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Itinerary: Halong Bay cruise. Drive back to Hanoi.
Daily Journal
Weather: 94F and hazy.
Today was the most wonderful and memorable day in Vietnam as we embarked on a half-day cruise on Halong Bay, considered one of the most breathtaking places on the planet, added to the list of UNESCO Heritage sites and declared recently as one of the "New Seven Natural Wonders of the World."
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| Halong Bay from Hotel |
We got a 6:30 am wake-up call, packed our bags for the trip back to Hanoi later in the day, then boarded our motorcoach and headed to our boat down at the Halong Bay Marina.
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| Halong Bay Marina |
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| Halong Bay Marina |
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| Halong Bay Marina |
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| Halong Bay Marina |
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| Halong Bay Marina |
Halong Bay has over 3000 islands in the emerald waters and over 1,000 have their own names. There are also several caves and grottos of all sizes and shapes filled with small waterfalls, stalactites, and stalagmites. We sailed on a traditional wooden boat on the tranquil bay with lunch served on board.
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| Halong Bay, Vietnam |
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| Halong Bay, Vietnam |
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| Halong Bay, Vietnam |
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| Halong Bay, Vietnam |
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| Halong Bay, Vietnam |
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| Halong Bay, Vietnam |
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| Halong Bay, Vietnam |
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| Halong Bay, Vietnam |
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| Halong Bay, Vietnam |
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| Halong Bay, Vietnam |
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| Halong Bay, Vietnam |
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| Halong Bay, Vietnam |
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| Halong Bay, Vietnam |
At the halfway point, we disembarked and toured a huge cave inside one towering mountain island.
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| Halong Bay Cave Tour |
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| Halong Bay Cave Tour |
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| Halong Bay Cave Tour |
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| Halong Bay Cave Tour |
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| Halong Bay Cave Tour - Great View |
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| Halong Bay Cave Tour |
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| Halong Bay Cave Tour |
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| Halong Bay Cave Tour |
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| Halong Bay Cave Tour |
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| Halong Bay Cave Tour |
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| Halong Bay Cave Tour |
After the cave tour, we returned to Halong Bay Marina.
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| Halong Bay, Vietnam |
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| Halong Bay, Vietnam |
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| Halong Bay, Vietnam |
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| Halong Bay, Vietnam |
Upon arrival at Halong Bay Marina, we met our motorcoach driver and drove several hours back to Hanoi, Vietnam's vibrant capital, whose history is tied to French colonialism. Its architecture, cuisine and local culture still bear evidence of French influence. After checking in, we explored the hotel then went to bed.
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| Downtown Hanoi from Hotel Roof Deck |
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| Downtown Hanoi from Hotel Roof Deck |
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| Downtown Hanoi from Hotel Roof Deck |
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Itinerary: Hanoi city tour and Vietnamese water puppet show.
About Hanoi from Lonely Planet
Daily Journal
Weather: 94F and partly sunny.
I woke up early, worked out at the hotel fitness center, and had a nice breakfast at the hotel restaurant. At 9 am, we boarded our motorcoach and headed out for a tour of Hanoi.
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| Hanoi Street Scenes |
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| Hanoi Street Scenes |
Our first stop was the Museum of Ethnology, center for the preservation and exhibition of cultural heritage for over 50 ethnic groups in Vietnam.
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| Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi |
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| Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi |
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| Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi |
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| Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi |
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| Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi |
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| Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi |
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| Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi |
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| Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi |
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| Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi |
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| Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi |
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| Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi |
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| Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi |
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| Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi - Oh, My! |
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| Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi |
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| Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi |
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| Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi |
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| Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi |
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| Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi |
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| Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi |
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| Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi |
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| Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi |
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| Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi |
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| Museum of Ethnology in Hanoi |
Our second stop was the Tomb of Ho Chi Minh, former leader of Vietnam.
About Ho Chi Minh from History.com
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| Ho Chi Minh |
Ho Chi Minh was an outspoken voice for Vietnamese independence from France. Inspired by the Bolshevik Revolution, he joined the Communist Party and traveled to the Soviet Union. He helped found the Indochinese Communist Party in 1930 and the League for the Independence of Vietnam ("Viet Minh") in 1941. At World War II’s end, Viet Minh forces seized the northern Vietnamese city of Hanoi and declared a Democratic State of Vietnam (North Vietnam) with Ho as president. He would serve in that position for the next 25 years, becoming a symbol of Vietnam’s struggle for unification during a long and costly conflict with the strongly anti-Communist regime in South Vietnam and its powerful ally, the United States.
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| Tomb of Ho Chi Minh |
Our next stop was the John McCain Lake & Memorial.
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| John McCain Memorial |
Our next stop was the Old Quarter of Hanoi where we took a leisurely stroll and admired the sites.
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| Old Quarter of Hanoi |
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| Old Quarter of Hanoi |
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| Old Quarter of Hanoi |
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| Old Quarter of Hanoi |
With 45 minutes to explore the Old Quarter on our own, we ran over to Hoa Lo Prison ("Hanoi Hilton"), the former prison where John McCain and other US servicemen were imprisoned following capture during the Vietnam War.
