Vietnam Itinerary thus far

We have not been able to access the internet for a few days, due to the overnight boat trip on Halong Bay (wow) and the overnight train trip from Hanoi to Hue (definitely an adventure, but maybe once is good enough...). June 26, Monday, we met in Hanoi, and the drove to Halong Bay on June 27. On the way, we stopped at a rest stop that was a workshop and showroom for artisan work created by the disabled. Everywhere we looked on the road to/from Halong Bay, there were construction projects, but no one was working on them. The rice plants were in place and growing, and most of the work was being done by hand. This contrasts with the fact that a large number of people have smart phones and tablets, and use them all the time.
We had an afternoon and morning on the boat. Some of the group went kayaking with our guide. Some enjoyed the scenery. We all went to the beach later in the afternoon, and a number of us braved the steep climb to the top of a hill where there was a great view of the bay. Then there was dinner on the boat, and watching the sun set from the deck on the roof.
June 28 we drove back to Hanoi in the afternoon after exploring the Suprise Cave in the morning. A train ride overnight to Hue was quite the experience. Each compartment on the train held four bunks (upper and lower), a tiny table, and just enough room in between for two people to stand back to back. It was a juggling act to get four adults into bed in each compartment. For some, the rocking of the train put them right to sleep. For others, the rocking, rolling, jerking, and jumping of the train kept them up for hours (not to mention the hard bed--clean but hard). Almost everyone was up around 5:00 a.m., either because they were well rested or because they couldn't stand it any longer!
Thuy, our guide, got us into our Asia Hotel at Hue right after we arrived in Hue. We had a huge buffet breakfast there, and then were able to check into our rooms. SHOWERS!!! Change of Clothes! Afternoon was spent on a bus tour to important historic sites such as Tien Mu pagoda (the entire complex is called a pagoda here), Royal Tombs along the Perfume River, and the Imperial Citadel which still bears bullet marks from the Vietnam War. One major impression thus far is that the historic sites are not being kept up well at all. There is some effort at restoration, but overall some amazing sites are just crumbling. More money seems to be put into memorials for the dead from the Vietnam War, the battles with the French, Chinese, and Japanese in the 19th and 20th centuries. An optional tour in Hue consisted of a group motorbike ride, which about 11 of us elected to do. It is impossible for photos or video to really convey the sensation of riding on a motorbike through the masses of traffic on the roads, over the changes in pavement in the villages, and up and down trails to/from the bunkers from the wars. Our drivers were amazingly skilled, and we all felt safe but it took your breath away to barely miss little old ladies, cows (lots of cows), other motorcycles, and the big truck with the pigs, etc. etc.
From Hue, we journeyed yesterday to Hoi An via Danang by bus, which was a spectacular drive up into the mountains with the ocean to our left. Hoi An was not bombed during the Vietnam War, and thus has a great number of preserved houses dating back several centuries. The city, like Danang, is also much cleaner than what we have seen to present. Flowers and lanterns abound in the old quarter, which features merchant houses from days gone by. This is also a shopping Mecca, as the city is focused on tourism. So there are many shops and resorts. Completely different feeling from Hanoi (or at least the areas that we saw in Hanoi). That's all for today--except to say again that the food is great and people are gracious and kind.