Hanoi - December 16th

Our hopes that the cloud will lift overnight and we might get a good view of all the islands have been dashed.  But it is still an enjoyable ride back to port from the overnight anchoring position past some more of the many islands in the bay.  Despite the inclement weather it is easy to see why this is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

We head back to Hanoi by bus, with a film, “The Quiet American”, being shown to us by our guide.  It is quite enjoyable to see a film set in places we have just visited.  When we get back to Hanoi we embark on a small tour of the town, starting at the infamous Hanoi Hilton.  This is the prison where the US Air Force pilots were incarcerated after they were shot down in the war, including famously John McCain.  But actually it was built by the French to house political prisoners at the turn of the century.  The descriptions of the exhibitions are every bit as propogandic as they were back at the tunnels, and actually a bit annoying in the way they deliberately distort some truths.

After this we go to the Temple of Literature, a national monument as the oldest place of learning in the country, and then on a walk around the old quarter, which is really just a collection of narrow streets selling all sorts of items, luckily mostly to the locals and not to tourists.  But still our group gets a fair amount of shopping in, although Dorota and I don’t have to as we have two extra days here.  The tour finishes at the Hoan Kiem Lake in the centre of town, which is an amazingly peaceful oasis in the madness of the city.

After the tour finishes we go back to the hotel, and then later out to our final night dinner.  It is the final night in Vietnam for half of our tour group, so a big night of eating and drinking ensues.  As things go it has been a good group for a trip like this, although inevitably a few cliques have developed, so we finish the night with the younger crowd (plus one young at heart) having some more drinks on a rooftop restaurant overlooking the strangest/busiest road junction in Hanoi.