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| Hoa Lo Prison - The Hanoi Hilton |
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| Hoa Lo Prison - The Hanoi Hilton |
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| Hoa Lo Prison - The Hanoi Hilton |
After the city tour, we went to the hotel pool for an hour. In the evening, we attended a performance of the world-famous Water Puppet Show, a form of opera accompanied by a traditional Vietnamese orchestra. The show depicted a series of ancient Vietnamese folktales, acted out by hand-operated puppets over a pool of water. Very entertaining.
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| Water Puppet Show in Hanoi |
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| Water Puppet Show in Hanoi |
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| Water Puppet Show in Hanoi |
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| Water Puppet Show in Hanoi |
After the Water Puppet show, we returned to the hotel where I had a delicious buffet dinner and went to bed.
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Itinerary: Sightseeing near Hanoi with visits to Thay Pagoda and So Village. Farewell dinner at a local restaurant called 5 Spice.
Daily Journal
Weather: 95F and sunny.
I woke up early, worked out in the hotel fitness center, and had a nice breakfast in the hotel restaurant.
Around 9 am, we boarded our motorcoach and headed out for a tour of the countryside surrounding Hanoi to learn how people in rural Vietnam live.
Our first stop was Sai Go Village and the stunning Thay Pagoda, also known as the "Pagoda of the Master." As we entered the village, we met retired Viet Cong soldiers who socialize on Sundays in uniform with other former soldiers. There also happened to be a rooster show in the town square where prizes were being given out for the prettiest rooster.
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| Sai Go Village - Retired Viet Cong Soldiers |
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| Sai Go Village |
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| Sai Go Village |
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| Sai Go Village |
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| Sai Go Village |
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| Sai Go Village |
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| Sai Go Village |
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| Sai Go Village - Ca Pagoda |
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| Sai Go Village |
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| Sai Go Village - Prettiest Rooster Contest |
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| Sai Go Village - Thay Pagoda |
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| Sai Go Village - Thay Pagoda |
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| Sai Go Village - Thay Pagoda |
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| Sai Go Village - Thay Pagoda |
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| Sai Go Village - Thay Pagoda |
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| Sai Go Village - Thay Pagoda |
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| Sai Go Village - Thay Pagoda |
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| Sai Go Village - Thay Pagoda |
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| Sai Go Village - Thay Pagoda |
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| Sai Go Village - Thay Pagoda |
After Sai Go Village, we drove to So Village, a well-preserved ancient village. We toured the village with its traditional layout and narrow alleyways. We stopped at two communal houses to meet villagers who earn their living from making noodles.
The first house was owned by an elderly couple whose children had moved to the city. The home was rather primitive but it just goes to show how little you really need to survive and be happy. We also visited a 93-year-old widow who lived alone in her small home with her coffin next to her bed. Her teeth were black from brushing her teeth with betel nut and limestone paste. This practice was once considered a sign of beauty but not anymore by younger generations. I was somewhat surprised to see her bong behind a post on her porch out front.
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| Water Buffalo on Way to So Village |
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| So Village, Vietnam |
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| So Village, Vietnam - Home Visit |
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| So Village, Vietnam - Home Visit |
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| So Village, Vietnam - Home Visit |
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| So Village, Vietnam - Home Visit |
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| So Village, Vietnam - Home Visit |
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| So Village, Vietnam - Toothpaste of Betel Nut and Limestone Paste |
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| So Village, Vietnam - Black Teeth |
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| So Village, Vietnam - Home Visit - Coffin Next to Bed |
After the tour, we returned to the hotel for a few hours, then went out for a farewell dinner with our fellow travelers and our tour manager.
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| Farewell Dinner - 5 Spice in Hanoi |
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| Farewell Dinner - Chopstick Holders |
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| Farewell Dinner - 5 Spice in Hanoi |
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| Farewell Dinner - 5 Spice in Hanoi |
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After dinner, we went back to the hotel to pack our bags for the long journey home the next morning.
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Day 29 – Monday, May 27, 2019 – Fly to USA
Itinerary: Fly from Hanoi to Houston via Taiwan
Daily Journal
Well, the Gate1 tour of Vietnam has come to a close and it was time to go home. My journey started 28 days ago in Kuala Lumpur, followed by Singapore, and 12 days in Bali and Java. While I had a wonderful time, I was ready to go home. But first, I had 23 hours of travel ahead of me.
We got our wake-up call at 7 am. The porter came for our luggage at 7:45 am, and we left for the airport after breakfast at 8:30 am.
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| Heading to the Airport in Hanoi |
Our EVA Airlines A330-200 departed Hanoi at noon and arrived in Taipei, Taiwan at 4 pm.
Six hours later at 10 pm, our EVA Airlines B777-300ER departed Taipei for Houston. We had an 89 mile per hour tailwind so made excellent time. It was daylight for most of the flight. We crossed the International Date Line over the Pacific Ocean and gained back the day we lost coming over. It was daylight for most of the flight but it was dark by the time we reached Tucson, Arizona. I slept on the plane so I was not tired at all.
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| Long Flight - Taipei to Houston |
We landed in Houston at 10:30 pm in Houston. It took 45 minutes to clear customs, which was very annoying since it was already pushing midnight. I stayed at my travel friend's home in Houston overnight and caught my flight to Milwaukee the following morning.
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| Arriving in Houston from Taipei |
I was relieved to be home but won't soon forget the wonderful time I had traveling in Southeast Asia!
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