Thursday, Oct 27 - Halong Bay - Hanoi

We set the alarm for very early to try to get some good photos of the sunrise.  

And then went back to bed.  After breakfast there was more cruising around the very picturesque bay...

followed by a tender ride to Ti Top Island.  The island had a small beach.  

But the main attraction of the island was the climb up 426 steps to the top for great views of the bay and Halong city.

---------------------------------------
More photos of Halong Bay
---------------------------------------

We were back to shore by 11:00…we didn’t get to spend nearly enough time on the bay.  We may have to come back.

Then it was the long drive back to Hanoi.  On the way we stopped at the home of Tom’s, our guide, uncle.  The uncle wasn’t home but a cousin was.  It turns out that Tom’s uncle (and many others in the area) makes a lot of money each year by raising snakes.  Cobra’s to be exact.  Tara and Mary L immediately headed back to the bus.  We took the tour of the operation.  The building was filled wall to wall with a large concrete structure about a foot and a half high.  

The entire structure consisted of cubical boxes with heavy concrete lids and air holes covered with wire mesh.    Each contained a snake. 

The snakes are raised for venom used to make anti-venom, plus 11 tons of snakes are shipped each year from Vietnam to China where most are used for food or are put into bottles of alcohol to make potent spirits (supposedly to make men more potent).  In addition, the shed skins are sold to herbalists and natural medicines practitioners as a medicine.

We also saw the snake “nursery” with lots of little snakes.  The cousin said he had been bitten 7 or 8 times.  When that happens he takes a folk remedy that slows the action of the venom and that buys him time to make it into Hanoi for treatment.  What a job!  Think we’ll pass.  But it was very interesting.

On the drive back to Hanoi we saw the usual interesting loads on the motorcycles.  In these pictures it was ducks going to market and a ladder.  They seem to carry everything on motorcycles.

When we arrived back in Hanoi we all boarded a “cyclo” ride…think wheelchair with a bicycle attached to the back.  Sort of like the pedicabs we road in China only reversed.  

The ride took us along West Lake, through a district with lots of high end designer shops and through the old quarter.  And of course there was the vibrant city scenes with lots of small shops selling all types of wares... 

as well as general sights to see.

There were tons of people out on motorcycles and scooters plus cars, buses and motorcycles.  Driving in the city is not for the faint of heart. 

-------------------------------------------------------
Watch a ride through an intersection
-------------------------------------------------------

The ride ended at our hotel where we checked in, freshened up and then walked across the street for dinner.