Vietnam

“N” is for Na Trang (Vietnam)

Posted on by Debbie

Sometimes our ABC game just doesn’t line up in alphabetical order, such was the case with our time spent in Na Trang, Vietnam.  Today’s activity actually took place on March 30, 2026, a couple of days before Halong Bay. Today was a welcome late start.  We would be on tour from 9:45-3:15pm.  One of our shorter adventures.

We ported at Cham Ran, which is a military base.  As we disembarked, we were repeatedly warned that no photos were to be taken, until outside of the military zone.  We would be under constant surveillance until we were off the base, which ran for about 20 miles through some of the most pristine waterfront and beautiful forest that I have ever seen.  I would say that the military here enjoys some pretty fine accommodations along the pure white sand beaches!  These photos were taken just beyond the base.

Once outside the base, we entertained ourselves along the one and a half hour journey to Na Trang by simply observing outside the bus window.  I will be eternally fascinated with the motorbikes of Vietnam.  On this day we saw an entire family, including a child eating ice cream and carrying the pet dog, on one bike.  We also saw fascinating architecture and beach front sculptures.  I was intrigued to learn that the beaches are mostly used by tourists.

The highlight of this excursion was going to be the Po Nager Cham Towers. The word Ponagar  means “the mother of the country”.   Perched on a steep hill, overlooking the Cai River, the Ponager  Cham Towers are a 1,000 year old Hindu complex, which were built to worship the Queen Po Ina Nagar.  According to the Cam people, she was the” goddess of creation, coming out of the clouds and sea foam to give them bountiful harvest, as well as a peaceful life”.  Surrounded by mountains, rivers and natural beauty, one can understand why the towers were built here.  Originally there were more towers but only 4 remain today.  In 1979, Ponagar Tower was classified as a national monument. This has now become a popular tourist destination.

I had been so excited to see this stunning architecture but as luck would have it, fate had different plans for me.   As I took my final step at the top of the steep entrance, I fell backwards (flipped actually) down the stairway leading to the towers.  There were so many people on the stairs, we will never know if I missed my footing, or if I was knocked backwards. Thankfully Alan was quick on his feet and ran below me to catch me, preventing a much more serious injury than the fractured foot and sprained knee ligament that I incurred.  We still had a full day of touring ahead of us and not wanting to go to a foreign hospital, I carried on until I could go to the onboard medical facility, upon our return to the ship (about 4 hours later). I managed to hobble my way through the Cham Towers, but unable to bear much weight, the knee and ankle soon began to swell and hinder my ability to move very far.

The temple at the tower was filled with flowers, fruit and incense.  Due to its small enclosed space, the scents were overwhelming to many of the visitors. I was fascinated by all the details in this architectural masterpiece. The temple’s central image is a 1.2m tall stone statue of the goddess Yan Po Nagar sitting cross-legged, dressed only in a skirt, with ten hands holding various symbolic items.  No photography of the deity was allowed.

 

Following our visit to the towers, we went to the Hon Chong Promontory.  This is a unique rock formation of stacked rocks which jut out into the harbor.   There are two clusters of rocks.  One is called Hon Chong which means husband in Vietnamese, the other is called Hon Vo, meaning wife.  I was unable to venture to the rocks, so  Alan volunteered to go ahead, to see if he could locate the giant five-fingered hand print embedded on a boulder.   According to a folktale that has been passed down for generations, a giant man was fishing here, when a giant fish swallowed him and pulled him away.  The man tried to pull himself back to shore, while tightly holding a fishing-rod in one hand and pressing the other hand against the boulder, which left the imprint we see today.   Alan was unable to get down to the handprint in the time allotted but enjoyed visiting the promontory.  In the meantime, I was gently exploring the waterfront building leading to the rocks.  There was a group playing traditional Vietnamese instruments and I was quite content to sit and listen to them as I watched the koi in a nearby pond and simply enjoyed  the flowers which seemed to surround this area.  Alan wasn’t willing to leave me alone for very long so he soon rejoined me.

