I didn’t really understand why we were stopping in Ha Long Bay until we got there. “Oh, it’s THAT place.” You would have seen it in many movies and such, with it’s distinctive Karst rock formations surrounded by the sea.

There was a bit of weather the day before, so the temperature dropped by about 20 degrees F (7 deg C), and the clouds have lowered. Which suited me fine as I decided it had been too many days since I climbed hundreds of steps.

An hour bus ride from our dock was the Truc Lam Gian Tam Zen Buddhism monastery. Like many of the places I’ve visited recently, it is not any kind of historic site. The initial buildings here were completed on the hill side only in 2007. But they have a heck of a view.

The lower gates were well guarded.

I’m sure there is some metaphysical significance, but DAMN there are a lot of steps to get to Asian temples.

I enjoyed the architecture. The buildings looked traditional enough to pass muster but was made with modern techniques. For example, this supporting column is continuous concrete set in forms but with different dyes to make it appear separate.

Here the railing for the even-more-steps trail to the Buddha of the Hill are made to look bamboo and tree stumps – but are concrete. I’m not complaining as I was holding on to them for my life as I climbed up and down.

Note the commercial product offerings. I don’t know if certain cookie and bottled water companies officially sponsor this temple, but their stuff was all over the place. And flowers. The site had immaculately maintained grounds. I’m talking Disney World levels.

Even more amusement park then I knew. In addition to the Chinese lucky tassels (“liu su”), this tree has pink plastic flowers hot-glued onto the branches.

There are all sorts of ‘nature of religion’ commentary here that I will bypass. However, here is a Buddha statue that was destroyed in a typhoon years ago but replaced. There is text in the back (behind the flowers) saying “Donated by <names>”.

Here is an example of the many, Many, MANY sponsored benches.

Returning to sea level, somehow not rolling down 200+ steps, there was a last statue and another temple swastika. I’m starting to collect such images.

The next item on our tour’s itinerary was to “visit local village”. I was confused when we pulled over next to what was not in any way a classic, old-fashioned Vietnamese village. It looked like any run-down cinder block village across the world.

It made sense after we walked to the other side of the village and found the local tavern. The elderly couple offered us roast sweet potato and tea in the extended building next to their farm. Complete with livestock only a meter away.

The patriarch then brought out the home-grown honey wine, which had a very “mead” taste to hit. The cobra next to the wine container was more entertaining, so here you go.

This 80-year-old forced several shots of honey wine on me. It was plain he could drink me under the table even tho he was half my weight. In his house were many pictures of his family, includes letters of commendation from when he was NVA special forces in Saigon. And I’m leaving that right there.

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Ha Long Bay is our last port in Vietnam. We visited far more ports than the last time I visited SE Asia, but most I don’t need to go back to. Ha Long is the exception – I wouldn’t mind taking a boat tour thru the karst.

While traveling over Chinese waters our satellite internet must be turned off, so I don’t know when I’ll be able to get this posted.