Another early morning start today to watch the sunrise over Lan Ha bay…

….and then Tai Chi before our Chai Tea.

I seem to have become one of those old people who do their morning exercise in US shopping malls. What’s happened to me?

The boat trip was so serene and relaxing that we were really sad to leave. I feel like we should’ve done it at the end of the trip, rather than the beginning as we’ve now got to get revved-up again into full tourist mode. 

The whole crew waved us off the boat as they had done each time we arrived or departed which was a nice touch. It may have been them saying ‘Get off our boat imperialist dogs’ but, if it was, they are very good actors as each and every one was lovely, helpful and believably sincere. I’m still prodding though.

Brigitte loves a ‘treatment’, so her being in Vietnam is like the proverbial child in a sweetshop. She’s already had so many massages that she is suffering from erosion.

The number M7 in todays blog post heading is a new statistic, our massage count. Brigitte is contesting the number as, apparently, one was a ‘polish’. I haven’t asked and I don’t want to know. 

Fortunately, her internet withdrawal symptoms seem to be subsiding now that her phone has reconnected and grandchild trivia is now back on full stream. Apparently one had cereal for breakfast. 

We ordered a Pho for lunch en route which is a staple Vietnamese soup dish of broth and noodles. When it arrived we didn’t know whether to drink it or paddle in it!

However, the clue was there right on the bowl all along..

It’s a slow news day today as all we have done is disembarked, had a three-hour drive back to Hanoi before catching a plane to Hue (pronounced Hoo-way) so not much to regale you with.  

By way of apology, please accept some more photographs of plate art….

……and a fruit quiz…,,

See you in Hue.

In a car. Somewhere. I honestly don’t know where.

16th November 2024,