Vietnam Part 2: Halong Bay and Hanoi

We made our way to Halong Bay in the Northeast of the country. 

To get a real feeling for the area we decided on a 3-day/2-night cruise using one of the more popular providers: Indochina Junk. We can highly recommend them!

We were picked up at 8am at our hotel in Hanoi and arrived in Halong Bay just short of 4 hrs later.

There are tons of different cruises passing through the bay, with many day trips just heading to the nearby Cat Ba Island and returning the same evening.

Our longer cruise allowed us to pass through Halong Bay and sail through the quieter Bai Tu Long Bay.

Heading out of the general Halong Bay area...

Finally by ourselves in calm waters.








Our boat was the Prince IV (see picture of boat with sails up). Holding just 8 passengers and 6 crew, it's a lot more quiet and relaxing than some of the larger boats with 20+ people.
With our capable tour guide Anh we were able to keep the schedule very flexible depending on what people felt like doing. :)









After we reach our final destination for the evening in the Cong Do area it was time for some kayaking and swimming...
The water temperature is perfect!

The next day, after a fortifying breakfast of noodle soup (and some western breakfast offerings), it was time to explore a floating village in the Cong Dam area (yes, these places do all nearly sound the same).

People used to live in the many caves found around the bay. But in order to improve tsunami warnings and provide education and health care, the government relocated them to a few floating villages.

Floating school. Primary school with 2 classes, kids from 7-9 and 10-12.
After that the brightest kids are sponsored to attend secondary school in a nearby city, but most end up as fishermen like their ancestors have for centuries.

On top of fishing and tourism from cruises like ours, the village also makes money off their cultured pearl farms.

Max crossing the pearl farm. Oysters are "seeded" and then grouped in baskets and suspended in the water for 3 years to mature before they are reopened and checked for pearls.

Local woman "seeding" a pearl by partially opening an oyster and placing a small bead inside that will act as the starter.

After 3 years, if you are lucky, a pearl will have "grown" on the inside - see picture on the right - success!





After a busy morning in the floating village we headed for the private Tra Gioi Beach. There we enjoyed a BBQ lunch and climbed the island to visit some caves.

Nice view from half-way up the rock at the mouth of the cave.

Max inside the cave.











After getting back to the boat it was time to relax and enjoy the last evening on the boat.

We were messing around a bit - here is our best Titanic impression. :)

Beautiful sunset over the bay.

For our final dinner the chefs outdid themselves with a six-course meal and outrageous decorations entirely carved out of food. Here a dragon in flight carved out of pumpkin.

As a special surprise the crew presented us with a cake for our ongoing honeymoon. A wonderful gesture and we all enjoyed the sweet finish. :)

Last morning on the boat. Final time for swimming, relaxing, and enjoying the views before we pull back into harbor.

Thank you to the crew for a wonderful 3 days in Halong Bay!

Back in Hanoi, we hit up one of the most popular restaurants by locals and visitors alike: Quan An Ngon. It reminds you of a mix between a Vietnamese outdoor market and German Biergarten. Fantastic food and great staff!

Hanoi by night - strolling past the Hoan Kiem Lake, loosely translated as the Lake of the Restored Sword.

Legend says that a Vietnamese emperor received a sword from the gods to help him defeat the Chinese invaders. One day as the emperor passed by the lake, the turtle god came out and pulled the sword back into the lake so its powers would not be abused by future generations.
The Turtle Tower in the middle of the lake reminds of that legend.

The lake is actually home to a few giant turtles, that get spotted every once in a while by tourists and locals. Here a replica of one of these turtles.










The following day it was time to visit some of the most famous sights in the city. We returned to the lake, where a small island at its north end is home to the Ngoc Son Temple.

The temple is dedicated to a Confucian scholar and Vietnamese military leader.














Next up: The Temple of Literature.
The temple is the oldest university in the country (build in 1076) and dedicated to Confucius.

Beautiful courtyards flow into each other until you reach the main temple.

Scholar's names who passed the royal exams are inscribed on large stone plates that are carried by turtles. The turtles are a sign of longevity.









Entrance to the imperial academy.

Shrine honoring Confucius and his four best disciples.












Spent the afternoon walking through the Old Quarter and soaking up some of the local life (while avoiding motos speeding by). Then it was time for our last mission: finding a famous but elusive coffee shop.










