Ever Heard of a Karst?

Halong Bay, studded with hundreds of "karsts,"limestone formations created by tectonic movement and carved by wind over Millenia, are a "must see."  So we find ourselves in a tiresome van ride of 3 + hours. This is  punctuated with a most annoying shopping break at a souvenir Mecca (we are sure the van drivers get a cut by delivering hapless travelers to these places).  Our hotel has arranged an overnight cruise for us aboard the good ship Aphrodite.  

On the plus side is the cheery young staff who are so eager to please.  Four darling girls of 22 are serving a tourism internship on the boat.  They get only four days off a month, but considering this, they seem to have fun and there are hijinks when they think we are not looking.  One of them good naturedly ribs me for not joining Ben for morning Tai Chi.

Our cabins are very nice, with huge windows, a modern bathroom ensuite and comfy beds.

 

The staff are very attentive to safety, food is good though a little toned down for tourists, and the ship moves smoothly and quietly.  We also have only 18 passengers on board and most are quite friendly and fun to chat with.

The downside is gray, chilly weather.  No doubt this is a spectacular experience in other seasons.

But the staff has outings planned for us.  First day we are taken to the floating village, and village ladies take us out on their bamboo thatch boats.  The government is doing a relocation effort to eventually close down the villages completely.

Though these villages have thrived for hundreds of years, the government wants them out for a variety of reasons - there is no health care, limited schooling, and environmental concerns ( of course we wonder about the impact of 500 cruise boats).  They have consolidated some of the villages and the people are lured to the mainline by the offer of free housing for five years and jobs training. The houses in these pictures are typical but deserted now.  Mainly old people are left as they refuse to go.

The village has a tiny temple on the karst just across from their floating village.

It's fun to float around a bit and see the village

and small shop boats up close.

The people here survive on fishing.  This squid boat is strung with lights to attract the squid a night.

The karsts are truly beautiful and other-worldly.  They stretch on for hundreds of square miles. Our second day outing takes us to a grotto on one of the karsts and  we climb into the caves to see the stalactites, then climb up for a view of a hidden lake within the karst.

The weather is colder by the time we return to port, and the long irritating drive from and back to Hanoi make us think we might have preferred to miss this experience.  However, it is a UNESCO World Hertage site for very good reason.

It is nice to have leisurely peace and quiet - we realize this as soon as get back to Hanoi and the noisy currents of motorbikes, people and cars.  But we are glad to dive back into the melee.

Good Morning Viet Nam

Ben and I are up early our first morning in Hanoi, so we set out to walk around the lake, a favorite of wedding couples and their photographers.

People are out early, taking ballroom dancing lessons on the sidewalks.

These ladies are getting their exercise and thrilling us with their ribbon dancing.

The park workers are getting prepared for their duties.  7 million people live in crowded, noisy, hectic Hanoi.  The small lake and park seem to be a major respite spot.

Ben brought along a NYT article about Hanoi So we seek out the coffee cafe they recommend.  Ben wants to try egg coffee (whipped egg and sugar froth spooned on top of dark hot coffee).  We have to walk through a T-shirt and tailor shop, go through a long narrow space and are greeted by a hostess who takes our order.  We then walk up 3 flights of stairs to a cafe room and terrace that overlook the honking, gray mass of motorbikes and people below.  January in Hanoi is a little chilly and overcast, but there is color everywhere.

Back to our elegant hotel with the most amazing staff, ever. They have memorized our names, our room number and greet us with such cheer.  We have a sumptuous breakfast  with John and Lisa, then meet out guide for the day, Ha.  

Ha leads a street food tour and under his tutelage we head out to overcome our apprehension about trying street food.  Ha is a food ambassador!  With him we will try five places and eat some great dishes.  The main thing we learn is not to be shy and that most of the tiny restaurants serve just one or two specialties.  We will sit on tiny low plastic stools around tiny tables, just like everyone does here.

Everywhere we walk food accompanies us.  Ha teaches us to stop being anxious about crossing streets.  It is intimidating because motorbikes weave in and out of traffic like swarming bees.  We learn to walk slow and with purpose.  The drivers swerve around us expertly.

We can't remember what we are eating here, but it was all great.

The vendor ladies set out their wares beautifully.  

Bikes go by laden with huge shallow baskets with perfectly displayed vegetables or flowers.  How they manage this, on bike is amazing.

Specialty streets abound.  One street has mostly plumbing items, another shoes,

others coffee or chilis.

These are the biggest carrots I have ever seen.  Vietnamese people shop daily, mostly cook at home, though cafes are sure busy at lunch time.

Our last serendipitous food stop is this lady who makes herb omelets on the street to order.  She carries her burner and skillet in one basket and all the ingredients in another.  It is all so tidy and organized.  Ha orders omelets and we watch while she breaks the eggs, stirs in the herbs and spices, cooks for us and serves it to us on small plastic plates with tiny metal forks.  It is absolutely delicious.  We would NEVER have tried this without Ha.

Ha has a little 2 year old son now in daycare and he can watch him through a nanny cam on his phone.  He is ambitious and tells us about the hopes of the huge young and entrepreneurial population of Viet Nam.  Ha wants to be rich.

Not all food is to be eaten.  With New Year approaching, vendors are selling food that will be placed on altars at homes to send as offering to ancestors.  The food will never be consumed.  Theses are steamed chickens, wrapped up and decorated with roses.  Human hands will not touch the food and it will be reverently sacrificed with other choice foods and treats that the deceased enjoyed.

We sacrifice nothing.  Our 3 plus hour food tour means we will skip dinner tonight, but we will definitely find the "beer corner" Ha has told us about and we will later join hundreds of young locals and travelers in a noisy, jubilant evening of beer and snacks of sunflower seeds.