By now, we were already halfway through our day.  Lunch was next.  Considered a hidden gem, we arrived at the Lang Nghe Truong Son Cultural Village. First we experienced a massive Vietnamese buffet, with every kind of unique food available.  I especially enjoyed the stuffed pancakes.  We moved from the buffet through a courtyard filled with interesting animal sculptures and peaceful gardens  into the craft village.  Visitors to the Craft Village can see the artisans weaving mats, making hats and knitting nets.  We also observed artisans making sand paintings and carving gourds.

 

Our next stop of the day was the Dam Market.  By now my ankle had swollen considerably.  I did not feel like bumping into people or getting stepped on in a crowded space, so Alan and I opted to sit outside and enjoy a refreshing drink from a local vendor.  Knowing I was heading to medical as soon as we arrived back, I used the time to fill out an incident report.  The tour guide wasn’t very happy that I had fallen.

Our final stop was the Long Son Pagoda. Owning several Guinness World Records and considered as the largest pagoda in Nha Trang, Long Son Pagoda is worth visiting once in a lifetime. The huge white Buddha towers over the city of Na Trang and is visible from quite a ways away.  This was another impressive highlight which I was going to have to sit out, as it required conquering 193 steps to the top of the hill.  The temple itself was built in 1886 and has seen many wars that left a mark on it. The temple is now the center of the Vietnam Buddhist Studies Foundation, where many monks study in its premises. Alongside the sitting Buddha statue on the hill, the temple grounds also house the reclining Buddha, also known as the “sleeping Buddha.”  I am so grateful to Alan for completing the mission, just so I could enjoy the photos.

From here, we headed back to the ship.  The hour and a half drive passed quickly.  Upon returning to the ship, I immediately hobbled my way to the medical bay on the 4th deck, where I spent the next hour being x-rayed and prodded, confirming that I had a fracture of the foot and a badly sprained knee.  The knee was immobilized and a compression sock was placed on my foot. I left the medical bay in a wheelchair with strict orders to stay off my foot/knee and pack it in ice for at least the next 24 hours.  Thank goodness we had a sea day the next day.

Health Update:  This injury would prove to be more serious than originally thought.  I had actually fractured my foot in two places, including the talus bone, one of the hardest bones to break in the body.  Upon returning home from this travel adventure, I was immediately placed in a walking cast for over 6 weeks.  This was followed by months of physical therapy 3 times a week.  Due to the complex tears in the ligaments and tendons and my connective tissue disease, I was warned it will take over a year to recover from this injury.

My advice?  Travel everywhere but don’t roll down stairs and always carry travelers insurance!

 

“M” is for Magical-Halong Bay (Vietnam)

Posted on by Debbie

We fell in love with the idea of cruising Halong Bay, when our friend Sherri, cruised there last year.  The otherworldly scenery, of limestone pillars rising out of the waters in the South China Sea,  had called our name ever since.  This area is also dedicated as a UNESCO site.  Truth be told, much of this cruise had been selected for the itinerary, which would give us 2 full days to explore this region.

The name Ha’ long means “descending dragon.” Legend says, the dragons were sent there by gods to protect Vietnam from invaders.  The dragons spit jades and jewels to the sea which later turned into the islets and islands.  These 1600 islands created a protective wall to shield against enemies.

With 600 boats registered to explore the area, choosing the right tour for yourself is really important. It can be very busy but knowing where the boats go, there are still quiet places waiting to be discovered.  Almost every trip offered will include a tour of the islands, a cave tour and sometimes kayaking, with a stop at a pearl farm or floating village.

Yesterday we had been meant to sail through the area on a traditional junk boat.  A naturalist would be on board to describe the conservation process which is being done to save the stunning karsts (islands) rising out of the water and  the work they are doing to regulate the massive surge in tourism to the area. The limited amount of port time would only allow us the chance to explore on our own for a day, which is plenty really.  We were going to be visiting zone 4, which is one of the most unspoiled areas. This area is usually reserved only for the very wealthy or for tour boats on a 2 or 3 day cruise.  When our cruise line suddenly changed the excursion time of the water puppet show, by a 4 hour difference, we thought we might have to eliminate the cruise around the islands.  All was not lost, we just detoured and found a shorter excursion and were still able to do both activities, during the time we were in port.  It just meant a little less time around the islands and we only made it to zone 2,  My Dr. had wanted me to cancel the entire day and rest a little longer.  I decided if I could get on the tour boat, I would prop my foot up and enjoy the ride.  Our cruise ship would remain in port overnight and depart at 7a.m. the next morning.  This had allowed us to take in the water puppet show during the evening.

