4 and 5 February, 2024

Hello everyone,

We started Sunday heading to the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum where Ho Chi Minh’s body remains embalmed and open to the public. Lots of Vietnamese go to see him and at times the wait can be up to two hours even though the line keeps moving (they don’t allow pictures or standing around inside the mausoleum). Luckily, likely due to the impending Tet (Vietnamese New Year) celebrations, it was a slow day and we got through in about 20 minutes.

Afterward, we got on our bus to make our way to Ha Long Bay. We took the old road to Hanoi instead of the new highway to see more rural areas of Vietnam. Our local guide talked at length about his family and their experience through multiple generations and events like the Vietnamese war, and how it affected them.

On the way, we stopped at an arts center that hires disabled people – predominantly from the impacts of Agent Orange. They have a number of different crafts, including some lovely embroidery.

Getting into Ha Long Bay was surreal. It is around 1500 sq km, with nearly 2000 karst islands, almost all of which are limestone. Every few minutes provides a new, incredible view. We got a little bit of sun in the afternoon, but otherwise, it was cloudy and comfortable. 

We had lunch as we cruised out, and then had a couple hours before our first excursion to Dong Me Cung cave – smaller and less busy than a few others that folks go to. We ended up having it to ourselves while we were there. When you get to the other end of the cave, it lets out to a view of a landlocked lagoon on the inside of the island with the cave.

Afterward, a few of us went kayaking in another small lagoon, which was even more tranquil than the junk boat.

Lunch and dinner on the ship each consisted of 5-6 dishes. The seafood was very good, particularly the prawns and grilled crab. After dinner, we enjoyed chatting with our tour group for a while before heading to bed. In the morning, we got up and sipped coffee while enjoying more terrific views.

On the way back to Hanoi, we stopped at a cooking school for lunch. They provide free schooling for teenagers and young adults of poorer families who want to learn how to cook or run a restaurant and subsidize that with tuition from folks who can pay for classes. 

We went from lunch immediately to a cyclo tour of the old town Hanoi, a very lazy ride through the area. At the end, a few of us visited Hỏa Lò, which housed Vietnamese prisoners during the French colonial era, and later American POWs during the Vietnamese War, including the late Senator John McCain. There was a lot of propaganda in the museum, as the Vietnamese government still denies the stories of former prisoners during the war.

Tonight we had an excellent foodie tour that included:

• Phở trộn: A “dry” pho, meaning without broth
• Bánh xèo: A very thin, crispy pancake with shrimp and pork, wrapped with lettuce and mint in rice paper and dipped in a vinegar sauce
• BBQ pork bánh mì: Everything in the sandwich is made at the restaurant including the mayo and chili sauce and baguettes
• A local draft beer
• Kem xôi: Sticky rice cooked with pandan leaves and then coconut ice cream on top that is made with a combination of 30% whipping cream and rice flour
• Egg coffee: Vietnamese coffee – both arabica and Robusto beans – with a sweet, frothy, rummy mixture on top

You can probably tell from our emails that we have eaten quite well and this was by far Sarah’s favorite meal of the trip.

Tomorrow we are off to Ho Chi Minh City, which is still largely referred to as Saigon here, for two nights. 

Lots of love,

Sarah and Spenser