Monday: Ha Noi to Ha Long Bay

We left Ha Noi this morning and drove for over 4 hours to beautiful Ha Long Bay. The road passed through many rice patties, with some farmers at work stooped over and working with hand tools . We also passed by an area being developed by “Mr. Instant Noodle Man”, a Vietnamese entrepreneur we keep hearing about. For this project, he is building a new city for 300,000 people out of nothing. . At Ha Long Bay our group got on boat, and motored for about an hour, passing the odd-shaped rocky hills that litter the Bay. There are lots of other boats doing the same thing. Like on dry land, I am struck by how much litter is everywhere. Most of us went by tender to hike into and through dramatic caves. Before dinner, a woman on our trip treated us to a show about her cousin who was the first woman elected to Congress in the early 20th Century. It was a great story and she told it well. Another good dinner with dramatic food art - see photos. More bridge tonight.Read more