March 28, 2016 – Xiamen, China

From Hong Kong, Crystal Serenity cruised northward toward Xiamen, an island located off China’s southeast coast. We passed through the Taiwan Strait, a 110-mile wide body of water separating the China mainland from Taiwan. We were scheduled to arrive in port at Xiamen at 11:00 am this morning.

Unfortunately, we didn’t arrive until about 1:15 pm, due to an overnight engine problem on the ship. Passengers were told to meet their excursion where the buses were parked outside the terminal. Chinese Immigration regulations required a face-to-face inspection for everyone on the ship to ensure that all guests possessed an approved Chinese visa, even if they weren’t going on a shore excursion. The end result was everyone tried to leave the ship at the same time, and there was a very long line of guests in the terminal going through the immigration formalities. We didn’t get through the line and to our bus until about 2:00 pm for our tour, titled “Panoramic Xiamen.”

Before now, we had never heard of Xiamen, so we had no idea what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised that the city is so large, modern, and attractive, with a population of 3.5 million people. We were told that Xiamen has long been an active port city. The name sounds like “Chah - men” (emphasis on the first syllable)

A very quick history lesson – Xiamen became a foreign treaty port after the First Opium War in the 1800s. The treaty at the end of that war (1842) ceded the island of Hong Kong to the United Kingdom, and it established five “treaty ports” in China, including Shanghai and Amoy (the “Western” name for Xiamen back in those days). Foreigners were permitted to live and trade in these specific Chinese ports.

The city of Xiamen and the island have the same name. The close, offshore island of Gulangyu is administratively part of Xiamen and historically was a foreign zone with consulates and luxurious homes. We weren’t able to visit Gulangyu, but we understand that it’s scenic and quiet (no gasoline-powered vehicles allowed) with some beautiful, old colonial buildings. We did see the terminal in downtown Xiamen for the 5-minute ferry boat ride over to Gulangyu. There are four bridges and one tunnel that connect Xiamen with the Chinese mainland.

In the 1970s, and again when China began economic reforms in the mid-1980s, Xiamen was named as a Special Economic Zone open to foreign investment and trade. Since then Xiamen seems to have flourished. We read that Xiamen is now one of the largest ports in China, in terms of cargo movements. During our excursion we observed a Chinese naval base on Xiamen. We assume that the mission of that base must involve defense of the Taiwan Strait.

Our young, female tour guide, Max, was proud that Xiamen has been ranked as China’s second “most suitable city for living.” She also pointed out the green trees in this city, as compared to how gray it is up north.

The Panoramic Xiamen excursion began at Bailuzhou Park, which is a nice-looking green space in the heart of the city. We admired the large lake (with boats for rent) and an “Egret Goddess” statue. We were told that the Chinese nickname for Xiamen is Egret Island. There was also a nice statue of a dragon boat being raced. This park looked like a great destination for local people as a peaceful place to relax.

We then rode on the bus through the older parts of the city. One distinct characteristic was the large number of well-preserved 3- to 4-story buildings with small shops on the ground floor, and higher stories stretching over the sidewalk. Max told us that this offers shelter from both rain and sun for shoppers and walkers. She is from Northern China and described the weather in Xiamen throughout the year as either hot or very hot, depending on the season.

Next we rode along a coastal highway, which our guide called the “Ring Road.” It was a very nicely landscaped, modern highway. The road separates new, large high-rise apartment buildings on one side and a few large resort hotels and beaches along the Taiwan Strait on the other side of the highway.

We stopped at one of the beaches and admired the views and statues there. There are hundreds of bicycles-built-for-two (and three) available for rent at public beaches, and we saw many of them being ridden – it looked fun. Along the Ring Road we also had glimpses of distant islands, such as Jinmen (formerly known as Quemoy), which is still governed by Taiwan. We understand that riding a ferry boat between Xiamen Island and Jinmen Island is now allowed, but we weren’t told any more details.

We were running short of time, as we were supposed to be back on the ship by 5:30, but we were allowed 40 minutes to stroll through a popular shopping street near the ferry terminal (Zhongshan Road) which is a street closed to traffic and lined with many small shops ranging from inexpensive jewelry, candy, tea, food items, to some brand-name stores. Ginny made a small purchase at Miss Zhao’s Tea and Cake Shop – two sets of decorative, gold-colored tea fork and spoon. Some of the people in our group were late returning from shopping, so we just barely made it back to the ship before 6:00 pm.

Hong Kong it’s not, but Xiamen does have a modern, vibrant, busy feel. We didn’t have time to visit many of the other appealing parts of town, including Xiamen University, a large Buddhist temple, Water Garden Expo Park, and “the biggest private art gallery in China.” Maybe next time!

