We left our Smithsonian tour and flew to Hanoi. We arrived at night and as our guide drove us to the hotel, we could see the bridge over the Red River lit up in colors. The next morning Hue, our guide, took us to Den Quan Thanh Temple. It was built by a king in 1110. The big tree nearby is called a Buddha tree. The god in the temple was built in 1677. It weighs 4000 kg or over 8800 pounds! People leave wine, beer and food at the entrance.

We walked to the lake...it is called West Lake on one side and John McCain Lake on the other. We did not know how to feel about this. There is a stone with a memorial to the time that John McCain's plane crashed into the lake and he was captured. From there we went to Tran Quoc pagoda. Next we went to the Parliament building. Saw the Presidential Palace and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We watched the changing of the guard at the Hoh Chi Minh mausoleum.

We walked to One Pillar Pagoda. It was build in 1049 but the French destroyed it and it was later rebuilt in the shape of a Lotus Blossom. From there we went to a lacquer shop where we learned how lacquer art is made. There are nine layers of lacquer. Duck egg shells and mother of pearl shells are used in the artwork. The lacquer comes from a tree and is extracted like rubber.

After lunch we walked to the Temple of Literature. A university was built here in 1170. Now it is only a temple to worship Confucius. Later we went to a Water Puppet show which was delightful. Puppeteers are in back of a screen and manipulate the puppets in water. There are also live musicians and singers. In the evening Hue took us on a walk around the streets. There are stores of every kind...one sells buttons, one sells cloth, one sells food, etc.

We left Hanoi and our driver took us to Halong Bay. We boarded the V' Spirit Premier which has 25 rooms. We were pleasantly surprised by the amenities. In the bay the scenery changes to tall rock formations with trees and plants. Later we took an excursion to Bright Cave in small row boats.

The next day we went on a tender boat to a small dock where some people took kayaks out. It was very cold and windy. Later we had a cooking demonstration. Our cruise on Halong Bay was one of the highlights of the trip.

After our cruise our driver took us through the city of Haiphong on our way to the Hanoi airport. We watched some farmers getting water from a creek in watering cans and then watering the crops. We took pics of an unusual bridge which had just been completed. You drive up three levels before you get on the bridge.

We flew from Hanoi to Danang and a driver and guide took us to Hoian. The next day we started on an Eco tour of the farm land, and I got to ride on a water buffalo! John was not feeling well at all. We took him back to the hotel and later I joined our guide who took me to a nice couple's home for lunch. The owner had built a beautiful patio area under the house made of coconut wood and bamboo. After lunch the guide took me to the round fishing boats. That was a fun experience and I was sorry John had to miss it. Later that day, my guide took me on a tour of the town. We went to the Chinese Assembly Hall and Japanese Bridge.

The next day we flew to Hoh Chi Minh City (Saigon). We went to the War Remnants Museum. Hoh Chi Minh is revered by the Vietnamese peope. We looked at the Reunification Palace. We saw a small church that the French had built called little Notre Dame. We went to the old Post Office which was designed like a railway station. While John napped at the hotel I walked to the Saigon River. On my way back motorbikes surrrounded me on the sidewalk. It was kind of scary.

The next day our guide and driver took us to Ben Tre Province in the Mekong Delta. Our first stop was an old brick factory with kilns in a conical shape. We cruised down the river. Ben Tre is considered the bread basket of Vietnam. We stopped at a coconut shop where we saw how the coconuts are husked. Then we got on a motorized rickshaw to go to the village for lunch. Fish wraps were made from a baked fish and everything was delicious. Then we got on a sampan and went down some smaller canals. After the cruise our driver took us to the amazing Vinh Trang Pagoda. There was a huge smiling Buddha and a reclining Buddha.

The next day we walked to the city market and had lunch at the Journeys Sandwich Bistro. Later we were taken to the airport for our journey home.