Halong Bay, Vietnam

Halong Bay features some of Vietnam’s prettiest scenery. Because of the beauty of the bay, which features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in various sizes and shapes, it has been made a UNESCO World Heritage site. During the Vietnam War, many of the channels between the islands were heavily mined by the navy of the U.S., some of which pose a threat to shipping to this day.

We did not sign up for a tour here, but rather just went ashore and did some shopping. There were many, many stands close to the pier and the prices were very reasonable.

The entertainment that night was pretty special as a gymnast who was a two-time Olympic team member and a member of the U.S. Gymnastics Hall of Fame, Lance Ringnald put on a performance. We also had another show put on by the Filipino crew. It was fun to see the front desk girls, our plumber, even a doctor on board sing, dance and entertain.

Da Nang, Vietnam

Da Nang is a major port city in the south-central coast of Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea. During the Vietnam War the city was home to a major American air base. The city’s economy is based primarily on seafood export, tourism and furniture, household goods and clothing production. They export many millions of dollars worth of goods to the U. S.

On our tour, we were driven through the center of Da Nang, and past some of the city’s colonial style buildings for a brief stop at the local market. The market was amazing, very large. The lower level was fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, meats etc. Upon going upstairs, we were awed by the vast number of shoes and clothing, but no time to buy as this was just a walk through. We did return later in the afternoon.

The coach then took us to the rural area to visit a local village community. We enjoyed a walk through the village, shaded from the sun by a canopy of bamboo thickets, passing local homes, vegetable and fruit gardens and a village temple. We met many children walking on the road. They were returning home from school in their navy and white uniforms. We were told they attend school for half a day. They knew how to say “hello” and were very friendly. We were taken into a home where grandma and grandpa were baby sitting with two children. There was a very ornate altar which took up quite a lot of space. Our guide said the altars are not for a particular religion but just to honor the ancestors. We were allowed to walk all through the house. There was a pot on hot coals at the back of the house. The lady showed me what was cooking. I thought it looked delicious, then I found out it was for the two pigs in a pen nearby.

Before returning to the ship, we visited the Cham Museum which houses a collection of Cham ethnic artifacts, as well as an extensive collection of sculptures and history of the Cham people.

Phu My, Vietnam

We docked early at Phu My, Vietnam which is the gateway to Ho Chi Minh city. Ho Chi Minh is the largest city in Vietnam and is located near the Mekong River Delta. The city was known as Saigon until the end of the Vietnam War. In 1975, Saigon was renamed to Ho Chi Minh city.

The tour we chose was the transfer to Saigon. The trip of 60 miles took 2 ½ hours as the road was packed with motorcycles and bicycles.

Our daughter in-law has family in Saigon. Nhung’s brother, Theing and mother met us with a large bouquet of flowers. They introduced us to some of the major highlights of the city. We were glad they were with us especially when it came to crossing the street. We walked through and around an endless stream of bicycles, cyclos and motor bikes.

We were enthralled with the market and all the fresh produce including exotic fruits and vegetables particular to the region. In addition to fruits and vegetables, we could buy clothing, jewelry etc. etc. We enjoyed many little shops, including one with hand embroider pictures where we made a purchase.

Theing and his mother took us to the Windsor Hotel for sumptous Vietnamese food. When the waitress saw how awkward I was with chopsticks, she brought us forks.

We met our bus at 4:00 p.m. and made our way back to the ship through the maze of motor bikes and bicycles.