Hanoi, Viet Nam

Presidential Palace

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Day 18: Hanoi

Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch

Activities:

​We are transferred to the airport for a morning flight to the capital. Hanoi is one of Asia's pmost enchanting cities. This northern capital is a quiet, contradiction of its southern counterpart. Its relaxed ambience is a joy, with exploration best on foot or bicycle. The shopping is fun and the many lakes and parks provide enjoyable escapes. We take a guided half-day tour of Hanoi, visiting the major sights, including the Temple of Literature, One Pillar Pagoda, and paying a homage to Vietnam's most famous revolutionary, Ho Chi Minh. We also include lunch at KOTO restaurant – an amazing project aimed at providing vocational training and experience in the hospitality industry for underprivileged young people. All the staff you meet at this café have come from poor backgrounds. In the evening there is an option to enjoy a performance of the unique Water Puppets.

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It's been a long day with an early start.  We were boarding the plane from Danang to Hanoi by 8:30 a.m.  By 10:30 we were in Hanoi and visiting the Temple of Literature which is a shrine to Confuscious as a great teacher.   Graduating high school students often have photos taken here.

Original Flag of Viet Nam on Left

Shrine to a Great Teacher - Confucius

Chinese Greetings

Posing for High School Graduation Poto

We visited all of the above plus the Hanoi Hilton, French Colonial prison and site of POW camp in Viet Nam.  The propaganda of how well US POW were treated was so thick, we should have worn muck boots.

Mausoleum where body is preserved for viewing

One Pillar Pagoda

Hindu Influence

"Hanoi Hilton"

John McCain's Flight Gear

With Folded Arms these Pilots do not look like this was a voluntary photo

Lots of Photos of the Hanoi Hilton's Hospitality

We walked around Hanoi last night enjoying the sites, sounds, and northern cuisine.

This is where we are going today, Wednesday, February 27, 2013. There will be no Internet access, so we will catch up later with blog.  Looking forward to being on  the water.

All is Well with the Worrall Travel R's

Bicycling in Hoi An, Viet Nam

Monday, February 25, 2013 

Day 17: Hoi An

Meals included: 1 breakfast

Activities:

​​Hoi An was originally a Cham port town, but has been influenced down the centuries by a myriad of traders from various cultures. There is a distinctly Chinese appearance with pagodas and assembly halls scattered along the small streets. Hoi An was once a bustling port in centuries gone by, before the river silted up. Today it is a delightful backwater town with an air of liveliness about it. The tranquillity and charm of Hoi An, coupled with its low tiled houses, makes it one of the most delightful places to visit in Vietnam. 

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Today, our group has opted for a bicycle ride through the countryside and a boat  ride back to Hoi An, lunch at Miss Ly's, afternoon shopping and lounging by the pool.

We gathered at 9:00 am and mounted our single gear touring bikes.  Our first task was to get out of the city!  Holy crap!  You cannot imagine the chaos of driving or riding a cycle here.  Generally there is a right and left hand side of the street, but with so many vehicles, people, vendors, stalls half way into the roads, cows, and potholes, every one weaves in and out, around.  Why haven't we got a video game for this?  We could have practiced before wheeling ourselves into the mix.  What an experience.

We wove our way out to some quieter paths on top of levies between rice paddies, shrimp ponds and farm fields.  The sights of farmers, fisherman, and celebrants of good fortune were rich and plentiful.  Once we had mad it out of the city, we thought the cycling would be easier, but not so.  The rain the day before made for some muddy, rutty riding.  I got a flat tire and rode on the rim for quite a while before I got a replacement bike.  One of our group who shall remain nameless skid over the side of the levy and into the rice paddies.  I thought she was taking a short cut when I saw her screaming down the levy bank.

Joyce is determined to go swimming in Hoi An

Fortunately, J was not injured.  But she got mighty wet and her camera met its death in a rice paddy.  

Despite a few exciting and memorable moments, we enjoyed our ride on the bikes and our ferry ride back to Hoi An where we returned Miss Lys for lunch and then dispersed for own afternoon and evening activities.  We are going out for dinner in a liltle while, then it's time to pack as we leave for Hanoi tomorrow morning.

All is well with the Worrall Travel R's

Danang, Marble Mountain, Hoi An

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Day 16: Danang - Marble Mountain - Hoi An

Meals included: 1 breakfast

Activities:

We fly to Danang, where we enjoy some sightseeing en route to Hoi An. China Beach, enjoyed as an 'R & R' spot during the Vietnam War, lies against a backdrop of the sensational Marble Mountains. The five peaks, which are actually limestone with marble outcrops, are also seen to epitomise the five elements: fire, water, earth, wood and metal. The history of the mountains is a rich one.They were once used by the Champas for religious purposes, but in more recent times became a haven for the Viet Cong, with their clear view of the Danang air base - at one time the busiest airport in the world. We arrive in Hoi An in the afternoon and settle in for our three-night stay in this historical 'oasis'

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We arrived around 9:00 am in Danang in the pouring rain.  We had plans to climb the Marble Mountain on our way to Hoi An.  The group decided that we would put on our rain gear and climb the hundreds of steps up to the look out, cave and Buddhist pagoda.  Then rain freshened the landscape, and it was a beautiful experience even under grey drizzly skies.

Marble Steps Up the Mountain

The cave with giant marble Buddha was quite lovely and serene, quite a contrast to the Batu caves in Kuala Lumpur which seemed chaotic with Hindu and Buddhist symbols every where.  

Inside the cave were several shrines, including a Buddhist Pagoda. Kuala Lumpur, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia combine Hinduism, Anemism, and Buddhism. As Indochina, these countries more of India and less of China.  Viet Nam seems more Chinese and much lees Indian.

When we arrived  in Hoi An the rain had ceased.  It was pleasantly cool.  The days we are here are the first full moon after the lunar new year.  Consequently the town is packed for celebrations at local Pagodas.  The streets are narrow and filled with motor bikes, bicycles, and people.  Brightly colored lanterns, drums, chanting, and and people fill the streets.  It is crazy.  Glad we are not trying to navigate on anything other than our own two feet..

..OH WAIT...tomorrow we are bicycling!  That should be an adventure.

Hoi An is a wonderful old city.  Streets, buildings, and people are picturesque.  There is a special ambiance here.  We love it.  We take a tour of the city and have lunch at the Miss Ly restaurant where we sample the taster menu.  Incredibly delicious meal.  Though there are many restaurants here, we have decided we will come back here tomorrow.

Enjoy the photos and make sure if you come to Viet Nam that this is one of your destinations.  There are many opportunities here to have beautiful, high quality clothing tailored at reasonable prices.  If we were still working, it would be a bargain to buy some suits here.

All is well with the Worrall Travel R's