ba was coming to an end when on the way to the ferry dock the rear wheel began to wobble … that was a very bad sign … At once I told Mayra to come down … many spoke radius had been broken, in total 9 radios … and the rest could not stand the weight.

We were in the middle of the natural park of Cat Ba, there was no town nearby, the sun was torrid, without exaggeration, melted the asphalt, and we were crumbling in sweat carrying the bike on foot. Finally we arrived at a mechanic, after walking an hour … I asked him the price, and he asked me 400,000 Dongs ($ 18), I tried to bargain, but he did not give in, I told him as if I did it myself, and he told me 200,000 Dongs ($ 9 ), a very high price to replace 9 radios …

Mayra stayed there and I went to find another mechanic, and at about 200 meters there was another, which made me wait a couple of hours, then I asked for 500,000 Dongs, I looked for another mechanic, and there was no other in the area.

All these trajines happening to see Mayra from time to time … I know! I am very stubborn … hence the Aragonese blood … At the end I asked the first mechanic again and he told me that I would leave it for free if I did it myself … Great!

I got to work. It was very hot, we had walked a lot, we were very sweaty, but we were going to solve the problem. Finally I fixed the wheel, with some advice from the mechanic, and I to thank him for the gesture I gave him some razor pliers that he thought to give to sell the bike to reduce weight … The man loved them! and so we both stayed with a smile !!!

Again, on the way to the jetty … but it was too late, there were no more ferries until the next day … We returned to Cat Ba Town and along the way we found Cat Ba Sweet Potato Guesthouse, for 250,000 Dongs ($ 11). The next day we started the trip again undoing the fact, and taking direction to Hanoi! The capital of Vietnam !!! Here we go!!!!