Friday, final day in Ha Long Bay, then onto Dan Nang area

A relaxing day of doing nothing but reading, QB off to the spa and snacking on Jackfruit occasionally. The pomelo of yesterday was a complete and soon in the garbage failure. I enjoyed pomelos of outstanding taste all throughout my bike trip years ago. This was not to be one of the good ones, hard, tasteless. A great disapointment.

The jackfruit chips, are not a disappointment. No objectionable smell, crispy, a good dried fruit taste. Now, after yesterdays shopping adventure have three bags full, or less than full.

Picture of sunning themselves

Michele’s birthday champagne and dinner this evening. Someone on the ship recognized it was her birthday and surprise decorated her room. Her credit card gifted her some champagne.

Birthday “girl”

Along with birthday cake and a fine dining experience at the upscale restaurant.

Sunday, to Da Nang area, rain forecasted. Got a downpour during lunch but cleared quickly. Considerably warmer on the room balcony. We have been heading South since HK and it is noticeable

Michelle arranged an all day private tour. Just six of us with a local guide (one couple dropped out due to pneumonia and had to be sent home ruining, of course, their cruise. I don’t know if they are one of the many on the ship that have cruised 20-30 times. When I ask frequent travelers where they live my first thought is to ask them where they store their stuff.

First stop, Cham temples in My Son. Visited them in 2007, second visit better as the guide was better.

Cham kingdom 2nd to 13th century when they were defeated by the Vietnamese. The temple area has been under restoration well before my 2007 visit. Enormous area just for religious observance. Hindu statuary, likely peopled by persons from Indonesia.

Hoi An, old city tour. Part Japanese, part Chinese, part French. Old architecture, large crowd on Sunday (also Womans Day.

Day finished with a stop at Marble mountain, really five special hills, the lovely coastal beach and Vietnamese buffet dinner on the boat.

Far too many pictures to include but each area can be googled for images running into the millions as these are all popular tourist spots.