Next stop Shanghai, after one day at sea.

Jim & Ginny

March 27, 2016 – Hong Kong

Welcome to Hong Kong! We’re docked on the Kowloon side of Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor, at the Ocean Terminal – one of the best docking locations in the world, not only for the view, but especially for its location. We’re adjacent to the Star Ferry Terminal, where the ubiquitous Star Ferry boats run across the Harbor between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island every few minutes, 18 hours a day. We’re also mere blocks from world-famous hotels, restaurants, and more high-end shopping than you can possibly imagine.

We had a perfect view from our cabin’s balcony of the skyline of Hong Kong Island, across the harbor. Here's a photo of what we see. 

Star ferries have been crossing Victoria Harbor since 1888 and are a floating piece of Hong Kong heritage. As we understand it, today’s boats are not that old, but they are from the 1950s. It’s interesting to just sit on our balcony and watch these ferries coming and going. They seem to be leaving every two minutes or so, going both directions.

We last visited Hong Kong three years ago, and we were here for three days then. We’ve already done most of the items on everyone’s “must see” list – the funicular tram ride to the top of Victoria Peak, lunch at the Jumbo Floating Restaurant, Repulse Bay, Stanley Market, as well as the “Hop-on-Hop-off” bus tours of both Kowloon and Hong Kong Island

Saturday, March 26, 2016
We docked at 9:15, as scheduled, and Jim departed with a group of 10 other passengers on a ship’s excursion called “Dragon’s Back Hilltop Hike.” Our small mini-bus headed from Kowloon, via a tunnel under Victoria Harbor, to Hong Kong Island. There are no bridges across the harbor, and it’s expensive to drive through the tunnel. However, the tour guide wanted to keep the tour on schedule.

The name of the excursion wasn’t that accurate, as it implied a hilltop hike; in fact, the hike began by going uphill and kept going uphill to the peak of Diamond Back Ridge. The trail surface was quite rocky, so we had to be careful of our footing while climbing. Adding to the challenge was the very large number of local people climbing the trail today. Our guide told us that the weather had been rainy and windy lately. Today was the first nice day for Hong Kong in a long time, and it was also a holiday (and a Saturday). So, lots of local people had the same “get outdoors and hike” idea we did.

Our guide told us that over 70 percent of Hong Kong is mountains and parks. That’s why there are so many high-rise apartments to squeeze in as much housing as possible for 7 million people in such a small space.

Dragon Back Ridge cuts across the southeast end of Hong Kong Island and is a section of the 30-mile long Hong Kong Trail. A few years ago, the Dragon Back Ridge was named in one list as the “best urban hike in Asia.” It didn’t really feel urban, even though we weren’t that far out of the city. We started in a wooded area and went up to the winding “spine” of the dragon, leaving the hustle and bustle of the city behind.

There were several overlooks along the way, with picturesque views of reservoirs, beaches, and other hillside terrain. About a third of our people quit before reaching the top, but Jim kept on going and was proud to have made it. It was windy and a little cool at the top. 

That was only half of the hike, as we then had to make it back down. As many of you know, going downhill on relatively steep, rocky terrain can be more difficult than going uphill. Half way down, we stopped and ate a picnic lunch that the tour guide had brought along with him. Total time for this half of the adventure was three hours.

Upon boarding our minibus, we returned to the city. But, shortly thereafter, the hiking group hopped off the bus in the central city part of Hong Kong Island. This was two more hours of walking; first visit was to a 3-block-long Chinese natural medicine area. There was small store after small store of various strange herbs and (expensive) dried animal body parts that Chinese people eat, because they think it’s good for their health. The guide explained a lot of this to us, but he said he didn’t have enough money to buy these things. We then headed into a forest of soaring glass and steel skyscraper towers. The old colonial British buildings in the Central part of Hong Kong Island have almost all been leveled and replaced by an excess of modernity.

As the group walked, some of the more notable structures we passed included HSBC bank headquarters, International Finance Center (IFC) mall, which includes two huge towers (88-story and 39-story), and Exchange Square (home to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange). We also admired the “Mid-Level Escalators” – claimed to be the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world. They cover a half mile of moving stairs, walkways and passageways from the business hub to the residential areas above (called Mid-Levels). We then enjoyed walking on a network of overhead pedestrian walkways, weaving between modern buildings, that eventually led us to the upper level of the Star Ferry Terminal for our ride across the harbor from Hong Kong Island back to Kowloon and a short walk to the Serenity.

