Subject: Report # 65 Sailing Towards Da Nang, Vietnam March 5, 2016 Saturday Partly cloudy & 79 degrees
Report # 65 Sailing Towards Da Nang, Vietnam March 5, 2016 Saturday Partly cloudy & 79 degrees
Today was a most welcomed day at sea, a day to kick back and recover from our 3 day adventure in Hong Kong. It sure was sad to leave last night, because it is one of our favorite cities to explore. Three days barely puts a dent in things you want to do. The good news is that, God-willing, we will be back again next year.
Another good thing was that we put the clocks back one hour last night, putting us exactly 12 hours ahead of Eastern time. The extra hour of sleep was appreciated by everyone we talked to today.
Some of the staff has come down with a virus-like illness that attacks the voice. Barbara H has fallen ill with it, and had to cancel her morning talk about Cambodia. In fact, she is absent from her desk on deck five as well. The same thing happened to her last year, so we expect that many of the passengers have this flu too. A good reminder to wash, wash, wash our hands and sanitize with Purell.
Two new speakers have joined the ship. Kate Ross focused on Vietnam, while Revell Carr talked about the European quest for Asian riches.
As for getting Vietnam currency (dong), it is not being sold at the front desk. The conversion rate is 22,000 to $1 US. Lucky for everyone, the US dollar is widely accepted……gladly taken. Another warning written in the newsletter was that old paper banknotes are now obsolete, having no value. Sometimes, these bills are given in change, so beware.
Since we will be arriving in Vietnam tomorrow, here are a few facts. Vietnam is a long, slender nation with a huge population….86,967,524 to be exact. Probably more now, since this is based on a 2013 census. The capital is Hanoi and the area of the country is 127,847 square miles. The official language is Vietnamese. English is spoken in some tourist places also.
The north is tight-lipped and zestful, while Ho Chi Minh in the south is "go-go-go". The north has hill tribe villages and limestone cliffs. The mid country has white sand beaches. The south is favorable for rice paddy fields…..very agricultural.
As far as Asia goes, Vietnam is still cheap. Bargains in vacations and products are easily found. You will find push-cart vendors amid fancy sports cars. Business is growing in this country. On the surface, it is a far different place than what we remember from the 1960's.
The best time to visit are the months of March, April, September, October, and November. We can guess that the rest of the year is monsoon season….wet, rainy, flooded, and hot.
Things to see are Hanoi, although we are not stopping there on this cruise. Ho Chi Minh will be accessible from the port of Phu My in a few days. Another popular stop is Halong Bay with the dragon-shaped mountains and blue-green waters. Also not a stop on this trip. Too bad.
Hue is one of the cities to see out of Da Nang where you can tour the citadel and royal tombs along the Perfume River. The area is also famous for rice fields and traditional homes.
Things to do are eat pho (noodle soup), or see a tailor at Hoi An for shirts, suits, and dresses. Taking a boat through the Mekong Delta, getting out of the tourist ghettos is a good way to mix with the locals.
What is there to eat? Again, pho noodle soup, steamed rice rolls with minced pork, and summer spring rolls. What is there to drink? Beer, in particular, draught beer.
Trademarks are conical hats, cyclos, traditional silk dresses, and scooter gridlocks. A random fact: Hanoi turned 1000 years old in 2000.
The ship will be docked in Da Nang for two days, and this is our first time here. Wish we would have known that a complimentary shuttle was going to be available, because we may have chosen to spend one day to see Da Nang, instead of taking two full days touring with a group. Oh well, these tours are with our travel agency and are included in our perks.
We finally made our way to the aft pool today, because the sun was mostly out and it was comfortable. It won't be long before the heat and humidity are back, so may as well enjoy this pleasant weather now. There were not many people back there, or even on the lower promenade today. Perhaps Hong Kong was overwhelming for most.
The daily games continued with trivia being the highlight for many. Barb got new partners…..Greg and Heo. Now she will probably win all of the time, instead of most of the time. She always begs us to play, but we find it conflicts with our outdoor schedule. And our experience at playing it was not always fun, as it can turn way too serious. Too competitive.
For most of the afternoon, we were sailing within 90 kilometers of the coastline of Vietnam. There were dozens of small ships and loads of fishing boats milling around. By tonight, we expect to see some of those fishing vessels lit up for night fishing. We also passed through some platforms, which Captain Mercer said was part of their oil fields. You would think we would see some fish or even some sea birds, but there was nothing all day.
Tonight was Gala Night, with a special theme……Red Lantern Dinner. The dining room was decorated with red banners stretched across the ceiling, and dozens of red lanterns hung from the lights. People were encouraged to wear their Asian wardrobe. Actually it was the head waiters, who were dressed in gold Chinese jackets, and the waiters dressed in black and red jackets with matching hats that stole the show. We had a "full house" with eleven of us at our table. We had two available seats with Bonnie and Paul gone visiting, but we added Maureen, and expected one officer as our host. Instead, we had Eddy and Calista join us once again. Maureen is a close friend of theirs, so we were all happy to spend an evening together with them. In Singapore, they will be leaving the Amsterdam and going to the new ship, the Koningsdam a week later. They are such accomplished florists, they have been given the honor of setting up the new ship for her inaugural sailing in April. Then they will stay on her for their summer runs in Europe. It will be nice for them, because some of the stops may be close to where they live in Holland. They will be missed big time here, but we hope they will be back next year.
Although there was no caviar or escargots, the entrees were fine. One of us had the rack of lamb, while the other had the cobb salad. The surf and turf was tenderloin steak slices with large shrimp. OK, but not exactly filet mignon and lobster.
The show was Soul Mystique, world renowned quick change artists. This is a unique show where outfits are changed like magic. Still cannot figure out how this is done, even though we have seen it more than once.
Tomorrow will be a long day, so it's time to close.
Bill & Mary Ann
