We were late going through Ha Long Bay because of the storm but that was good as this was very scenic and it would have been dark had we not had the storm. The limestone rock formations jutting up out of the water reminded me of the icebergs in the Antarctic. The Vietnamese have names for the formations based on their appearance and you can conjure up a lot of different images. The ancient myth is that a dragon was terrorizing the villagers and they drove him off but as he was leaving he swished his tail back and forth cutting paths through the limestone.

This area is in North Viet Nam and is not well developed except where the hotels are. I believe this electrical system tells it all. As in other third world countries you have the old mixed with the new. This lady carrying the fruit could hardly handle the weight and was having a hard time trying to keep the weight evenly distributed on her shoulders.

I really don’t have a lot of comment. I did sit by the beach for quite some time and had a beer which was pleasant. The tide was out but they have a very long pier that accommodates for the tides and thus we didn’t have to walk in the sand after we landed by tender.

I will be leaving the ship on Monday for my overland to the Terra Cotta Warriors and the Li River. Once I leave the ship in Hong Kong I will not post as I won’t have my computer with me for four days. I will do my wash on Saturday and iron and pack on Sunday. The only thing planned in Hong Kong is to do some necessary shopping at the terminal or if need be, the mall. This will be my last post until I get back unless something spectacular happens before Monday.