Hanoi and Ha Long Bay

We flew from Hue to Hanoi just for one night so we could transfer to our two-night Ha Long Bay cruise. We noticed immediately, however, that Hanoi is "advanced Vietnam". Traffic was crazier than anywhere else, with even more scooters doing even more unexpected (and sometimes unexplainable) things. We were immediately glad that we had not started our Vietnam journey in Hanoi because we might not have made it any farther.

The next morning we were picked up in a small bus, which then proceeded to fight through the packed streets of Hanoi to pick up other guests heading to Ha Long Bay. The driver even had a person we referred to as "the fixer" who must have been riding ahead by scooter to help set up the pickups. Only in Vietnam. 

By the time we arrived at Ha Long City, we had been on the bus for almost four hours (with a couple of stops). Good thing it was comfortable. From the cruise terminal we took a tender to our ship where we learned that there would only be seven of us that first night on a ship that can hold up to 30! (On the second night of our trip we were all of 8.) 

We did very little on the cruise other than enjoy the amazing views of Ha Long Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay.

We did have an opportunity to kayak a couple of times and, despite the cold, we did so. This gave us a chance to see additional parts of the Bay and was really beautiful and pleasant. 

We also kayaked through a fishing village where people literally live on the water. 

A couple of people from our ship did not kayak, but were on a traditional boat rowed by a local woman (Vietnamese women are strong). They learned that many of the people in the fishing village cannot read, and that the children there do not go to school. We also saw many dogs on the docks of the village; they are there to prevent the birds from stealing the fishing catch, which is kept in open nets prior to use/sale. Good dogs.

Finally, we stopped on a small beach and visited a cave that, along with others on the Bay, were used as hiding places during the American War. For us, these just provided more good photo opportunities.

Our first morning of the cruise was my birthday, and the ship's staff was ready.

Yes, that is birthday cake for breakfast, which was dutifully cut up and served to all of us before we set out for our day. 

Although we never saw the sun on the cruise (and therefore missed out on what are apparently amazing sunsets), and it was pretty cold, we had a very relaxing time. And, because of the weather and the time of year, we saw very few other ships while we were cruising, which made our voyage even more tranquil. Overall a very worthwhile thing to do while in Vietnam.

Returning to Hanoi, we had a couple of days before we flew to Japan. We saw Ho Chi Minh's masoleum (and the nearby People's Congress building), but did not go in because for some reason it is only open from 7:30-10:30 am, which made no sense to us.

We visited The Temple of Literature, which was originally built in 1070 and is dedicated to education and the Vietnamese emperors who created the education system, and the adoption of a Chinese-style exam system for public servants. Confucius is worshipped here along with several of his disciples. Especially impressive are the stone Stelae each of which lists those who passed the exams in a given year. The turtles on which the Stelae rest represent permanence.

We also visited the Hoa Lo prison, which was known by the American pilots who were held there as the "Hanoi Hilton". However, the prison existed long before the American War, built by the French in the 1930's to hold and, frankly, torture the Vietnamese freedom fighters who were seeking to free Vietnam from colonial rule. In fact, most of the exhibits were about the French period, but there was some information about the American War, and the prisoner pilots and later reconciliation efforts.

As always, just wandering around the city was part of the experience and provided some excellent photos along with good food and excellent coffee.

As the end of our time in Vietnam approached, I think we were ready to move on. Although we really liked the energy, at times it was a difficult place to travel. Also, we left just as the Tet holiday (Vietnamese New Year) was beginning, and there is no doubt that it would be difficult to be a foreign tourist in Vietnam during that time. Still, we appreciated the decorations and preparations we were able to witness.

Onward to Japan.

Jeff and Shana