After dinner Saturday evening, we had excellent seats on our cabin’s balcony for the lights and laser show called “Victoria Harbor’s Symphony of Lights,” which occurs every evening at 8:00 pm. We thought the view of bright lights on the skyscrapers was spectacular but the multi-media laser show wasn’t as good as we remembered it from three years ago. Here are some photos from last night:

Sunday, March 27, 2016

We spent Easter Sunday 2016 in Hong Kong. At breakfast, we had Easter Baskets at our tables, and there was a low-key contest between about 15 crewmembers who had decorated large ostrich eggs for Easter. Passengers were asked to vote on their favorites.

Jim went out for a walk in the morning, visiting some of the sights in this portion of Kowloon. Of course, not much was open for business this early on Sunday morning. He was looking for the large Chinese Arts & Crafts store where we bought a few things three years ago; unfortunately, it’s no longer there and was replaced by a gigantic bookstore. He did visit the Peninsula Hotel and the YMCA Hotel (where he bought a magnet to add to our collection), and then discovered a huge system of underground tunnels to avoid intersections and traffic. They eventually led to the Star Ferry Terminal, so it was easy to find his way back to the ship from there.

After lunch the two of us headed off the ship together and went directly into one of the largest shopping malls in Hong Kong, called Harbour City. Ocean Terminal, where we’re docked, is actually part of the shopping mall. The amazing thing is that Harbour City has a total of 700 stores, including large offerings from practically all upscale retail stores from everywhere around the world! Physically, the mall is very classy and attractive – multiple buildings and four levels all interconnected; everything is bright, cheerful, and very clean.

Interestingly, the portion of the mall closest to our ship has various corridors of stores in different specialties – one long section of very expensive watch stores, one section of very expensive children’s clothes stores, one section of sporting goods stores, one section of computers and electronics, etc. We were happy to find our favorite Belgian chocolate store – Leonidas – and bought a small box (100g) of their products. We covered as much of Harbour City as our feet could tolerate and then returned to the ship.

We know there are untold numbers of stores lining streets in the city in Hong Kong, as well as many megamalls, but we were happy to just explore the stores right here where we’re docked.

Hong Kong is a city of great contrasts – soaring skyscrapers, Asian traditions and tastes, part of China but still a Special Administrative Region with a strong capitalist economy, a deep water port – truly one of the crossroads of the world. In a few days, one can only scratch the surface, and we leave wishing we could have stayed longer. There’s so much to see and do.

We’re scheduled to depart from Hong Kong at 5:00 pm this evening and will head for Xiamen on the coast of southeast China. We should arrive there tomorrow morning at 11:00 am.

Jim & Ginny

March 25, 2016 – At Sea

The weather has changed considerably since leaving Hué two days ago. We headed north and anchored offshore at Hongai, Vietnam yesterday. Unfortunately, it never went above
63º F for a high temperature, and it was foggy/rainy all day. This was an abrupt change, but not totally unexpected. Before leaving home, Jim had noticed that the average temperatures for this time of year are 20º cooler in Hanoi than in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). For many people 63º in March may not seem cold, but this is by far the coldest it’s been for us since we left Honolulu nearly two months ago. In fact, we’ve been experiencing 90º F or higher every day for the past month on this cruise. Hongai is at 20º north latitude, and we’re going to be cruising generally in a northeasterly direction for the next month, so our hot weather is most likely all behind us.

There were only three shore excursions offered in Hongai – one was 11½ hours in length to Hanoi and back (7 hours on the bus); second was a Junk Boat ride to see the dramatic rock formations in Ha Long Bay (a UNESCO World Heritage Site); third choice was a visit to a Buddhist monastery. We chose the Ha Long Bay Junk Cruise, and there were two options – morning or afternoon. We were scheduled for the afternoon trip (1:30 pm). Unfortunately, it was pouring down rain at that time. In our judgement, it didn’t seem like it would be much fun to take that boat ride in the rain and wind. We probably wouldn’t be able to see much of the rock formations anyway; so we opted out of the tour. We hated to do that, but it seemed like the smart thing to do. Below is the best picture we could manage to get of what we could see from our balcony through the fog and rain.

Transferring passengers to the boats for the Junk Boat ride was an interesting operation. Of course, we weren’t docked; we were anchored in the bay. Below is a picture we took of how this was done for the morning tour. The passengers climbed down metal stairs off our ship, crossed a “platform” (which was actually a floating flat barge), and then climbed up small stairs onto the boats – all this done out on the open water.

There were actually two other ships out in the Bay with us – Silversea Silver Shadow and SuperStar Libra. We don’t know if they were transferring passengers this way in Hongai or not.

Instead of taking the tour, we worked on planning for the excursions we wanted to take on the next segment of the world cruise (Shanghai to Tokyo). Then we attended afternoon tea in the Palm Court and also were able to finally get back to playing one of the games we brought along with us – Yahtzee this time. We’ve been so busy lately that we hadn’t been able to play these games. Score right now is 16 – 12, but we won’t reveal who’s in the lead.

