We arrived in Hanoi very early after a 15 hour train ride. We got on the train in Hot Ann and rode through the mountains and rice fields overlooking the ocean. It was gorgeous. We watched the scenery for two hours and then it got dark. The women were in one cabin and the men in the other. We passed the time talking with one another and laughing. We enjoyed some sandwiches for dinner and then around 10pm we made up our beds. None of us slept much at all that evening. At one point I woke up to go to the bathroom and looked over at Linda and started chuckling. Her entire body was moving forward and back with the movement of the train. This is exactly how the Vietnamese travel. We had a family in our train section who were traveling with very small children.
We were met by our guide who then drove us to our hotel in Old Hanoi to check in. On the way we passed Hoan Kiem Lake, which a lot of the locals frequented, and which we enjoyed later. Hanoi is Vietnam's capital and ranks as one of the most interesting cities around. We would concur. We all felt the vibrancy and energy of this city. It was the first capital of Vietnam in AD 1010 and though the capital moved to Hue during the Nguyen dynasty, the city still grew after the French took control in 1888. There were several references to the French culture that we saw. In 1954 when the French departed, Hanoi was declared the capital again.
After freshening up at the hotel, we went to West Lake where we hopped on bikes. The helmets didn't fit well but were necessary. Forrest and Michael didn't walk but walked the neighborhood after enjoying a cafe. We rode around the lake through various neighborhoods enjoying the sites, after getting used to riding with all the other mopeds, bikes and cars!! It was challenging!!
Right at the beginning we stopped to look at the oldestPagoda on the lake , called Tran Quocand met a charming Vietnamese couple. He had worked during the Vietnam war on the roads and said that every day after the bombing in the evening, he would get up and repair the roads. McCain parachuted down into West Lake and was rescued. There is a monument to note this. We also went by an incredible flower garden with a Dutch windmill in the middle of it.
After biking we walked to the Temple of Literature which was the site of the first national University.It was built in 1070 and was dedicated to Confucious and scholars. It is an example of Vietnamese architecture. There are 82 stone steles shaped like turtles which are carved elaborately with the names of candidates that sat the Royal examinations.
We then walked over to the Hanoi Hilton to see where John McCain was held all those years. It was mainly about the way in which the French dealt with resistance people. They had them sit in cells that slanted so that they could never sleep, locked in chains around the ankles. McCain was instrumental in re-establishing ties with Vietnam after the war.
After touring this we walked by the guards and blocked streets due to Kim Jung Yun's visit at a local hotel. We visited the Women's Museum which was a highlight. We were surprised that the Communist government allowed such transparency in one of the exhibits in which women reported not having enough money to live on in the rural areas, so they venture to the city to sell fruit, vegetables etc. to make ends meet. Then another exhibit discomforted some of us. It highlighted the women for valor during the Vietnam war and cited how many Americans they had killed etc. A highlight of the museum was the exhibit about the textiles created by the various ethnic groups and the clothing the women wore over the decades. The museum highlighted the contributions of women to culture, politics, commerce and was so well done.
We walked towards going back to the hotel but were mesmerized by the beauty of the lake , so we stopped to have a drink on the lake and watched the sun go down. Then we crossed the busy Hanoi streets by ourselves (tailing the Vietnamese ahead of us), but we made it!!
Feb 28
We headed off after breakfast for Halong Bay, passing a number of Vietnamese villages and towns. We stopped for refreshments at a souvenir shop which was filled with artisans, many of them disabled. I got a beautiful thread painting there of lotus flowers. Upon arrival at the port on Tuan Chau Island, we boarded the Halong Glory Legend. Halong Bay is a natural wonder of the world and one of Vietnam's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Local legend tells us how the gods sent a family of dragons to defend the country from the invading Chinese. The dragons spat out gemstones that turned into islands, linking together to create a wall against the enemy.
We got our room assignments on the boat and then settled in for lunch. It was a five course meal!!
After lunch we had a choice to see how pearls are made or to kayak. Seeing how pearls are cultured and how it takes nearly 10 years to actually develop them was fascinating! The second excursion was a hike to the top of Tiptop Island. We hiked up 400 steps up to the peak for a spectacular view. All of the boats converged at the same time so it was a bit crowded!
We went up on top of the boat and had a drink while waiting for dinner to start. It was so gorgeous on the bay. They taught us how to make spring rolls. The key is to make sure the wrapping is moist. They laid a damp cloth on the plate and put the wrap on it. Then you put the veggies inside and fold them before frying them in oil. We had dinner- another huge meal!! We especially liked the honey ginger tea! The wait staff was so wonderful too.
March 1
The next morning after a hearty breakfast we went ashore to tour Sung Sot caves. That was a highlight- 3 huge caves connected with one another high above the water. They were gorgeous! It is the largest cave on Halong Bay boasting stalactites and stalagmites. We accessed it by another boat and then hiked up into the cave.
We disembarked after checking out and drove back to Hanoi, again stopping at the souvenir shop. When we got back to Hanoi our guide led us on an amazing food tour of the Old city! We tried all the typical and popular foods of Hanoi.
