The Hera Grand was an elegant boat and the food was superb. After getting settled in our cabin, we went upstairs to the main deck’s dining room for lunch. No sooner were we underway, than the Musak kicked in. For reasons known only to the programmer, the choice was the theme song from The Titanic. Here I am doing my Kate Winslet impersonation.
Apres lunch activities included a trip in the Hera Grand’s tender to Ti Top Island for a hike up to its summit's panoramic view of the bay, followed by a visit to Me Cung Cave. Not feeling well, I opted to take a nap while my husband joined the group trek. If I had to feel sick, I figured there would never be a better place than the Hera Grand.
Dinner
was an elaborate 4-course affair pictured here in my husband’s photos. I’m told everything was delicious, but I just
couldn’t eat anything.
March
2: Whatever 24-hour bug I had, passed overnight. I skipped the 6 a.m. tai chi session and opted into the less-early morning boat trip to Luon Cave. We donned our camo life vests
and were rowed past towering karst formations, through the limestone arch of Luon Cave,
and into a beautiful cove where we saw people effortlessly kayaking around the still, blue-green waters.
Back to the boat for brunch and some photo opportunities as we sailed back into Tuan Chau harbor, where our 11 a.m. ground transport would pick us up and take us to our Hanoi hotel.
We
made it without incident to Hanoi. We were staying for three nights at the Chi Boutique Hotel, https://www.thechihotel.com, which we booked through booking.com. Nice hotel; efficient and gracious concierge; honey-sesame candies as a welcome gift; great views from our balcony!
We were also really pleased with the location of our hotel in the Old Quarter, just a few blocks from Hoan Kiem Lake, for all of the reasons noted in Vinpearl:
This signature Hanoi lake is the intersection between many popular streets in the Old Quarter…. Thanks to its prime location, this is a very convenient destination for tourists. You can walk around the lake, visit nearby famous landmarks as well as learn about the typical culture of the surrounding Old Quarter.
In 1884, when the French colonialists
invaded Vietnam, they rebuilt and substantially changed the scenery around the
lake, including the Old Quarter. Although the war has ended, Vietnam still
keeps the wonders of French architectural works. This place represents a tragic
and monumental historical period of the country.
In particular, Hoan Kiem Lake is associated with the walking street of Hanoi. On weekend nights, this area is like a giant fair with all kinds of commodities and activities. In addition to shopping, you can dine at nearby restaurants. In a part of the street is a dedicated area for folk games. Everyone plays together so you can join if you want. Along the street, you can see buskers singing and playing music for free.
After checking in, we set out for the lake and its Ngoc Son Temple, reached by the Huc Red Bridge. We saw groups of young girls dressed in the traditional au dai posing for photos along the lake. 
Ubiquitous also were vendors selling intricate paper crafts at the lakeside.
Ngoc Son Temple is located
on an isle right in the heart of Hoan Kiem Lake. Built in the 19th century,
this temple was originally dedicated to Guan Yu (a famous Chinese general) to
suppress misfortune. Then it was turned into a pagoda to worship Buddha, and
finally restored into the temple as it is today.
Going inside, you will see 2 main temple buildings. They feature the architectural style of temples in the northern region of Vietnam. In the 2 temple buildings are 2 large statues. The statue of Tran Deity is placed on a stone pedestal of more than 1 meter high, and the statue of Van Xuong Deity holds a brush in his hand with a relaxed stance.
More on the red bridge from Vinpearl:
To enter the above-mentioned Ngoc Son Temple, you need to cross The Huc Bridge. Built in 1865, this red bridge made of wood connects the bank with Ngoc Son Temple in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake.
The Huc Bridge has many ancient architectural features. It is modeled after a wooden house of the people of the Red River Delta. During its history, The Huc Bridge has seen many memorable stories. Legend has it that since The Huc Bridge was built, Huong test takers (a local academic test in the past) crowded Ngoc Son Temple to pray for good results. When the time of the test was near, the temple keeper would have to remind the test takers not to jostle so that the bridge would not collapse.
The bridge has undergone two restorations in 1897 and 1952, after a bridge span broke on the New Year's Eve due to visitor overcrowding at Ngoc Son Temple. The bridge was then rebuilt, this time with cement foundation instead of wood.
The lake and its red bridge were beautiful as afternoon turned to evening.
Continuing our search for the coolest cocktail bars in each city we visited in Southeast Asia, we found this place in Hanoi, within walking distance of our hotel, called the Old Well Cocktail Bar. Highly recommended by the Johnstons!
On our way to dinner, we saw what President George Bush might have called, "some weird shit." I have no idea what this was, other than what he said. Maybe it was one of the "folk games" Vinpearl referred to above.
It was becoming very clear, very quickly, that Hanoi was very hip and delightfully bizarre. It was also becoming very clear within only a few hours after arriving, that we liked it very, very much. Cheers!
Marilyn
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