Based on recommendations from fellow travelers we just had to check out this coffee shop. We knew the general neighborhood in which to look for. Other than that, the only clues were that it was located through a dark alley, next to a shop with a red sign. Not much to go by, right?

But we found it! Why all the trouble you might ask? Well, they have the ORIGINAL Egg Coffee. (Many copy cats around now.)
During the Vietnam War milk was not readily available, so the founder of this coffee shop experimented and came up with this egg coffee (foam from a beaten egg mixed with sugar and of course a nice shot of espresso). Very tasty! Our last highlight in Vietnam.

We had a wonderful time in Vietnam and will certainly look forward to our next trip here.

Coming up next: Hong Kong and Macau.

Vietnam Part 1 - HCMC to Hoi An

Welcome to Vietnam! 

We started our trip in the southern part of the country in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly: Saigon).

The city is a lot more modern than we expected, maybe 20 years ahead of Cambodia and Laos in development.

The view is from the top of the Sky Tower. One of the most recognizable buildings in the city, and supposedly shaped like a lotus flower. I just don't see it, but oh well...

Traffic was even worse here - mostly motos crowding the streets. With our previous experience navigating through the traffic in Cambodia, we felt very smug compared to many other helpless tourists stranded on one side of the road waiting for a gap... :)








First order of business: have some real Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) at the local corner stall. Yum!

The People's Assembly with a statue of Ho Chi Minh in front (revolutionary leader and prime minister, commonly also called "Uncle Ho" by the people).

The Reunification Palace (formerly: Independence Palace) was completed in its current form in the 60's and used by South Vietnam's president during that time.

The Vietnam war was ended at this place in 1975 after the North Vietnamese army crashed two tanks through the gates and took over the government.

The president's workplace in the 60's and 70's. A door on the side leads all the way to the bomb shelter in the basement.

Next to groovy 60's-style features in the ballroom, gaming room,  and movie theater, the palace also boosted its own helipad. More than one president made his escape this way...









"Modern" communications equipment in the bomb shelter basement.






The president's "war room" in the basement. With old maps showing South Vietnam and North Vietnam with the border at the 17th parallel.





After the Vietnam war and the country's subsequent reunification, the political climate has been decidedly pro-communist. Even today signs are displayed all over the city with political slogans proclaiming the party's ideology.

After a lesson in history and politics it was time for...SHOPPING!!!
Max dared to delve into the local market hall and bargain for a T-shirt.
We were surprised to find out that the vendors will do nearly everything to keep you interested, including NOT letting you just walk off.
See picture: the seller (girl) was holding Max back while trying to renegotiate the price after he was ready to walk away...






...Looks like somebody did get his low-ball price. Max is happy!














Soon it was time to head farther north, to the ancient Imperial City of Hue in the middle of the country.

While the weather wasn't with us that day, we still ventured out to visit the old Citadel.
("Schickes T-shirt!")

Home to the emperor and his family, the grounds are lavishly situated and took over a large part of the city north of the river.

Large parts of the citadel were destroyed during the Vietnam war. Efforts are underway to restore buildings that were partially destroyed, while those that were completely bombed out/burned down just have markers reminding you of their function and size.

One of the easiest ways to see the countryside is by train.

So we decided to take the train from Hue to Hoi An (backtracking a bit south). Many say this is one of the most beautiful rides in the country. Passing by rice fields, mountains and beautiful beaches...

 The town of Hoi An brings back memories of an older and more quaint Vietnam. It used to be a big shipping port, but because the river silted up, it ended up being mostly abandoned in the 19th century.

That actually worked to its advantage, as it is now one of Vietnam's biggest tourist attractions - the calm river, quaint houses and untouched temples.

Famous for it's monthly lantern festival, the locals must have caught on to the business opportunity and are now offering lanterns for sale every day of the month.

One of the easiest ways to navigate through the town is by bicycle. Fun but a bit exhausting in the heat...

No, this is not a picture from the Caribbean or something.
Welcome to Hoi An's beach! It's beautiful, and relatively empty. Time to relax...

Back in town we checked out the famous Japanese bridge (named so for the merchants that funded the structure).

One of many temples throughout the city (this one with lots of Chinese influence).

And a touch of celebrity. While walking through the center of town, we came across a film shoot for the national TV station. The beautiful actress at the heart of the story is very famous in Vietnam, but we were not able to remember her name...

 We had a wonderful and relaxing time in Hoi An. Will definitely be back!

Coming up next... Vietnam Part 2, including Hanoi and beautiful Halong Bay!