A Cruise on Ha Long Bay

After a lovely 5 days in Hoi An, we flew up to Hanoi.  Lots of our friends love this city, but we didn't find much charm there.  Maybe it was the rain, but probably it was the dirt and the sad demeanor of the people there.  The exception was the hotel staff. (The Essence Hotel)  Courteous, helpful, anticipating all of our needs.  We spent a day in the Old Quarter, visiting Hoan Kiem Lake, 

Locals weeding the flower beds:

finding the Catholic cathedral (closed and not very lovely), 

shopping for fun stuff (not as nice as Hoi An), 

Puffed Wheat:

Coffee Shop:

Flowers:

and visiting the History Museum.  We had some nice food but were a bit afraid because you can't drink the water here...

I think everyone smokes there...and you seriously take your life into your hands every time you cross the street!  As someone described Hanoi, CHAOTIC!

Hanoi was really just the starting point for our trip to Ha Long Bay.  

You arrange with a cruise company to pick you up and then drive 4 hours to the Bay.  (What a drive... the center line on the highway is just a suggestion...we came face-to-face with semi-trucks quite often, to find that the traffic just parts like water when the right time comes. Not for the faint-hearted.)

We stopped at another hotel to pick up a passenger and one of our cruise guides.

Clare from Tacoma and Min, our personal guide:

There are many choices of companies for the overnight cruise; our hotel recommended a new one, Aphrodite Cruises.  It was a refurbished boat, beautifully appointed with wood floors, walls, spa-like bathrooms.  The boat has 17 double cabins.  John and I and our new friend Clare were THE ONLY PASSENGERS ON THE BOAT!! Talk about personal service...the crew of 16 catered to all of our needs, especially the amazing chef.

The captain:

The chef:

Our vessel:

Our cabin:

 Playing cards in the dining room:

I just have to add all the pictures - it was a misty day but that didn't deter us from enjoying the haunting scenes or marveling at the floating fishing village:

It was International Women's Day, so the crew presented Clare and I with roses and Huy, our waiter, serenaded us with a special song:

After dinner the crew invited us to go Squid Fishing off the back of the boat.  We caught 6 of them, which we had for brunch the next day!

After a peaceful night's sleep we awoke to Tai Chi on the deck, 

delicious breakfast with mango and passionfruit

and a visit to a limestone cave;

and inland lagoon:

More sailing with incredible views

A last lunch (including "our" squid)

and a fond farewell till next time

Visiting Hue

While staying in Hoi An, we took a day to see the old Imperial Capital at Hue; it was the capital of the Nguyen Dynasty from 1902 till 1945.  We shared the experience with our friends David and Donna.  I have to admit, after seeing the ruins of ancient dynasties in Cambodia, this was rather a let down.. Perhaps it is because the restorations have just begun and they don't seem to have as many international NGOs helping.

The Citadel surrounded by an outside wall, 10 km in circumference and 21 meters thick.
There are elaborate entrance gates that lead to another enclosure for governmental buildings and finally a third center section that was reserved for the emperor and his family of wives, concubines, eunuchs and children.  Many of the buildings were destroyed in the war with France in the late 1940's.  But you get the sense of the majesty that was once there.

The wall and entrance gates:

These gates actually had mosaics made with glass and china that were beautiful originally.  I wish I could help restore them!  The dragons and flowers with intricate and amazing.

A family gazebo:

What is left of a grand staircase:

The gift shop, of course.  However, these souvenirs were antique brass and porcelain figures, tea cups and incense burners, handmade silk robes...not your ordinary souvenir junk.  

An interior of a shrine with inlaid mother-of-pearl and tile ceilings:

 One of the only fully restored exteriors...

Topiary gardens being worked on: 

Outside the Citadel, up in the mountains is where the emperors erected their tombs.  We only had time for one of them,

It is a vast complex of lakes, gardens, and shrines.  

 Here is some info about To Doc:    Work on the tomb started about 20 years before he died, and the tomb was used by him as a place of entertainment before he died.

He had 104 wives, numberless concubines, but no children.  Tu Duc was very short; less than 153 cm tall, (about 4 1/2 feet)  and all the statues of mandarins are shorter than this. Also in order to keep the secrets of the where the treasure was buried in the tomb compound all the 200 servants involved in the burial were beheaded. 

The stairway to the tomb of one of his adopted sons:

 One of the highlights of a trip to Vietnam is shopping for art.  Our friend had told us to look for the artists stalls on the way to To Duc's tomb.  We found a row shops along the highway selling oil paintings and incense.  

Incense sticks drying:

And artfully displayed:

An artist at work:

And two sculptors working on a Buddha from a tree trunk:

Grandma and baby where I bought my paintings:

 (I will add photos of my purchases after I get them framed...)

Next up:  Ha Long Bay!!