Farewell Halong Bay - Hello Hanoi

Last day of the Mangrove expedition and planting is all done. Our day started out with the usual briefing. News came that the boat trip was cancelled. Clear skies turned gray and rainy again and it was felt that it was not safe on the water. Hotel check out took some time due to a hick up with my bill. In that confusion news of the boat cruise was back on. I was not too excited about getting out on the sea in such stormy weather conditions. I tried to conceal my worry with quiet reflection but I was soon found out.

We drove through a resort in route to the pier to board the boat. It looked to be abandoned or incomplete. There were shells of buildings that seemed to have been started and but not finished. This went on for what seemed like blocks and they were mixed in with some finished structures. The construction techniques here remind me of what I saw in India years ago when I visited. The workers seem to live at the construction site until finished and none of the usual building conventions seem to come in to play. Bamboo scaffolding is used to hold the structure in place until the concrete is set and everything seems to be done by hand without use of usual materials one expects to see.

You can see this all over Halong Bay, there is a lot of development going on here. Our boat was of a decent size but I was hopeful for a cruise ship, they sink slower. There is a lot of boat traffic in Halong-Bay so if we began to sank hanceswere our mayday would be quickly answered. We pulled away and minutes later we were surrounded by hundreds of limestone eyelet's jutting from the sea. Most were covered with green foliage and some you could see caves had been due into to limestone wall. I'm told two or three of the Islands are inhabited with tourist throughout the year. Littered throughout the eyelet's were communities of people living on floating houses and boats.

Mr. Miyamoto gave me a lesson on how the shipped coal to the populated area's for use. Lots of picks. After being at sea for 45 minutes we headed back and soon we were on dry land again. This is our last day in Halong Bay, we boarded the bus and headed for Hanoi, our next destination. Along the way we stopped to shop for souvenirs. Our tour guide picked a spot where some of the jobs are set aside for workers who suffer disabilities/birth defects created by Napalm used by the USA during the Vietnam war. It's pretty much a mall sectioned off in area's depending on what being sold (tapestry's, jewelry,wood carvings, etc.). I hate such places because you never know if the price you pay is fair.

After so long this guy walks up to me and asks where I am from. For the next hour he proceeds to lightly sell me things, building in a discount. The best part, he sends me to the. Outer to pay and I receive the warmest greeting from the cashier in the local tongue, her smile intoxicating. Quickly she is joined by another girl who wipers something in her ear and they both giggle. I smile inquisitive at them and the one girls looks at me squarely with a smile and proceeds to tell me her friend thinks I'm Hot. I can't help but laugh. She goes on to say her friend commented I was a big strong American.

I'm smiling from ear to ear mostly because a co-worker witnesses this exchange and suggest I give pursue the advance. I remind him that it's no new thing that I am popular with the ladies and I pay and walk away. I collect my packages wrapped meticulously and head for the coach. Hanoi Is a two to three hour drive from Halong-Bay. The weather cleared by the time we left the mall it was sunny, hot, and humid outside. Along the way our tour operator pointed out the attractions as we passed. Did you know that Vietnam has the largest manufacturing plant in the world with over 16,000 employee's. In addition to the Vietnamese tour guide our group was accompanied by a Japanese tour guide and translator.

Along the route she answered questions that would come up. I had been curious about the significance of these little dog statuettes I would see on either side of the house do doorways in Don Rui. It turns out they they are suppose to rid off evils spirits. I asked if they has anything to do with all the stray dogs seemingly of the same breed running around. Well the dogs are not strays but bread and some locals are said threat them. A custom borrowed from China which apparently does not go on there any longer. This gave me great pause after having dined in rural Don Rui on local dishes the past week. I just had to smile and let go. After about two hours we began to approach Hanoi. We crossed the Red River which originates in China and came up Ponte city propper.

The landscape and people reminded me of India with motor bikes all over the place, no real traffic rules and sign of what we Americans would call poverty mixed in with progress. We finally came to a stop and was shuffled into the upstairs dining area of a beautiful collonialesque style building for lunch. The walls were of a warm yellow and it had high seedlings. This was the best meal of the tour yet. After lunch we had an appointment with the local office e in Hanoi. After a presentation on the insurance market in Vietnam, a history of Tokio Marines presence there, and office tour and photo session all work was done for the participants. We loaded up and headed to see the Ho Chi Minh masoleum and people's committee Dyet building. From there we headed to the old city district where we split in groups. My group decided to stop in for foot massages (220 Dong or $10 US).

Not bad for an hour foot massage. We were served Lotus tea cold replete with saucer and tea cup. Again, the girls giggling over the sight of the big guy. All the giggles and wipers but this went further. I was being seduced there is no other way to put it. Her gaze and caress was blowing my ego threw the roof. She was pretty and young (25) and from the area. It also creeper me out at time and so did it my coworkers. After and hour we left, did a little more shopping and found a café near the rendezvous point and waited for the group for the bus ride to the airport and our departure. Before doing so, one last local Hanoi meal. As it sit writing I am in-flight to Chicago. It was a great experience for which I am truly grateful. I made new friendships with colleagues from across the world and in the US which I hope will last for some time to come. And I was able to do so while giving back to those who were in need of a helping hand...