Vietnam - Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An Feb. 2016

Monday, Feb. 1 2016, Vietnamese Junk, somewhere in Halong Bay

We had a four hour bus ride from Hanoi to Halong Bay. Halong Bay is a UNESCO world heritage site. There are more that 3,000 islands in the Bay which is located across from the Bay of Tonkin. We boarded our boat about 12:30, checked into our cabin, then ate lunch. Everywhere you looked was a photo op, huge rock outcroppings that are very intriguing. Around four we took our tender to explore some caves that were called the secret caves. We climbed up the side of the outcropping, then down into the caves. It was really beautiful, and the lighting added to the dramatic scenes. We returned to the boat for cocktails, then dinner. Some music and dancing afterward, then we all hunkered down for the night. Our boat looks well worn from the outside, but once inside is really beautiful with glossy polished teak, intricate trim work, and cabins with en suite bathrooms. There are boats everywhere. We counted about 30 around us where we anchored overnight. Young told us in good weather about 600 boats head out a day. We have now done the two things I was looking forward to, the elephants, and this boat, so the next two weeks will all be a bonus ! It is still cold and windy, a bit overcast, but luckily no rain. Off to Hue tomorrow.

Driving up to Halong Bay - Young showing us a map and our plan for Vietnam

Rice paddies

Just as we were out looking at the rice paddies school let out and there were kids and bikes galore

Bundling the rice

Fishing weirs as we approach Halong Bay

Jan, Ben, Nigel, Judy and Me - ready and heading out to our boat on the tender

Jim and Jon

We arrived

On board and heading out of the harbor

Table set for lunch and ready for us

Colin keeping the crew in line

Our cabin

I don't think I could even get my left leg out the emergency exit window - I guess I would have gone down with the boat

Top deck with tet tree

A floating village

The following pictures are of our view cruising

The Captain was quite happy to give me his hat and let me drive

I was just buzzing along until a large mass appeared and I did not know which way to go

After a bit of panic, the Captain took the helm back over and eventually was able to relax again

Little house tucked into an outcropping

Another floating village

Young and Me

Fishing boat

Jon hugged me so tight, part of my lunch threatened to come back up

Our VIP - the bartender

The teak was beautiful

Leaving our boat by tender to go explore the Secret caves

We climbed up, then down into the caves - they were lit up with colored lights that really changed the ambiance

I am demonstrating the slippery walking sign

Heading to our tender to go back to the boat

There were all kinds of boats everywhere

Back home

Getting off of the tender to get back on the boat

Looking from inside the boat to the tender

Our boat name carved in to a watermelon

Deb, Jon Me Jim and Jana with our fingers crossed

Our chef

Beautiful food presentation

What would a boat trip be with out dancing

Keri, Me, Deb and Young cutting a rug

Danette and Me

Tues. Feb 2, 2016. Cherish Hotel, Hue Vietnam

Up this AM and on the road for four hour ride back to the Hanoi airport. Stopped for group lunch at a shopping, restaraunt area. Flew to Hue and checked into rooms around 6:30 PM. A small group of us walked to a wonderful restaurant that was owned by a French chef. The food was amazing and it was nice to have a break from Asian cuisine ! We are really enjoying the area we are in. Tomorrow up and touring.

Toasting bread for breakfast - two at a time

Breakfast

Dish duty

We had a demo on how to cut a carrot into what looked like a fanned out fishing net

Arriving back to the harbor

On the bus leaving Halong Bay

Some farm country

The random burials

Lots of taters for sale

Headstones smack dab in the middle of farm land

Downtown Hue at night

Wed. Feb 3 2016 Cherish hotel Hue

It is a bit warmer here, but drizzly. This AM we toured the Citadel which houses the Forbidden Purple City, the Thien Mu Pagoda which is the unofficial symbol of Hue, and then took a dragon boat ridden the Perfume River. We had a group lunch. We had a couple of hours free in the afternoon so Jon, Jana and I took a Dragon boat taxi across the Perfume river to a local market. We were the only non locals there and it was quite a mad house. Everyone is getting ready for aTet this weekend, so the market was full of motor bikes honking horns, narrow walkways with everyone pushing everyone, and everything you can imagine for sale. Briefly back to the hotel, then out with group. First stop was an extremely depressing orphanage. It was dimly lit with fluorescent lighting, white walls, cold floors, and everything was metal, beds, tables, chairs......... Next stop another dimly lit pagoda to have a vegetarian dinner cooked by Buddhist nuns of the Dieu Thanh Pagoda, then question/answer period with a 24 year old nun. The meal was very good, but the whole evening was one of our least favorites. Tomorrow we are driving four hours south to Hoi An.

Dragon Boats

Our Captain

Young

Jon is at the helm again - he will never miss an opportunity

Jana and me doing a bit of shopping

Laundry day

Water buffalo

Arriving at Thien Mu Pagoda

we were being watched......

