Caves and onward

Saturday

Jean writes:

I'm having to think about which day it is as they are all so full of different activities that it's difficult to keep track.

It was yet another early start and we arrived on deck for what had been labelled as a toast and coffee breakfast.  In the event, there was also fruit juice, omelette, ham, soft cheese and bananas.  

I bought a white pearl ring and black pearl necklace from a selection on board, apparently made from local pearls.

First activity was cruising to a cave system, where we spent an hour inside, marvelling at the landforms - pillars, stalactites, stalagmites, and all kinds of formations in strange shapes, which looked like a Buddha, tortoise, lizard tail, flowers etc - a geography teacher's dream! 

On the way back to the boat, we passed several floating stores - 'convenience' boats.

The legend about the bay is that long, long ago the Vietnamese people were being invaded by the Chinese from the north.  The local people prayed to God to save them but, although he wanted to help, he was rather busy, so sent a dragon, who flew down and spat out jewels, which sprang up as the islands and thwarted the invaders.

Back at Ha Long City we joined the minibus which took us to Hanoi.  We had  our first experience of rain on the journey, and it's been a lot colder up here in the north than in Ho Chi Minh City, without the high humidity. 

Agriculture is varied, but we've seen very little in the way of livestock.  Mostly, the fields seem to be for rice or vegetables (many different green vegetables are popular here) and plenty of fruit seems to be grown - bananas, papaya, water melon, durian, lychee and pineapple.  Apparently Vietnam is now the second most important exporter of coffee, behind Brazil and overtook Thailand last year to be first at rice export.  Cashews are also important. 

As we came into central Hanoi we bypassed a mosaic wall, only completed a few years ago, which runs for sixteen kilometres!

Talking of rain, we were given a glimpse of the city via a short walk through the streets near our hotel, led by our guide, Tuong.  It rained throughout, and we returned fairly wet.  Unfortunately the weather is forecast to continue in this vein tomorrow. 

Dave writes:

From one dragon at Halong Bay to another in downtown Hanoi three hours drive away. 

The second one was part of the finale to a splendid Water Puppet show at a theatre quite near our hotel.  

A full house of around 1,000 warmed to this traditional Vietnamese art form with 10 puppeteers waist-deep in water operating a series of amusing scenarios from behind the curtain. 

Swans a-courting, fishermen a-fishing (and getting eaten by the fish) and frogs a-leaping all featured with traditional musical backing from sweet singers and band. 

The dragon in fact made two appearances in athletic routines but, alas, afterwards there was not a single jewel to be seen. 

A nice end to another memorable day. 

Sunday highlights are set to include a visit to the tomb and embalmed body of Ho Chi Minh who died in 1969. 

Watch this space. 

We owe a man 2.6 million. 

Dong that is. 

Keen readers will know there are 30,000 dong the pound so it's not quite so bad. 

Our tour guide kindly settled our cruise extras account in cash which we did not have when the company's card machine failed this morning. 

Now in Hanoi we've been to the ATM and will be settling up first thing tomorrow

Honest, guv!