There was a very good classical piano concert in the Galaxy Lounge at 7:45 last evening – Naomi Edemariam from London. Of course, the passengers who had traveled to Hanoi missed both dinner and the concert. We understand there was a small buffet set up in the Bistro for them, if they were hungry when they got to the ship about 9:00 pm.

We departed Hongai soon after all the Hanoi travelers returned. The Captain revealed today, during his “Noon Update,” that there was a possibility we might not have been able to depart last night, as a cargo ship ran aground in the channel during one of yesterday’s storms and blocked the way in and out for everyone. The local authorities were able to get the cargo ship out of the way in time for us to leave at about 9:30 pm.

As we departed overnight, we transited the Gulf of Tonkin; now, as we’re writing this, the ship is passing through the Hainan Strait. A heavy storm hit us about 2:00 am, with winds Captain Vorland characterized as “horrendous” during his update today. It woke us up, but we went right back to sleep.

Today there was a full schedule of “day at sea” activities from which we could pick and choose. One unique thing to be scheduled was due to Hong Kong health officials’ requirement that all guests have their temperature taken before we enter Hong Kong. This apparently was because of their concern about avian flu. As a result, we had to go to the Stardust Club this afternoon to have a temperature screening. We chose to go at 2:45, after our piano class. Luckily we both passed muster and will be allowed off the ship in Hong Kong.

We’re not making much progress on the piano lessons, as we’re both still in the beginner’s class. There are about 15 Yamaha keyboard synthesizers available in the classroom, and normally about 10 people in class. Unfortunately, there are never any openings in the Intermediate Level classes into which we could progress. From what we understand, the Advanced classes are for very experienced players, so there’s a logjam at the Intermediate level. On the other hand, we believe that a classification of beginner is probably still the right one for both of us.

Captain Vorland invited us to his quarters for cocktails again this evening for a second visit, along with about 20 other passengers. Because he lives adjacent to the Navigation Bridge at the very front of the ship, there was a lot of rolling and tossing in rough seas this evening. Ginny sat down, to make sure she didn’t fall down (along with some other guests).

The six of us at our table decided to go up to Tastes for dinner this evening, instead of in the Dining Room. Tastes is a less formal venue (on the 12th deck), but it’s still very attractive. They offer tapas-style servings, meaning small portions of several different food types. There are about 15 offerings, and we normally choose four of them that we share between the two of us. Sometimes we’ve chosen five. With six of us at the table, the three couples ordered what we thought would be good and shared some of it with each other. Then, of course, they have excellent desserts as well. Jim had Bananas Foster and Ginny had Chocolate Crème brûlée (with toasted marshmallow fluff).

Tomorrow morning’s docking time in Hong Kong has changed from 8:00 am to be 9:15, at the request of the local port authorities. That gives us more time to sleep. We’re looking forward to the 2-day visit.

Jim & Ginny

 

March 23, 2016 – Hué, Viet Nam

Hué is a city in central Vietnam that was the seat of Nguyen Dynasty emperors and the national capital from 1802-1945. However, most of us who were alive in 1968 will remember Hué as the location of one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War (called the American War by people in Vietnam). The city, and its historical sites, suffered great damage during the Tet Offensive at the hands of the Viet Cong, North Vietnamese Army, and subsequent American military bombing. It’s now nearly 50 years later, and we were interested to see if any reconstruction has taken place.

Crystal Serenity arrived at the port of Chan May (located about midway between Hué and Da Nang) at 7:00 am. Our travel agent had arranged a private tour for us here. We left the ship at 8:30, and our driver and guide were waiting for us. It was quite foggy and cool this morning, but it cleared up as the day went on.

It’s a 90-minute drive to Hué from Chan May, and our guide Hoan (pronounced as the Spanish name Juan) gave a running dialog of what we were seeing, as well as an introduction to Hué (pronounced Hway). It was a rural drive, with colorful sights to be seen – rice fields, Acacia trees, small villages, and a very large lagoon, which Hoan described as the biggest lagoon in Southeast Asia (54,000 acres of water surface).

Hué has a population of 400,000 (quite a change from Ho Chi Minh City’s 10 million) and it lies on both sides of the Perfume River. Hoan described Hué as “the capital of Buddhism in Vietnam.” At one time there were 400 Buddhist temples in Hué, but now there are only 200. There are also 10 universities in Hué, so there is a young vibe to the city.

Our first stop was to get out of our car and hop on for a cyclo ride. Cyclos are three-wheel bicycles where a passenger sits in a seat supported by the two front wheels, with a driver sitting behind, doing the pedaling.

