Ho Chi Minh City (Siagon)

We made it to the city named after Uncle Ho, and when we left the plane, we got to hear a rendition of the Ballad of Uncle Ho!  

Yes, as we arrived at the airport, this started playing over the sound system, and kids started singing. Gotta love Uncle Ho. Well, back to our regular programming.

We didn't realize where we were staying, but the Rex Hotel is a famous hotel because it was the headquarters for news and spies during the Vietnam War. Every day at 5:00 p.m., military leaders held meetings there (5 o'clock follies) to tell reporters what was happening, which became world-famous. It’s a place where history’s biggest secrets were traded over drinks at the rooftop bar. 

Our travel day evening walk.

The Time Square Building entrance. Those are all peacock feathers. 

This is the Opera House

The War Remnant Museum

This is the only picture I took. It was a very difficult museum to see, and it stopped us from going to the Cu Chi Tunnels, especially after the Iran War started on the day we visited. 

Independence Palace 

The Independence Palace is where the Vietnam War officially ended. In 1975, a big North Vietnamese tank crashed right through the front gates, which signaled that the war was over and the two sides were becoming one country again. 

Everything is frozen in the 1970s, including secret underground bunkers and old-school war rooms with giant maps.

And it even has a helicopter on the roof. 

Our hotel from and observation deck 

Ahhh.....Mexico

 Ha Long Bay

We took a trip to Ha Long Bay and did realize we were going to be part of the demonstration booth at the State Fair. We were told we were going to stop for a rest stop about 30 minutes into the 3-hour trip to the cruise ship dock, and suddenly... 

We were watching a demonstration on silk and how they make it and bamboo fibers. Such a bait and switch. I read what was happening right away and went to the restroom and went outside to wait for everyone when our tour guide came out and told me Kerry was looking for me and he also told Kerry I was looking for her and then swoop, we were part of it. Here are some highlights. 

Well, we made it to Ha Long Bay. We got on the boat with little problem and were able to just make out the karsts through the fog. Ha Long Bay is famous for its limestone karst landscape. These are steep, dramatic rock towers that rise straight out of the water. Some look like giant teeth, others like rounded jungle-covered pillars. Luckily, the fog cleared up the next day, and it was beautiful.

There are roughly 1,600 limestone islands and islets scattered across the bay. Many are uninhabited. The dense vegetation on top makes them look soft from a distance, but up close they’re sharp, vertical limestone cliffs. They are formed by erosion from the rising sea and the (acid) rain over millions of years. I guess the acid rain over the last few years. 

Well, we got off the boat in a little town and got to bike ride through, well, paradise. It was truly magical with the butterflies.

We arrived at the town where we were biking.

We were plied with some snake wine. Think dead minnow shots, only      with          a            snake . 

And then a little spa treatment. Think live piranhas...

Just listen to the shade Kerry is throwing at me.

I eventually could leave my feet in there for about 20 seconds at a time, but the tickle factor was the first time in many, many, many years that I felt the uncontrollable laughter from being tickled. Now I was fortunate that I could just lift my feet to make it stop, but wow...

We lovingly called our ship the Battle Cruiser.

This is what it was supposed to look like. They were in the middle of painting, I am guessing.

This was our crew that we got to know on the ship. 

Nice hot tub on the top deck. 

We headed back from Ha Long Bay in a private transfer to Hoi An. Which surprisingly is very similar to Hanoi, and we keep forgetting where we are. We are checked into an amazing resort and will be here for about 9 nights. Time to do some laundry, get a massage, and do some exploring.