Wednesday 13 November 2024

 Halong Bay, Vietnam:  The first stop on today’s expedition was the local market.

It’s huge, with food on the lower level and clothing etc. upstairs. There were many stalls offering seafood so fresh it was still alive and butchers offering fresh meat. 

As well, beautiful fruit and vegetables were displayed like art. We were given samples of local cashews that were crisp and delicious. We drove out into a more-sparsely-populated area, where we visited a traditional family home in a small neighbourhood that was down a pleasant lane from the main road. We were offered corn on the cob and sweet potatoes, with tea, which we enjoyed in the courtyard. The house was small, tidy and clean. 

The major stop of the day was the Yen Tu Monastery, a pagoda and Buddhist temple. We climbed many steps up to it, through beautiful gardens. There were interesting sculptures, ponds, and plaques, and wind chimes provided lovely background sounds. 

On the way back to the ship, we stopped at a pearl factory. They seed oysters and then place them in protected places in Halong Bay for a couple of years, then harvest the pearls. Of course, there is a large sales area, showing wonderful jewellery with white, cream, gold and black pearls. Prices were in Vietnamese dong, all in the millions. We resisted. As we drove through the city and countryside, signs of the recent typhoon were everywhere – missing roofs or roof tiles, mangled commercial signs, structures that seemed to be severely compromised. We also heard a different version of the dragon legend: A mother dragon and her children blockaded the bay against Mongol invaders in the 11^th century and decided to stay rather than return to heaven. It was a hot, humid day and we were happy to get back on board the ship. After, let’s face it – a nap – and dinner, we took in the evening entertainment, a magic show. The magician even acknowledged that some of the audience were there because their partners dragged them to it. I felt vindicated. Once again, we were out cold pretty early.

Photos of the Day