Sailing from Nha Trang to Phu My, Vietnam
Another day of beautiful weather and most interesting touring in Vietnam. So many fascinating facets of Vietnamese life. Although the war is long over there are still divisions between the "north" and "south." People from the south regard northerners as bumpkins and northerners think southerners are corrupted by Western materialism. You can tell where a person comes from by what he/she calls their largest city. If a person uses Saigon, he/she is from the south of Vietnam; if he/she uses Ho Chi Minh City (or HCMC), that person comes from the less sophisticated north.
Tuesday 20 January 2014
Sailing from Hong Kong to Halong Bay, Vietnam
The ms Volendam has just come out of a $5 million refurbishment and everything looks really good and fresh--unlike on the Prinsendam last August, where things have gotten a little shabby. It's especially nice that all the bathrooms have been completely refitted with new tubs, showers, and sink areas, and updated just before the end of 2014. I spend the day enjoying breakfast in the dining room and lunch from the "Dive-In" bar on the Lido Deck by the pool in between attending presentations on the upcoming ports and available shore excursions (most of which I have already booked on-line).
The evening begins with the Captain's toast and greeting--with free wine--followed by the first formal dinner: some men are in tuxedos but there are many wearing just sportcoats or suits, as I am. I decide to order the 5-bottle deluxe wine package (at a 50% discount for my mariner status) and begin tonight with a somewhat fruity Pinot Grigio from Argentina. My wine steward is a charming young woman, Lucy, from the Philippines. She is very knowledgeable and speaks excellent English. There are new menu arrangements. No longer divided into separate courses, dishes are listed in two parts, starters and mains, from which you can choose as many as you like. And of course there is always dessert. Highlights tonight are a traditional shrimp cocktail, broiled lobster tail (on the 2nd night, no less), and Leamington sponge cake from Australia, a delicious thin layer cake with raspberry and coconut filling.
Wednesday 21 January 2014
Halong Bay, Vietnam
Halong Bay is the scenic highlight of northern Vietnam. Not far from the much-bombed port of Haiphong, the Bay is studded with hundred of small islands and thousands of karst formations rising out of the sea (much like in Guilin, China). My shore excursion begins early with a small boat cruise through the bay, The ship, a motorized junk, picks us up alongside the Volendsm and takes us through the islands. We stop to visit the Thien Cung Cave, the largest in the area. The cave entrance is reached by first climbing up a series of stairways and the walk inside is also comprised of many steps. But the rooms in the cavern are spectacular, even without the garish colored lights provided by operators, with rock formations resembling animals and people in strnage positions. The cave is crowded with tourists (lots of Russians) but the rooms are so large that you hardly feel claustrophobic. After a long climb up through the cavern, we emerge back into the sunlight and then begin the climb back down to the harbor and the ship.
We continue the boat tour, pausing for photographs at various oddly-shaped karsts. There are only 30 passengers, so there is ample opportunity to wander around the boat and clamber onto the top deck for photos. Although the day is clear, there is still a mysterious mist hanging over the islands and bay. The junk takes us back to the Volendam, where I have time for a quick lunch and then take a tender ashore for my afternoon tour, which is even better than this morning's.
We begin with a bus ride through the countryside and up into the mountains surrounding Halong Bay to visit the recently constructed Yen Tu Monastery, a huge complex of ornate buildings and gardens used for study and reflection. Although the surroundings are ornate, there is a sense of quiet and stillness, unlike the activity in the temples in Hong Kong. The highlight of the tour then takes us to visit to a small village and a local farm family where we are treated to tea and refreshments and get to see how local people live. The host and her children are very welcoming, and a walk through the village really does show the incredible changes transforming the countryside. Before returning to the Volendam we stop at a market in Halong City for a quick walk through a dizzying array of sights and smells, maneuvering around the plethora of motorbikes that are everywhere in cities and in the countryside.
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