Halong Bay to Hanoi and Back
March 25th Departing Halong Bay
Hey Halong Bay, quit distracting me! Honestly, we pulled out over two hours ago. I came up to the Sunset Veranda at the stern of the ship to have lunch and film a quick timelapse as we sailed away. The deck was packed with people; lunching, chatting and exclaiming at the beauty of it all. Slowly the crowd wandered off to lectures, naps, bridge and card games, but here I sit, mesmerized, watching ships large and small gliding between these dramatic limestone islands, each topped with its own improbable rainforest. I’m trying to read my book but I just can’t stop staring at it, reaching for my iPhone for extra shots on top of the hours of timelapse I’m already capturing. In the end I know the footage will pale in comparison with the actual experience of being here. I suppose that’s why we travel.
I’m really glad we stopped here. We arrived yesterday morning. We’d set ourselves up with an excursion through the ship; an all day exploration of Hanoi, a two-plus hour bus ride inland. It was worth the trek. We visited the Hanoi Museum, where I of course sniffed out some giant woodcuts.
They are 19th century illustrations for the Song of Kieu, Vietnam’s traditional tale of a young girl who gets sold/ tricked into prostitution trying to save her family. It’s been illustrated and remade many times; in opera, song, film and more.
These are beautifully carved and printed, and it was interesting to see the plates exhibited alongside the finished works. When I went online to learn more about these woodcut interpretations, I discovered a German artist named Franca Bartholomäi who has recently reimagined the story, once again in woodcut prints but with a contemporary bent. Worth a google if you like that kind of thing.
We had a ride in a rickshaw, ate a great lunch at a place called Mother’s Kitchen, and of course toured the Hoa Lo Prison, better known as the “Hanoi Hilton”. It’s been decommissioned for a lot of years, but the long concrete slab beds with rows of foot shackles at their base remain, as does the grim guillotine. I’ve been reading Six Years in the Hanoi Hilton, about POW Veteran Jim Shively. He spares no detail (well, maybe he spares a lot of detail, but what he doesn’t was plenty for me). Here’s a weird little coincidence: there are photos at the museum of the POW’s enjoying opening care packages from home, trimming a tree at Christmas and playing billiards. Some of the visitors were making remarks about what a crock that was; that they were obviously staged propaganda photos. Sure enough, as I was finishing off the audio book on the bus ride back to port, Shively recounted how, after years of nothing but deprivation and torture, their captors inexplicably spent a couple of weeks fattening them up. They let them shower, gave them clothes and dragged in, among other props, that billiard table. A photographer appeared and began shooting. As soon as he got what they needed it was all whisked away, they re-shackled the men and immediately resumed the inhumane treatment they’d been subjected to since their capture. How strange that of the six hundred plus people incarcerated there I’d stumble across a photo of the very one whose story I was listening to, and that they’d confirm across the years the random comment I’d overheard made by museum goers that very day. So yes, the story that is still offered as fact here in Vietnam differs greatly from that of the men who experienced it. History truly is written by the victors, or at least by those who curate the prison museum.
Our tour guide was excellent. He and his ancestors are from the South of the country and his girlfriend’s are from the North. He was a fount of information regarding how both sides feel now; about the Americans, about each other, about communism and culture. He did give us his contact info, which I’ll share if you’re planning a trip to Vietnam, just message me :-). They run tours from Halong to Saigon. Most ships stop in Saigon, but if you’re doing a land tour or haven’t chosen your itinerary yet I’d highly recommend angling in a stop in Halong Bay. I wish we’d had more time to do boat tours, ride the giant cable car, explore the beaches. It has a lot to offer.
But for now I’ll just have to content myself with this incredible view. We’re heading to Danang next. Still pinching myself that we’re on this adventure.
Thanks so much for reading. Please feel free to drop a comment below and/or share with a friend who might enjoy these wee missives.