There was a bidet sprayer handle in the bathroom.
But it was very strong and I sprayed water all around the toilet.
I'm always scared I'll forget the room key in hotels that require you to put them in a slot for power, so I put the key card holder on the handle as a reminder.
A small dining area.
With a piano.
Nice tiles.
We left a bit before 6am. People were just starting to get ready for the day.
Many of the outdoor restaurants wash their dishes with hoses right there. I wonder if they use soap and how sanitary it is?
We went to the Puku Cafe and Sports Bar, which was only a few blocks from our hotel.
To watch the Seahawks vs 49ers game.
Unfortunately the only other person in the place was already watching the Chiefs vs Bills game, and there was only one TV.
But we got some breakfast and chatted with him a bit. He's an emergency room physician who was traveling around Vietnam for three weeks.
US basketball mural.
Walking back to our hotel. This place had some Christmas decorations.
Claw games.
The hotel had a buffet.
Meats.
Fruits.
Other food.
Desserts.
We grabbed a bit to eat here and tried the blue butterfly pea flower tea.
A multi-story building next door.
Then we were picked up by the bus. The driver isn't supposed to park in front of the hotel, but our tour guide explained he had a bunch of tourists and it was too hazardous for all of us to cross the road if the bus parked elsewhere, so that seemed OK to the traffic police.
The lights have countdown timers.
But it seems many people go anyway.
On her phone waiting at the light.
Grab is a multi-use app for ride shares, food delivery, and digital payment services. It's all over the place here.
Traffic.
There are kind of lanes.
Playing badminton on a net put up across the sidewalk.
Our first stop was the Temple of Literature.
It was originally built as a temple to Confucius.
This woman out front was selling fans.
A sculpture.
Made of multiple sections in different planes.
A courtyard surrounding a pool.
A fish.
A huge tree.
Above a small gate.
A second courtyard around a pool.
A third courtyard.
With more sculptures.
Vendors in the corner.
Central hall.
A large drum.
There is a popular story about a crane who was exhausted from flying during a flood when a tortoise offered his back for the bird to rest on, saving his life.
On the side.
There was a musical performance in the courtyard.
Huge drum to the side.
Ogii bought a fan.
Cleaning up garbage.
Our second stop was the Ho Chi Minh Complex.
A guard and a large saying.
Google Translate is helpful.
Ho Chi Minh's body is preserved in this Mausoleum. You can see it, but it's not open on Mondays.
Another saying.
Google Translate again.
Trees and rock sculptures.
Presidential Palace.
Three of Ho Chi Minh's cars: a Peugeot 404, a ZIS 115, and a Pobeda.
A house he lived in.
Dining room.
A lake.
A peacock.
Stilt House.
Politically, Vietnam is a socialist republic with a one-party system led by the Communist Party. Economically, the are a socialist-oriented market economy, a market economy where the state sector plays the decisive role in directing economic development, with the eventual long-term goal of developing socialism. Which means even here, there are many vendors.
Drinks.
Jewelry and shoes.
They use many of these very long, natural brooms.
Good thing we arrived early; the entrance line is very long now.
It wraps all the way down the block.
A trike with a ton of tables stacked on top.
Heading back to the port. A huge building complex being built.
Neat landmark.
Colorful fake trees.
Across a bridge.
With many cargo ships being loaded.
We stopped at a pearl farm.
Multiple beakers.
Many tanks.
A station.
Explaining the process.
One of the workers.
Implanting an irritant to be turned into a pearl.
They also sell pearls.
A little snack bar.
Some cats.
Eating.
Checking out the guests.
A huge housing project.
Even on the other side of the river.
A resort.
Back to our ship.
They have a daily crossword puzzle, a daily sudoku, and yesterday's Celebrity Today.
We missed this one because we stayed in Hanoi overnight.
Activites.
Other info.
Deals, although most aren't.
Activities by time.
Opening hours.
Lunch.
A variety of meats.
One last look at Ha Long.
Everybody out on the deck.
Watching a movie on the lawn.
Celebrity has a lot of one-person singers and musicians, but I prefer the multi-person acts, so we're going to skip this.
Ice bar.
Dinner in the main dining room.
Salmon for Ogii.
Creme brule.
Chocolate lava cake.
Tomorrow's Celebrity Today.
Activities.
Info.
Deals that aren't really deals.
Activities by time.
Opening times.