We rode along in traffic, dodging cars and motorbikes for about 30 minutes in Hué. We crossed a bridge over the Perfume River, and then drove along the river for a while, on the way to the Citadel. We crossed a moat and through a gate in first wall of the Citadel. Inside that wall, and before the second wall, there are 50,000 people now living (many of them are descendants of the Ngyuen royal family, according to Hoan).

The Citadel was the center of the historic city and the exclusive residence of the royal family and its entourage. There are three walled enclosures, built concentrically around one another, containing the Imperial City and the Forbidden City – collectively known as the Citadel. This was the seat of power for 13 emperors between 1802 and 1945.

To get a feel for how big this complex is, the outer wall is nearly seven miles in circumference and stretches for three miles above the Perfume River. As we approached the gate leading into the Imperial City, we saw a huge Vietnamese flag atop a pole standing 121 feet high – tallest in the country.

A 23-foot tall wall and moat enclose a courtyard, where civil and religious ceremonies took place. Inside the Imperial City is the Forbidden Purple City where the royal family lived. Once through the gate into the Imperial City, there are many buildings, but directly in front of us was the Palace of Supreme Harmony (Thai Hoa Dien). 

The Palace of Supreme Harmony was built in 1803 and is a large hall with an ornate timber roof. It was used for the emperor’s official receptions, special events, and important ceremonies. On state occasions the emperor sat on an elevated throne. No photos are permitted inside. Hoan told us that the harmony part of the title refers to the harmony of Yin and Yang. Ginny decided to stay within the Imperial City, while Jim and Hoan proceeded into the Forbidden City.

During the time of the Nguyen Dynasty, only the emperor, the queen, nine separate ranks of concubines, female servants, and court eunuchs were allowed to enter the Forbidden Purple City Anyone else who dared enter was executed. Unfortunately, 80% of the Forbidden City, including the emperor’s home, was destroyed during the Vietnam War. Restoration is ongoing, but much more still needs to be done. This area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the UN is helping to fund some of the reconstruction.

Jim and Hoan did a lot of walking around within the Forbidden City (Ginny claimed they were gone for an hour). They passed by a vibrant red passageway outside the former home of the emperor, as well as the Royal Theater (built in 1825 and now open as a leading venue for traditional entertainment) and the Royal Library (1821) which was undamaged during the war.

Even with a lot of the buildings destroyed by war, we were still able to get a feeling for how beautiful and majestic this place once was.

After finishing our visit to the Citadel, we returned to our car and drove to the An Hien House, originally the residence of Emperor Tu Duc’s 18th daughter. As we understand it, Tu Duc was the last Nguyen emperor to rule with complete independence from the French. The house was not large, but Hoan said that it was a good example of a former aristocrat’s home, with a shrine to Buddha at the entryway, followed by a shrine to the family’s ancestors. We placed lighted incense sticks at both small shrines and then visited the home’s garden, which is mostly trees indigenous to the area.

This was followed by the nearby Heavenly Lady Pagoda, which is a symbol of the city of Hué. The site is dominated by a 7-story octagonal tower (Hué’s oldest pagoda), perched high on a hill above the river. Also interesting was a marble turtle (symbol for long life) and a very large bronze bell from 1710 (weight of 4,409 pounds) which can be heard from six miles away when rung.

Last, but not least, was the Tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh, who ruled from 1916 - 1925. Construction of this flamboyant tomb took 11 years, and he died at the age of 41, before the tomb was completed in 1931. Khai Dinh was widely seen as a puppet of the French, and he was not well-liked; even less so, because the tomb was built with money from a 30% tax increase forced on the people. He was the last emperor to be buried in a royal tomb in Hué, and it’s a real standout for a lot of reasons.

The tomb was built into the side of a hill and it rises steeply through three levels. There were about 150 steps to climb to reach the top level, so Ginny decided not to attempt that. Jim and Hoan easily made it and enjoyed the exercise. The first level is a courtyard where there are stone statues of mandarin honor guards and an elephant.

Up three more flights of stairs is the remarkable main building. The walls and ceiling are totally decorated with mosaics and porcelain decorations. The mosaics were constructed using fine china, ceramics, beer bottles, etc., which were broken into pieces. Under a gold-speckled canopy is a gilt bronze bust of Khai Dinh which was cast in Marseille in 1922. His remains are interred 60 feet below the statue.

This was a very good excursion to Hué – well worth the three hours riding round-trip from Chan May.

Jim & Ginny

March 21, 2016 – Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam

We arrived in the port for Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, on Saturday morning March 19, for a 3-day visit. Our plan was to do all our sightseeing in the first two days and then relax on board ship the third day. That plan worked out well for us, and we think we got a good feel for this rapidly growing city in the southern part of the nation of Vietnam.

