Out on Halong Bay

Shortly after leaving Halong City lunch was served on board the boat.

First stop on the Halong Bay tour.

Fairy lighting at the Thien Cung cave, Halong Bay.

This weathered old wooden tub was my cruise boat in Halong Bay.

Schoolhouse at a floating village, Halong Bay.

At the floating village, Halong Bay.

Cat Ba Town with pencil thin high rise hotels, Halong Bay

Halong Bay from the boat.

Halong Bay from the roof deck.

Halong Bay

OUT ON HALONG BAY, your find youself in the heart of one of Vietnam's most beautiful regions. Ha Long really means "descending dragon" but to my mind this place is as ethereal as it is mythic. Once again I also found myself at yet another UNESCO world heritage site.

Far, far back in time this limestone landscape had been pitted and eroded by rivers, but with successive ice ages the sea rose, filling in all the low land. The remaining islands are honeycombed with caves and grottos, In geological terms these weird and striking shapes, rising out of the bay, art part of a vast karst formation.

My journey began on a Monday morning with a four hour bus ride to Ha Long City. From there a group of us tourists boarded a beaten-up looking wooden boat for a cruise out into the archipelago. As we motored across the channel, lunch was served. The first island stop was at Thien Cung cave followed by a longer stop at a floating village. Most passengers went out on kayaks to explore the shoreline but I remained on the float, revellng in just watching the slow pace of village life across the date.

After a long day, the time came to retreat to the relatively roomy stateroom for a good night's sleep. With morning it was yet another cloudy day. This didn't take away from the magnificant setting - phantom islands shrouded in cloud that seemed to stretch out to the horizon. As we were moored off Cat Ba Island, the largest in the archipelago, we just went ashore and continued to Cat Ba City, by bus. The urban hub turned out to be a bleak facsimile of a seaside town with a formidable wall of high rise hotels. The harbour was photogenic enough with a large fleet of fishing boats, but behind the front road was a wall of anorexic architecture with cheesy facades that rose high above the tacky shops and forgetable restaurants. The afternoon was grey and cold and the surly locals clearly fatigued by tourists. Internet access was also challenging. It was time to default to escapism. A little shop across the street provided me with a cheap but impressive bottle of Beaujolais. With a decent appelation on the label the contents were put to good use by mid-evening. In the morning we made our way back to the boat by bus and then on to Halong City in the wooden tub before retuning to Hanoi.

Hanoi Faces

Soldier at the Vietnam Military History Museum, Hanoi

Coffee shop owners on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Hanoi.

Elementary school children at the Van Mieu Pagoda (Temple of Literature), Hanoi

High school students at the Van Mieu Pagoda (Temple of Literature), Hanoi.

Smoke break for the guard at the KOTO Restaurant, Van Mieu Street, Hanoi.

Taxi Driver, Hanoi.

Gardeners at Van Mieu Pagoda (Temple of Literature, Hanoi.

Checkers at the temple on Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi.

Conversation on the bridge to the temple, Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi.

Pedicab driver on Dinh Tien Huoang Street, Hanoi.

Tour agent in the lane near my hotel, Hanoi.

Carpenter waving to the camera, across the Red River in  Le Mat, East Hanoi.

Hanoi First Impressions

Good sleeps at the Splendid Star Hotel, Hanoi

At one of the gem malls in Hanoi.

A motor scooter service department, on Nugyen Tai Hoc street, Hanoi

Soon-to-be-married couple poising for a tourist, Hanoi

Dong Xuan market, Hanoi.

Checking for messages outside the Water Puppet Theater, Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi.

Motor scooters on Dinh Tien Hoang at Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi.

    

Street scene in Hoan Kiem district, Hanoi.

    

Heading for Downtown on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street by Hanoi Transit.

FOLLOWING the Vietnam Rail episode I arrived in Hanoi at 5:30 am. I was very happy to reach the Splendid Star Hotel, with a nice comfortable bed, a decent breakfast and even a computer in my room. To add to this the bells of St Joseph's Cathedral could even be heard above the narrow lanes and rooftops.


