Ha Long

After arriving at our dock in Ha Long harbor, we set off an a four-hour boat ride on one of the tourist “junks.” The wooden boats have two sails, but none were in use on our or any of the boats we saw. The ride through the limestome monoliths was interesting for the first two hours. The trip was actually four hours long - during which we sat and watched this very determined young Vietnameses woman work hard to sell jewelry made from locally cultivated pearls (black and white) to our fellow passengers. She made one sale of a necklace with 6 pearls and a pair of matching earings sor $40.

One note about life on board this beautiful ship - the entertainment last night included the cruise director, the assistant cruise director, and four young crew members designated as vocalists singing theme songs from past hit movies - they weren’t great singers, but with the sound track, the lighting, and their evident delight in performing, it made for an enjoyable evening.

Yesterday - Da Nang to Ha Long Bay

We cruised overnight to this town (and UNESCO world heritage site) in northern Vietnam. We learned that there are nearly two thousand of limestone rocks in the bay. What an odd combination of attractions coexist here. First there is the huge bay littered with these oddly shaped rocks, creating a labyrinth of passageways for the dozens of tour boats. Then there is the disneyland wannabe amusement park adjascent to our dock (which is brand new) - a park built by one of third richest busienssmen in Vietnam (Mr. Sun) - named Sun World - which includes a huge gondola ride across the bay up to a large complex on top of a hill. And then there are the recently completed grand hotels on both sides of the bay - and the four or so still under construction. And mixed in with all the tour boats (and smalller cruise boats) are huge tankers, long barges filled with stuff (many with wood chips headed for paper factories), and fishing boats of all sizes.

Had to Get One In

Lights Up at Night

Last of the Hoi An Excursion

I left off just after lunch feeling like I was going to collapse in a puddle of perspiration and hoping for a return to the air conditioned bus... alas, the next stop (another long walk away) was at a lantern factory where we were each going to sit on a low tiny stool and make a lantern! There were a few fans around, but I was too wiltled to join in a camp craft exercise, so I went looking for a silk shirt thinking I would shed the soaking one that I was wearing and wear a cooler one.

Anne made a nice yellow lantern, and I found a shirt, but decided not to stink it up. And so we trekked back to the bus for the long ride back to the ship.

Lantern Class

I think this was a taoist temple

Photos From Hoi An

Sewing Silk Clothing

Hand Stitched Paintings

Stitching Detail

Ancient Japanese Bridge

Behind Again - Yesterday in Da Nang

We took another bus ride (2 hours) through the outskirts of Da Nang to the ancient city of Hoi An, a UNESCO world heritage site. (On the way our slightly annoying tour guide pointed out the hangers where the military kept the hueys used to carry marines into battle - what remains of the air base the US military built in Da Nang.) Da Nang is a coastal town with many beaches and fancy beach resorts, and it was hot and humid - a better day for a swim than a walking tour of a crowded city.

Cars are not allowed, but motorbikes are. There were a few tourist highlights, but the ancient city is really one large market with a mix of high end silks and leather and cheap tshirts (the most common one - Good Morning Vietnam) and other souvenirs. So the sidewalks are mostly filled with restaurant tables and vendors, forcing pedestrians (of which there were many) onto the streets only to beconstantly hassled by horn honking motorbikers.

We visited a silk factory where we were shown the silk-making process - which is pretty amazing. The silkworms are raised on big leaves on which they spin their cacoons. The cacoons are placed in a hot bath, and the silk strands are pulled from them on a device that eventually creates a big skane of silk. The silk is dyed and then woven into fabric on looms for use in making clothes. (This slow traditional process has been replaced with automated devices.)

The factory we visited included numerous women at sewing machines and others at stations set up for them to create complex and beautiful pictures using silk threads and hand-stitched embroidary. No surprise , the factory also seconded as a large market selling silk fabric (you could have a dress made and sent to the ship the next day), ready-made silk clothing, and silk pictures (which were really beautiful and looked like photos or fine paintings.)

Next up was the covered Japanese bridge built in the 16th century - the only known covered bridge with a Buddhist temple attached to one side. By this point I am seriously worried about heat exhaustion as we had walked several miles with no break. So we walked another long way to a restaurant for lunch, which was set up with long tables, so we were packed in. The food was excellent, though served in a way that required folks to understand which four were to share each plate - and several of our neighbors required repeated instruction in this sharing method.

About 3/4 of the way through the meal the power cut out and the a/c quit! I had to get up and go outside hunting for a breeze - I was soaked through and yearning for a good fan.

Today - Monday at Sea Again

These days underway offer a welcome opportunity to enjoy this beautiful ship and all that it has to offer. Yesterday we listened to a pianist, some singers, played scrabble, went to another lecture, enjoyed the spa and gym, and manged to consume another excellent dinner before diving into sleep. Today we took an onboard Italian cooking class (risota with duck confit, saltimboca with angel hair pasted tossed with sun dried tomatoes and garlic, and tiramisou) - all this between 9 am and Noon. We made a mistake and ate a little breakfast.

Ingredients

Saltimboca with Angel Hair

More Catching Up

Our next stop on the Meykong was for lunch. We were ushered into a decent sized wood and bamboo building and seated six to a table. The first dish was a whole fried Talapia, pictured below. Our server took a square sheet of rice paper, placed some cucumber slices and basil leaves on it, pulled off a chunk of fish placing it in the middle, and folded and rolled it up. We each had a little bowl of sauce to dip it in.

Cute No?

Preparaion

The next course was a salad with vegetables and pork, followed by a soup with vegetables and shrimp, and then a selection of excellent fresh fruit, all washed down with the local 333 beer. After lunch we were treated to a musical performance which consisted of some local instruments and two singers - it was lovely.

Then we tied up to a bush on the side of the river so that the crew could cut up coconuts for us to drink. The bushes were alive with cicada.

Try this: https://youtu.be/I0oDWj_Mhs4

Our final stop on th river was to tie  up to a tree so that folks could hop into a sampan and be rowed around a back creek by the sampan ladies. I chose to stay on the boat along with a number of others, but Anne went:

Sampan Anne


Meanwhile I took this photo - there were many of these on the river.

Look Insibde