February 20, 2024
Just stopped for a bathroom break on our way to Ha Long Bay. It’s about a two hour drive from Hanoi with good clear tollway after leaving the city. As luck would have it, there are toilets at the local Pearls ‘R Us. Convenient! Lots of nervous men milling around in tight clusters. What could go wrong?
Just made it to Thành-phố-có-bãi-biển-tuyệt-đẹp-bên-vịnh-nước-trong Bay or, as I prefer to call it, “The Bay”. Son and Tuan dropped us off at the port where we will be catching a steam powered sampan for our upcoming three hour tour of the South China Sea. A three hour tour. A. Three. Hour. Tour.
Sailing through Ha Long Bay. A very quiet and peaceful place compared to Hanoi.
Late afternoon after boarding and checking in to the Orchid Cruise river boat, we joined a group of fellow passengers for a tour of nearby limestone caves filled with stalagmites, stalactites and all sorts of rock formations.
At sundown, all the river boats sailed to one of the inner bays, anchored, turned on their lights and opened their upper deck bars. A fog rolled in.
February 21, 2024
Here comes the sun (foggy version).
On the way back to the Hanoi airport with Tuan and Son. We stopped for a quick lunch and shopping spree at the local Vietnamese Buc-ee’s. Tuan filled up the car with gas costing 84,000 dongs per gallon. That’s a lot of dongs. Inside, Teresa shopped for silk and enjoyed the silk worm demonstration. I want to bring some worms back with me but have been advised against it. Probably why everyone says to avoid the pork.
Back at the Hanoi Airport, we found another large crowd waiting to check-in. A hazard of traveling during holiday seasons. Next stop, Da Nang.
