Day 13.

After another night of being rocked to sleep, Celebrity Solstice arrived into Halong Bay.One of the benefits of our Concierge cabin on the ship we were invited to view our arrival into the bay from the Helipad at the bow of the ship. We were greeted by a staff member who took us through one of those mystery doors where we climbed out onto the bow, Champagne and blankets were handed out because it was cold and windy. The views of this unique bay were exquisite. We loved this special experience.
The que to exit the ship was miles long. Finally we quickly found our guide and headed to Hanoi. The 2.5 hour ride was mosly highway. The houses seemed larger and behind farmland. and rice paddies.Due to our late departure we had to narrow down our itinerary.
Arriving into the city of Hanoi, the traffic was heavy and chaotic. Drivers must be on high alert at all times. Lane changes and merging are like watching synchronized swimming. The buildings often have a business on the ground level with several flors above. Mult-generational families share one house.
Temple of Literature was originally built in 1070 as a temple to Confucius and served as the Imperial University for 700 years.This temple is the symbol for Vietnamese tradition and culture.
A cyclo ride through The Franch inspired "Old Quarter" was quite the experience. The drived behind us peddled as we observed the Vietnamese culture. Traffic has heavy and drivers were crazy. There were many stores some modern buildings with familiar designer names, other streets were lined with open front stores with specific items; shoes, hardware,clothes, baby items,candy,Chinese New Year decorations and street food. We laughed and laughed.
Crossing the street was another adventure. Our guide told us to be sticky rice and follow him. 4+ lanes of traffic were coming at us and he just kept on walking. They didn't stop but thankfully missed us.
We became sticky rice agin to cross the intersection to Hoan Kiem.The legend of “the lake of the returned sword” tells the story of Emperor Le Loi and a divine turtle in the 15th century. There is a beautiful temple and beautiful views of the lake.We were tired, hungry, cold and cranky by then.
There was an unexpexcted change in venue to watch the traditional water puppet show, To our surprise we were climbing into another cyclo to get to the theatre. The Water Puppet show told an ancient Vietnamese tale. The tale was told by live singers and musicians along with the puppets. We were able to identify the story being told was the same legend. Although we could not understand the singers, there was a screen with an English description. Talented puppeteers stood in the water to maniplate the puppets. Such a fun and unique experience.
Dinner was served in a local restaurant. We were seated near the door that opened often, which made it cold. Everything was tasty but not plentiful. Not our favorite meal. I realized that I prefer Southern Vietnamese food.
The late night drive back to the ship was uneventful. A glass of wine was waiting for us.