Most of the Halong Bay tours include a tour to a cave.  Some offer time kayaking and may visit an oyster farm or floating village.  Because we were on the shortened version of the trip, our excursion would only include the island tour and cave tour.

Alan would have to explore the cave on his own.  I was so proud of him for continuing to complete the tours even when I couldn’t.

The next morning we set off at 7am and began to slowly work our way through the islands and eventually sail out to sea. This is called  “scenic cruising” and when we are lucky enough to have it on an itinerary, it can be some of the most spectacular scenery of the entire trip.  Our second day in the area of Halong Bay did not disappoint.  There were many interesting sites to discover along the way. Many of the islands have names such as chicken rock and whale rock.

Even though we had seen a lot yesterday, I woke early to watch the sunrise before we set off, unfortunately it was another cloudy day.  As we moved out to sea, we had an entirely different perspective than we had, had the day before.  There were many interesting things happening in the bay.  I was fascinated with the logging and fishing boats.  There was a sort of market out here as people sold their produce directly from their boats.  It was a slow day for us,  as we passed the time on our balcony, watching the world go by.  We simply let nature work its magic.  In this place, at this moment, there are no politics, there are no worries.  On this 50 square foot space of our balcony, we can pretend we are alone, as we quietly move further away from the populated areas, watching the unspoiled beauty of the placid waters and vegetation covered karsts, as we sailed out to sea.  This is the reason we always book a balcony cabin.  We are so grateful to be here, to experience the magical beauty of this amazing place.

“L” is for Local Culture-Water Puppets (Vietnam)

Posted on by Debbie

 

Vietnam has been such an interesting country so far.  When we plan our trips, we start out with a huge wish list of ideas and Vietnam had been no exception.  Due to time constraints, our list had quickly whittled down to the most important must see/do activities, in what limited time we would have in each of our 4 ports.   The hours are even more precious while on a cruise, because it may be difficult to reach inland cities and return to the ship in a timely manner.

While puppetry exists in many countries around the world, water puppetry is exclusively found in Vietnam. Experiencing the 1000 year old art was very high on our “bucket list” but there are only a six professional puppetry troops, which still perform the ancient art.   We had found shows in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi which were 1 ½ and 2 hours away from our ports respectively.  Imagine my excitement when I realized that there was an excursion being offered, while we were in port at Halong Bay and it was only ½ hour away!  A single opportunity to catch this very unique art.

Water  puppetry emerged in the 10th century, during the Le dynasty. Villagers in the Red River delta and other rice-growing regions of northern Vietnam, staged water puppet performances; to celebrate the end of the rice harvest, at religious festivals, or simply for entertainment.  Today, the water puppet show is a small window into Vietnam’s culture, offering a glimpse into the traditional way of living.  As we took our seats in the specialized theater,  vocalists entered from the left, while instrumentalists came from the right.  The puppeteers stood behind a screen. The stage was a 3 foot deep, man made pond, in front of the screen, representing the rice paddy field.

The stories portrayed reflect everyday moments of local people, including farming, fishing, and celebrating festivals. Value messages are conveyed through the wooden puppets about family, working together peacefully, honoring nature, and preserving traditional ways.  All stories are told in Vietnamese but it is not difficult to figure out what the scene is about.

There are three ways to control the puppets. The smaller ones are attached to bamboo poles, rods, and strings which the artists tug at to move them around. The bigger puppets can weigh as much as 35 pounds each.  With the larger puppets, the upper part of the puppets, or the body represents the character, while the base is attached to the underwater machines, The strings and machines are hidden by the water, which is why the water is usually a dark murky green. Complicated puppets like the dragon usually require a combination of both machines and manual techniques.

Our show was about 50 minutes long and included 8 short stories. By the time we came to the end of the performance, we felt that we had been fully immersed in Vietnamese folklore, music and language.  This was a wonderful cultural experience.