We read that the population of Saigon was one million in 1975 when the war ended. Now, 40 years later, the total population of the city is close to 10 million. Here’s an important fact: Over two-thirds of the population was born after 1975 and have no memory of the war. We were told that 80 percent of Vietnamese students have no interest in history, including the wars against the French and the Americans in the 20th century. They’re much more interested in building for the future.

Our tour guides (both days) told us that when the communists took over South Vietnam back in 1975 Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City, and the reunited country was formally re-named as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Its capital city remained in Hanoi. Over the ensuing 10 years, the government and people faced severe economic challenges and hardships. By the mid-1980s, production shortfalls and famine made it obvious that the socialist system was failing. In 1986 the government relaxed its economic grip, allowing for free-market development. Politically, Vietnam is still firmly a one-party socialist state, but its economic policies have become increasingly capitalist and market-oriented. Then in 1995 the United States restored diplomatic relations with Vietnam.

The country now has a fast-growing capitalist economy. Ho Chi Minh City is the booming economic center of Vietnam, while Hanoi is the political and administrative center.

We were told that, with the additional changes in policies made in the past several years, there’s been a growing wave of foreign investment and property speculation in Ho Chi Minh City that is altering the face of the city. This is not just in the downtown area, as we saw construction cranes building new satellite cities (residential apartments/condos, shopping malls, and office towers) across the Saigon River from the current downtown where just a few years ago there was nothing but swampland.

The tour guides were especially proud that the riverfront on the city side had already been cleaned up and replaced with new parks. We understood that new tunnels under the river have also been installed.

Ho Chi Minh City – Day 1 (March 19, 2016)

The first day in Ho Chi Minh City we were lucky enough to have a particularly good local tour guide by the name of Phuc who led us on a private tour of the city in a very comfortable car. A second piece of good luck is that we visited on a Saturday and Sunday, when traffic is at its best. We were told that today’s 1-hour drive from Crystal Serenity’s docking location at the Saigon Premier Container Terminal to downtown (District 1) would be two hours during the workweek.

Even on the weekend, Ho Chi Minh traffic is hectic, with motorbikes everywhere. Phuc told us there are 7 million motorbikes registered in the city, and that is the best way to travel. Our tour guide on Sunday told us that even in his one family they have five motorbikes parked at home. In an effort to relieve traffic congestion, the city government is now building their first subway system which should be ready in the near future.

We did a lot of slow driving in the historical downtown district, which still has many remnants from the French colonial days – wide, tree-shaded boulevards, parks, statuary, and historic rococo French colonial buildings, including the Municipal Theatre (formerly known as the Saigon Opera House & opened in 1900), the City Post Office, Notre-Dame Cathedral opened in 1880), City Hall, and the Majestic and Continental Hotels. Two prominent structures in the city center that we passed by are the Reunification Hall (formerly the South Vietnam Presidential Palace, where the South Vietnamese officially turned over power to the North on April 30, 1975) and the former American Embassy (which is now the Consulate, as the American Embassy is now in Hanoi). Phuc carried on an excellent running dialog on the past and recent uses for these buildings.

We got out of the car and visited the interior of the City Post office, which was designed by Gustave Eiffel and constructed between 1861 and 1865 (three years before the Eiffel tower), where we admired the massive high-ceiling roof, took some pictures, and bought a magnet.

From here, there was a good view of the building where the famous photograph was taken of the last American helicopter evacuating Americans upon the fall of Saigon to the North Vietnamese in 1975.

We also drove by the nearby Rex and Caravelle hotels, which Phuc said were former hangouts for American officers, spies, and war correspondents during the war. Many of these older hotels with a history have now been expanded, modernized, and claim 5-star ratings.

There was something of a set itinerary, which Phuc was willing to modify based on our interests. Two changes that we asked for were to add visits to the Museum of Traditional Medicine and to a workshop for craft items. We told him we weren’t interested in visiting the local market, nor a stop for lunch.

The Museum of Vietnamese Traditional Medicine was a fascinating place both for their exhibits and for the facility itself. It is located in an ornate old home, with a ground floor and five upper floors that house 18 exhibition rooms. The rooms are arranged in a circular tour, using several staircases. First we watched a 15-minute English language movie titled "A Century of Health Care Experiences,” which detailed the history of the Vietnamese peoples use of traditional (non-Western) medicine. An English-speaking Vietnamese guide led Jim on the full tour of the building, while Ginny stayed on the ground floor and looked at all the herbal/medicinal teas and medicines for sale. The guide was friendly and knowledgeable about the museum. We saw many displays, including herbs and apothecary instruments. At the end of the tour there was a free ginger tea tasting, but we didn’t buy any of the products.