Walking up from the boat to the Pagoda

The Perfume River

Jon pose rivals the statue

Danette adn Jon - shoes on shoes off

There were beautiful Bonsais

In 1963 there world news coverage of a monk that drove the actual car above to a Saigon and caught himself on fire to protest discrimination against the buddhists

Roof cleaning day for the monks

Water Buffalo

Traffic here too

Sidewalk bicycle repair

The Citadel

A group shot

Tet tree ornaments

Deb, Jim, Danette, Jon, Me, Jana and Mike

Tet tree and Goldfish

This is one way to get around

Great water spout - the fish mouth

Typical trinkets for sale

the Imperial City

I loved the colors in these walls

Left the Citadel and walked through the flower markets on the Main street

Back in Hue - the Why Not? Hotel and DMZ bar

Jon, Jana and I caught this ferry back across the river to the local market

Getting dropped off on the river bank

A lot of trash everywhere

Everything you would need was for sale at the market - it was really crazy with everyone out doing their last minute Tet shopping

Fish stand

Various animal organs for sale

These looked like shallots and below still lots of trash as we walked around

Chicken for dinner

or maybe duck heads

or chicken feet

Lots of choices to catch a meal

or you could just bring home some pig tails and ears to cook up

Dried fish

Spices and lentils

Candy

Housewares

Coconut

Down at the waterfront during colored paper for good luck for Tet

Heading back across the river

It was also common to just burn your trash out in the street

That's a big load

Our hotel

Our bartender Jack got us dressed up as King and Queen

Shocking - more traffic

Driving out to the Orphanage

We stopped to visit with this shopkeeper who had a table set with food to honor his dead relatives

Young showing us the fake American money that they also burned for good luck

Walking up to the orphanage

Laundry room at the orphanage

The babies were kept in the metal cribs with some of the older kids watching them

Metal beds and lockers for the kids

This little girl took a liking to Jon

Group of kids doing after dinner school work

The dining room with metal tables and chairs

Dish washing duty

The altar at the orphanage was beautiful

Next off to a pagoda to visit with the buddhist nuns and eat a vegetarian dinner that they prepared for us

Eating our soup in the kitchen

Then seated for the rest of the meal - Mike, Jana, Danette, Jim, Jon and Me

Question and answer period with a nun

TheThurs. Feb 4 2016. Hoi an.

Left at 8:00 AM for four bus ride south. En route drove through Danang and stopped at China Beach. Arrived at Hoi an and had group lunch, then checked into our hotel. This the first hotel that we did not like our room, one tiny window, and no outlets. We requested a room change, and the new room is perfect except we directly abut the chicken coop. Will see what the AM brings. There was a group meeting, then cooking class for dinner that we skipped. The trip has caught up to us and we are both really tired.

Typical fruit plate for breakfast

Young with our AM breifing as we head to Hoi An

Pit stop at rest area

This was a very scenic area full of fishing boats

Hand pulled raft to get back and forth

The other side of the road had a little floating village and smaller fishing boats

Back on the road driving ocean side

One of the round baskets the are used as dinghies

Motorbike mishap and Young to the rescue

China Beach

Jon told me to wait while he took a pic of me putting my hand into the water, I would like to think that he did not see the big wave that came in and about knocked me over

He still my guy though...

Arriving at our restaurant for lunch in Hoi An

Stir fried frogs

Stuffing dumplings

Pig ear salad

Silk worm salad

Making noodles

Adding the covers to bamboo frames for laterns

Hoi An waterfront

Jon lending a helping hand

A picture of our water puppet

It is the Year of the monkey - Jon fits right in

Fri. Feb 5 2016 Lotus Hotel Hoi Ann

We survived a rough night of barking dogs and crowing roosters. We were up and out by 8:00 AM for a walking tour of the old city section on Hoi An. It was really beautiful. Hoi An is known for hand made silk lanterns and custom tailored clothes. Lots of shops and restaurants, and a huge local market. The city is river front and it was relaxing to walk riverside and watch the local boat traffic. The buildings are mostly painted yellow, with hanging colorful lanterns and dark wood interiors. We had a group lunch then back to the hotel till 3:00 PM for siesta. At 3:00 PM we were picked up by cyclo rickshaws and driven through the country side to the Cam Nam Village. We stopped at an 84 year old woman's house who spread lime powder, and sliced beetle nuts onto a large green leaf and chewed it. The people in our group said it tasted awful, but spread heat throughout their bodies. Next we were driven riverside. There was a guy there with a huge water buffalo. Young knew I wanted to ride a water buffalo, so he had the guy let us all get up on the water buffalo! Next we tookan hour long boat ride on the Thu Bon River back in other city waterfront. We cruised by very photogenic fishing wires, little houses and fishing boats. Young surprised us with wine for us that we really enjoyed sipping on while cruising. Young gave us all candle lit paper floating flowers to drop in the water and make a wish. We had a great group dinner accompanied by a piano player, then strolled through town listening to all of the live music, and enjoying all the colorful lit up lanterns.