Vietnam 2016

Roaming Through Retirement

MayV 2016

Vietnam—And Better Yet!
Kayaking on Ha Long Bay was just one of the many special moments we had while exploring the beauty of this country. What we found most interesting was the American War, (which is what they call it) is looked upon by many as just one of many attempts by outsiders (China, France, Japan) to imposed their will on the people of Vietnam. With President Obama's visit to the capital of Hanoi at the same time we were there, we observed people genuinely excited and fascinated by America. They talked about our freedom, our robust economy and our tireless energy. Vietnam is still under communist control and one of the reasons it is on the bottom of the list for economic powers in Southeast Asia.


We got a kick out of the name of this airline, as we boarded this plane to Hanoi. It left a smile on our face for the good time we had in Thailand.	We stayed at the Hanoi City Palace in the old quarters, but didn't really expect to stay in a palace. With breakfast, it cost $24 per night.

The scenes in old town Hanoi were very picturesque. These women are traveling vendors doing business like their ancestors.	Eighty-six percent of Vietnamese households own motor bikes, making it the second largest in the world. This is suppose to be a sidewalk!

This scene put a new perspective on the term "sidewalk cafe." And they are all over the place!	With President Obama's visit, the flag of the USA was proudly on display throughout the city.

The embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh is on display here in this Mausoleum overlooking the Ba Dinh Square. He led an independence movement against France in 1941 and defeated them in 1954. He also founded the Communist party which rules to this day. He died in 1969.	Hanoi's Prison Museum focuses on the brutal treatment of the Vietnamese political prisoners during the French occupation. It was also used to house US prisoners of war, then called the Hanoi Hilton. They now use the museum to focus on the renewed ties with the USA.

Vietnam is an atheist state, making it one of the least religious country in the world. Seventy-five percent say they are atheist or believe in folk religions like Confucianism or Taoism. Twelve percent are Buddhist.	We took a two-day bus tour to Sapa to trek the mountains of northern Vietnam--10 miles from China. The tour guide told us these homes are narrow because they are taxed on their width.

Trekking the countryside was simply awesome. Here local villagers and their families are pulling baby rice stocks and bundling them to be replanted.	This group of women are taking the bundles and planting each stock of rice by hand. They were literally up to their knees in mud.

This is one of hundreds of pictures we took along our trek. Just breathtaking!	The first day we trekked about three miles, with some of the villagers keeping us company.

This 19 year old Black Hmong was one we visited with mostly. She spoke three languages.	Water buffalos were common throughout the hillside and used for plowing the small fields.

With 100" of rain each year, hydro produces all the electricity these villagers need. The rain makes this place perfect for rice terraces.	Our second day of trekking we stopped to take in a local Hmong tribe perform a variety of dances with their colorful costumes to nice soft music.

Vietnam is the fourth largest producer and the second largest exporter of rice in the world. It was awesome to see how they transform these mountain sides into fields of rice.	Our fellow tourists were French, Columbian, Australian, German and Swiss. Tho Le guided us through another exciting adventure. We met up with the German girls again in Hoi An.

The next day we took a four-hour bus ride to Ha Long Bay. On the way, we stopped at a school for deaf students learning the art of stitching.	This was our berth on the triple decker cruiser for one night as we explored the beauty of Ha Long Bay. We didn't spend much time here.

Ha Long Bay is noted as both an UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature. This fishing boat just added to the view.	We kayaked for more than an hour along and into one of 1,960 limestone rock formations that make this place so spectacular.

Ha Long Bay is approximately 580 square miles in size and is home to approximately 1,600 fishermen who live in floating villages.	As we cruised through Ha Long Bay, we were in awe of its raw beauty. It is truly a natural wonder.

This was taken at sunset, with about 25 other "junks" (as they call them) filled with tourists from around the world.	The evening meal began with a cooking class. We all learned how to make spring rolls using rice paper, shrimp, and assorted vegetables.

First thing in the morning was sunrise, but the clouds did not cooperate. Then Tai Chi--only four of 20 cruisers took advantage. It was Larry's first Tai Chi since leaving Mexico in March.	Next we toured the Hang Sung Sot Cave which is 100,000 square feet, but not the largest along Ha Long Bay. The chambers were lit with colorful lighting, which made the trek more impressive.

We learned pearl harvesting is a long-time local tradition and had an opportunity to see it firsthand. In the background, are hundreds of rows of oysters waiting (most for years) to be plucked.	Glorine plucked this one out of a tank and when it was opened--there it was, a stunning, medium sized white pearl. Of course the farm came with a store, so we bought pearls for our grand girls.

As we left the pearl farm we had this picture taken of our fellow cruisers--Americans, Indonesians, Japanese, Germans and Poles, along with our junk, in the background. From here, we headed back to Hanoi on a bus.	When we arrived back in Hanoi, we were all captivated by this guy mounting a couch on the back of his motorbike. We never found out if he did, but as clever as these people are we all agreed that he did.

This berth would be home for the night as we took a 13 hour overnight train ride from Hanoi to Danang and then on to Hoi An. Surprisingly, we each got a good night's rest.	As we rode through the country side, we saw a lot of flatland rice patties, water buffalos and these yellow humped back cows, which are typical in Asia.

The train dropped us off in Danang and from there we took a taxi to Hoi An, where we spent the next four days. We caught this charming couple posing with all these colorful lanterns.	As we strolled along the river walk we could see why Hoi An is recognized as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its charm as well as its indigenous and foreign influences is seen throughout the city.

One of the most pronounced Japanese influences is this unique covered structure built by the Japanese, the only known covered bridge with a Buddhist temple attached to one side.	This is an interesting fishing net. A couple times each day, the locals lower the net, let it rest on the bottom for a couple of hours than hoist it up with the mother load on board. "Hopefully!"

This section of Hoi An was more reminiscent of French architecture with their upscale sidewalk cafes. And to make it look like Vietnam they added a bunch of motorbikes to the scene.	Hoi An is known for their fine tailors and there are hundreds of them making a living off the tourist. Glorine had two custom made capris and after two fittings they were just perfect.

Glorine enjoyed her last day in Vietnam by taking a Vietnamese cooking class. First they went to the market to learn about produce unique to Vietnam. But to get their they gave her this bike and the hat (which kept falling down in front).	Glorine was the only student in class so she had a private chef and one of the wait staff who spoke English helping. She made Banana Blossom Salad with Shrimp, Rice Pancakes and Sautéed Chicken with Lemongrass and Chile.