Finishing packing this morning was hectic. How to get 10lbs of crap into a three pound bag.
After that scramble we had an even faster breakfast so we could be downstairs for our cab at 8:25. Forty minute drive across the island to hop on the ferry that would take us back to the mainland. Well, technically another island but this island was connected to the mainland by a bridge.
It is MLK time of year for federal employees. Does this count as the beginning of a three day weekend?
Too many people still smoke here. I guess I’ve gotten used to no one smoking in restaurants and other similar public spaces both in the US and in Mexico.. but here, my goodness.
We jumped in a taxi when we got off the ferry. Justin was pleased to see it was a Vinfast electric car.
We noticed lots of stalled construction as we approached the area where we’d board of cruise. They’ve built a huge terminal to accommodate all the cruise ships and touristy boats in and out of Hoa Long Bay. Worksites were just sitting without progress. No more money? Ready for independent contractors? It looked rather bleak.
Checked in about 11:00 at the cruise terminal. What a zoo! We can only hope the vast majority of these boats will stay in HaLong Bay and not be heading to Bai Tu Long Bay.
Will we be the oldest on this cruise also?
Since our check-in spot was CoffeeCherry I took advantage of the chance to try an iced egg coffee. Egg coffee became popular during the IndoChina war when dairy was scarce. You start with the super strong Vietnamese coffee and top it with a sweet, custard-like egg foam. The contrast between the bitter coffee and the sweet egg mixture creates a “unique” flavor.
On board, we settled into our cabin. Definitely the nicest hotel we’ve been in on this trip. Justin wondered about monthly rates.
Our welcome lunch was plentiful… of course, it is a cruise. Salads, soups, salmon, shrimp, duck, ribs, veggies, rice, noodles, fresh fruit, desserts. My favorite? Grilled oysters with onion and French bread. I should have only had that. Super yummy!
Our ship had maybe 24 cabins and our particular cruise had maybe 22 passengers. Did the staff really outnumber us? Maybe. It was decadent.
We passed on the first outing of visiting floating villages and kayaking and instead opted for massages before we started our happy hour early. I could actually feel the pressure flowing out my fingertips. Pressure? Sometimes, knowing where you will sleep and getting all the moving pieces lined up can be a concern. Talk about first world problems. Any hooo…. I felt much better and the Bombay gin had nothing to do with it.
Happy hour on the top deck. Dinner of lobster and Vietnamese delicacies followed by local musicians. All in all, another fabulous day in Southeast Asia.
So, today was the 15th of Jan. We leave 15 February to return to Mexico. I don’t want to think about that yet.
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