Junk Boats and Motorbikes

I really don't know where the term "junk boat" came from, but I spent three days on one in Halong Bay, Vietnam and it was really magnificent.

Halong Bay is one of Vietnam's proudest locations, and for good reason. It is filled with thousands of limestone mountains and blue-green waters, and feels like some kind of magical fairyland. The mountains are part of the same range that extend up through China, and fortunately I lucked out with good weather this time.

The mini-tour was filled with many activities. We went swimming and jumped off the top of the boat, explored a cave inside one of the mountains, visited Monkey Beach (with some very playful monkeys who stole one tourist's bra), went bicycling and hiking through a village, and sea kayaked around a floating town. There was also plenty of downtime to relax on the sundeck and take advantage of the on-board bar.

And in complete contrast with Halong Bay, I also spent a few days in Hanoi - the capital of Vietnam. The city is buzzing with excitement and the sound of millions of motorbikes. (And capitalism!) I am staying in the Old Quarter, which is a maze of narrow streets with shops and street vendors. At first I couldn't figure out how to cross the street as there is no rhyme or reason to traffic. Eventually I got bored and resorted to shielding myself behind a mom and her baby as they crossed and all the motorbikes zoomed around us, somehow managing to not hit us or each other.

The city also has many historical treasures so it has been a great place to begin my trip. I saw a water puppet performance, which is a traditional Vietnamese art form originating in flooded villages during the rainy seasons. It was actually quite spectacular - it looked like the puppets were dancing on the water and I was surprised at how many ways their puppeteers behind screens could maneuver them. I also visited Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum and filed past his embalmed body with all the Vietnamese tourists, who are taught from a young age about all of Uncle Ho's contributions, particularly leading Vietnam toward independence from the French colonialists and leading the North in the American War.

Finally, it was quite interesting to visit the Hoa Lo prison, where John McCain was held as a prisoner of war for five years (and prior to that - where Vietnamese were held prisoners by the French.) There were several photos of John McCain including him being pulled out of the water and then visiting a few years ago as a Senator. There was a room of photos of the POW's laughing and playing games, decorating a Christmas tree, and receiving mail from their families. They made it look like summer camp. On the flip-side, there were also several disturbing exhibits showing the French colonialists' torture of the Vietnamese, including an actual guillotine and photos of several beheaded Vietnamese prisoners. I think most people agree that the Vietnamese prisoners were treated far worse by the French than the American prisoners were treated by the Vietnamese, but still - the propoganda was quite astounding. There were also several exhibits showing French and American citizens protesting colonial rule and war.

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