This was followed by a visit to a traditional Vietnamese lacquerware workshop. We were greatly surprised at the amount of time-consuming and labor-intensive work that goes into each piece they create. There are at least 20 stages they go through to create the lacquerware. There are three kinds of lacquerware: mother-of-pearl, eggshell, painting, or any combination of these three. We watched demonstrations of how these three artistic elements are applied to the wood, as well as the application, rubbing, and polishing of the lacquer. The work cycle is repeated many times – sometimes up to 15 lacquer layers or more – until the lacquerware becomes totally smooth and shiny. We did decide to purchase one of their pieces of artwork, a quite lovely small serving tray.

We also visited a very interesting 19th-century Taoist temple dedicated to the goddess Thien Hau. The Taoists believe in “yin and yang” (balance in the world – light & dark, fire & water, etc.). Phuc explained that people in this temple believe that Thien Hau can save people in trouble on the high seas. On the main dais there are three figures of Thien Hau, and also one of the Goddess Long Mau, who is the protector of mothers and newborns. Two special features of the temple are the large coils of incense suspended overhead, in addition to the more typical incense sticks, and the ceramic friezes above the roof line of the interior courtyard. The coils of incense last for several days, while the sticks burn through in a matter of hours.

We then returned to the ship, after a full five hours in the city (including travel to and from the port). Our guide told us that, “Ho Chi Minh City is a magnet for young people, because the economy is so strong here.” Other significant things he told us: “Our highest accomplishment in Vietnam is education. There is a 95% literacy rate. Vietnam is now the second largest exporter of rice and coffee in the world, and the #1 exporter of cashew nuts and pepper (both black and white) in the world. The central city’s sidewalks and streets are swept twice per day, and the garbage is collected once per day. The tallest building in Ho Chi Minh City is 68-stories tall, but construction has started on a 90-story building. English is now the second language spoken in Vietnam (not French).”

Ho Chi Minh City – Day 2 (March 20, 2016)
Originally, the two of us signed up for different ship excursions for today – Ginny to the “Vietnamese Cooking Demonstration,” and Jim to the “Memories of War.” Ginny decided to cancel her tour, because her head cold was bad and she wanted to rest instead.

Jim’s excursion was eight hours long, primarily because it was a 2-hour drive each way between the port and the Cu Chi Tunnels, which was the highlight of the day. He didn’t think that many people would sign up for this tour, but there were two buses with 21 passengers on each bus. Once again, we had an excellent tour guide, by the name of Phu.

Leaving the port, we drove through historic downtown (District 1) and saw many of the same sites as yesterday – the original American Embassy (which had to be closed due to a Viet Cong commando attack), the new embassy (which is now the U.S. Consulate), Post Office, Reunification Hall, etc. We also passed by the front gate of Tan Son Nhut Air Base, MAC-V headquarters, the American Military Hospital, General Westmorland’s Residence, Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge’s Residence, and others too numerous to mention. We didn’t stop the bus to get out and visit any of these sites, although Phu did a good job of explaining what we were seeing and explaining the significance of each.

A quick review for those of you who may have forgotten the significance of the Cu Chi Tunnels – they are a network of interconnected underground tunnels about 150 miles in total length built by Cu Chi villagers in the 1940s to protect their families during the fight against the French and to allow for underground communication between villages. Construction was all done by hand, and some of the tunnels were 12 feet underground. As the Cu Chi region and its tunnels were only about 25 miles or so from Saigon (and only about 3 miles from a U.S. military base), Viet Cong guerrillas and local villagers repaired and expanded the tunnels to use in their fight against the Americans and the South Vietnamese Army in the 1960s. The tunnel systems were of great importance to the Viet Cong – a key part of their “hit and run” military strategy. They could surface for a surprise attack and then disappear again into the tunnels via heavily camouflaged secret entrances or hidden trapdoors.

When we arrived at the site, our bus parked and let us out. We walked through a lengthy pedestrian tunnel under the highway to the historical site. There are more than 100 acres in this historic site. Phu led us around the areas he thought would best illustrate the story, explaining to us what we were seeing. First we had to sit through a black & white propaganda film from the 1960s, which described why the Cu Chi villagers and Viet Cong wanted to stop American incursions into their area (in much stronger language than that).

We walked through fairly dense foliage to several exhibits. The first was a demonstration of fatal bamboo booby traps (called punji traps) where the Viet Cong would dig a hole and put sharpened bamboo sticks in the bottom and on two sides pointing upward and toward the center; then the hole would be covered with a small stick frame and leaves. An enemy soldier patrolling in this area would step on the thin top, which would collapse and the enemy soldier’s foot or leg would be speared by the punji sticks. He would be trapped in the hole. We saw several examples of different types of these traps.