From my comfortable base camp it was off first to a gem mall, to return a huge tourmaline, for my friend Hans. It seems he had purchased a specimen that was glued to another piece of rock. The attached crystal looked like it came naturally with the matrix or bedrock, but upon being cleaned and examined more closely, the base had been obscured with plaster and then soiled, to make it look old. My friend, who is a collector of gem quality crystals, was dismayed by the swindle. As we had made a rendezvous previously in Vientiane, he had asked if I could do him a favour and return this item to the Hanoi store he had bought it from,  It turned out to be a short but prickly drama. At first the gem dealer refused to return my friend's money even though Hans had received an e-mail from him, in which a full refund would be offered, as a last resort. When I held up my cell phone and suggested that we should phone Hans, who was in Thailand, he  changed his mind. Within 10 minutes I got over 17,000,000 Vietnamese Dong, which I had to stash into my money belt, which made it ridiculously thick. The money was subsequently converted into Euros. Now I was carrying the equivalent of over $800 on me not including my own stash of cash.


After this initial drama it was time to see Hanoi. I walked into the heart of the city to begin with. Hoan Kiem which was also were my hotel was located, was a district full of atmospheric lanes and streets, waiting to be explored. I had seen only sunshine since January 25 till reaching here so the low grey cloud, occasional Scotch mist and much lower temperatures was an adjustment. Taking pictures brought with it new lighting challenges too. The streets of Hanoi were always full of mostly motor scooters and motorbikes, during the day, and on a scale like I have never seen before. Crossing the road meant taking a few steps at a time, and letting the drivers weave past, as one cautiously made progress to the far curb. Of course, with no evidence of traffic rules, one could take one's life in one's own hands and cross almost anywhere.

Hoi An Roundup

Riverfront in Hoi An.

Vegetable pieces drying in the sun, Hoi An.

Hot morning in a typical Vietnamese cafe, Hoi An.

Altar in a chinese Assembly Hall/Temple, Hoi An.

Chinese assembly hall, Hoi An.

Detail in a Chinese assembly hall, Hoi An.

As a maritime trade centre long ago, disasters at sea were a local reality, Hoi An.

A senior enjoying the later afternoon air in a typical lane, Hoi An.

A guardian monkey at one end of the Japanese covered bridge, Hoi An.

A cock fight away from the pretty part of town (and out of sight of the tourists), Hoi An.

Cock fight, Hoi An.

A Ho Chi Minh moment, Hoi An.

Ducks in the evening, on the far side of Hoi An island, with Cam Kim Island across the channel.

WITH AN HOUR TO GO before the taxi picks comes, and takes me to the Danang train station, I wanted to squeeze in these last impressions from Hoi An. This is a somewhat haphazard collection of pictures but then these hit some notes that the other postings, to this place, may have missed. The next images will be from Hanoi in a few days.

Then there is Culinary Hoi An

Cargo Cafe served heavenly pastry such as this mango chocolate mousse.

Green Papaya Salad with Rice Crackers.

Fruit in the Hoi An Central Market.

Shrimp and Pomelo salad.

Ginger Squid in Banana lead.

Shrimp in a Tamarind and Palm Sugar sauce accompanied by Water Spinach.

Coffee at a typical Vietnamese coffee shop.

Fish grilled in banana leaf plus fruit purchased from a passing seller.

SAMPLING THE FOOD of Hoi An was one of the culinary highlights of this Southeast Asian trip. Everything in this coastal town tasted so flavourful. It was light fare too. There were even ideas, well worth bringing home, which included fresh pineapple with vegetables, fish prepared with fresh turmeric (and wrapped in banana leaf) and of course shrimp with tamarind sauce. 

While I never ate at the Cargo Club Restaurant their adjoining patisserie, was another matter. Their baked items were just spectacular! Several times I indulged myself (with guilty pleasure) savouring disc-shapped mousse – a layer of tart fruit and another, of sweet chocolate, so it will go down as one of the best desserts of the whole trip!

http://www.restaurant-hoian.com/index.php/en/restaurant-cargo-hoi-an/31-cargorestauranthoianvietnam1.html