A second exhibit was one of several thousand ventilation holes that were made to resemble termite mounds. At times, according to Phu, there were as many as 10,000 soldiers and villagers living underground in these tunnels. They needed air ventilation, water, food, and sewage systems to handle that many people. Because of the Americans’ use of Agent Orange and other defoliants, the local water supply was contaminated and wells had to be dug underground for clean water in the tunnels.

We were told that in the tunnels (underground) were living spaces, a command center, a hospital, kitchens, and small weapon labs (to manufacture land mines, for example). The kitchens were interesting, as smoke from cooking had to exit above ground some distance away from the tunnel location.

One of the local guides demonstrated the entrance to one of the trapdoor entrances, which was nothing more than a tiny covered square in the ground which he was able to squeeze into and then bring the camouflaged cover over his head (see pictures below).

We were invited to enter a tunnel entrance that had been enlarged for visitors, but only if we wanted to. About half of our group, including Jim, agreed to climb in. This tunnel is about 100 feet long, 3½ feet high, pitch black dark, and bends slightly. A guide went in first with a flashlight. But by the time Jim went in, the guide was way ahead of us and eventually crawled out at the other end. There was a moment of fear before Jim (crawling on his hands and knees) finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel. One of the people in our group panicked and turned around to go back, crashing into people coming in. She eventually made it out okay going back to the tunnel entrance. This was not really a fun experience, and we wouldn’t recommend it to anyone with even a slight problem with claustrophobia or with a fear of being alone in darkness.

We were told that dead-ends, booby traps, and trap doors were incorporated into the tunnels’ defenses in case enemy soldiers tried to explore into any of the entrances. We were also told that one of the tunnels went up to (and perhaps under) the nearby Saigon River. We were also told that there was a Viet Cong tunnel that started here at Cu Chi and went under the fence and onto the American military base at Dong Du.

We walked past exhibits of living areas, a hospital, and a kitchen (where the ground cover had been removed), as well as a captured American M-41 tank sitting next to a large crater caused by a bomb dropped by a B-52 bomber. Last was a shooting range where visitors could fire many types of weapons, including M-16 or AK-47 rifles. Cost for the rifle range was about $20 for 10 bullets. A few people from our group had a go at it, but Jim did not.

It was a hot, humid day, with a lot of walking. But we did gain an appreciation for what happened in this area during the 1965 - 1975 war. At the conclusion of the visit to Cu Chi, we went to a large nearby restaurant along the Saigon River and had a typical Vietnamese lunch and a local beer, which everyone seemed to enjoy.

For the return journey into Ho Chi Minh City, Phu continued to answer numerous questions from guests about life in Vietnam. He was consistently honest in his answers. To get to the port, the bus had to pass back through downtown. A few people got off the coach in town. Some of them wanted to wander around a little bit on foot or visit some of the many museums, while others elected to stay and eat dinner in one of many very good restaurants in downtown. There was a shuttle running every 30 minutes between the Continental Hotel and the passenger terminal all three days we were here.

As an aside, we noticed many signs in the city still say Saigon instead of Ho Chi Minh City. We heard several explanations. One is that Saigon has been the city’s name for a long time, and the older people like that name. One of our tour guides said that older people prefer Saigon and the younger people use Ho Chi Minh City. However, on official documents (including mailing addresses), Ho Chi Minh City is required.

Summary: We had a great visit to Ho Chi Minh City – the economic center of Vietnam. There is a rapidly growing population, and there seems to be a strong desire for prosperity and growth. Things didn’t look as prosperous in the countryside that we visited on Sunday. That might be why so many people (including lots of young people) are moving into the city. If you ever want to come and visit here, don’t be afraid – it’s a safe city, people are friendly, and they’re very welcoming to tourists; but do it soon. If the city continues to grow and expand at the rate it has been doing over the past decade, it may end up looking like Singapore within 10 years.

Saturday night (March 19), a local dance team came on board Serenity to do a Vietnam Cultural Show. It was very colorful and lots of fun, with music, dance, musical instruments, and costumes from north, central, and south Vietnam.

The previous night (Friday, March 18), Crystal’s World Cruise entertainment team and orchestra put on a spectacular show, titled Lord of the Dance. The creator and artistic director of the show was Dmitri Ilukhin, the lead dancer on board ship. There were 25 performers on stage, and it was non-stop Irish dancing, fiddle playing, and singing – a ton of talent on stage having great fun. So far, there’s been one of these “home grown” shows – developed, written, and produced totally on board ship – and they’ve all been great. We think this was the best one so far. Dmitri is a unique talent and has been on Serenity dancing for 11 years.

We have two more port stops scheduled in Vietnam on Wednesday and Thursday (March 23 & 24).

Jim & Ginny