Most of day 2 was spent on a trip to Ha Long Bay on 
the coast east of Hanoi.  Alongthe very new modern hightway
to the coast , you see contrasts and how fast things are changing -
people stooped in the rice fields and carrying tiny y loads of rice on bikes, but
also big new high-end housing developments.<br>
<br>
<IMG SRC="HanoiDay1WaterPuppets.jpg"><br>
Actually, this is evening of Day 1.  Water puppet show in 
Hanoi.<br>
<br>
<IMG SRC="HanoiDay2LeavingHanoi.jpg"><br>
The motorbike riders seem very good at not bumping/getting bumped.<br>
<br>
<IMG SRC="HanoiDay2WorkersInShop.jpg"><br>
Half way to Ha Long Bay, we stopped for a short break.  
This was taken in a place selling potter, lacquerware, embroidery,
clothes to tourists.  We were told it was a place where physically and
mentally handicapped children got help, but it wasn't clear if
that was really the case...<br>
<br>
<IMG SRC="HanoiDay2Cemetery.jpg"><br>
Small cemetery just east of Hanoi.  The guide said something
about tradition being for two burials.  Body is removed
after a while (2-3 years?) and then something else
is done.  Can see some are not much more than mounds.<br>
<br>
<IMG SRC="HanoiDay2CemeteryHats.jpg"><br>
Same place.  Most of the rice workers seem to travel
by bike and wear the conical hats.<br><br>
<IMG SRC="HanoiDay2BikeRice.jpg"><br>
Many riders carried a bunch of rice on back of bike.
Some people pulled large old-looking wooden handcarts
with a lot more rice.<br><br>
<IMG SRC="HanoiDay2OurBoat.jpg"><br>
Bus ride to Ha Long Bay took about three
hours even though it's a nice new highway and only
about 100 kilometers away (but until the highway was
built just a few three years ago, the trip there and back 
couldn't even be done in a day). More on that later...<br>
Great boat for beautiful few-hour relaxing ride
among the islands of the bay.<br><br>   
<IMG SRC="HanoiDay2BoatLunch.jpg"><br>
One of about four courses of our lunch on the boat.  Many 
seafood items, all good.<br><br>
<IMG SRC="HanoiDay2ViewLittleBoat.jpg"><br>
In Ha Long Bay.<br><br>
<IMG SRC="HanoiDay2AnotherLittleBoat.jpg"><br>
Still in Ha Long Bay.<br><br>
<IMG SRC="HanoiDay2OurGroup.jpg"><br>
Our group.<br><br>
<IMG SRC="HanoiDay2Ticket.jpg"><br>
The brand new highway?  Appears natural to go
fast on it, but apparently the speed limit is
50km (31mph) on much of it. Our bus and other
cars got pulled over. Government police stand
in road and wave over vehicles after getting
phone call from other officers watching (but
not visible as far as we noticed) earlier on
the road.  Process was strange.  Driver and
police sat at a little folding table (where people
are standing off a bit to the right in the pic).
Driver didn't say anything afterward but
our guide said penalties are stiff ($100 first
offense, about 2 months pay for this driver , plus perhaps some bit of 
license suspension, he thought).  We had noticed
during the whole drive that went much slower than
we could have. Quite a few townspeople villagers hanging around
the scene and observing the proceedings at
the police table.  There was a discussion
of bribes with the bus guide, but he said
that though it sometimes works, it often ends up 
worse.<br><br>
<IMG SRC="HanoiDay2Accident.jpg"><br>
200 meters past the ticket point, what looked
like bike/motobike accident...Guide said low
speed limit is because there have been many bad
accidents on the new highway. Perhaps people
not used to higher speeds...<br><br>
<IMG SRC="HanoiDay2RiceWaterBuffalo.jpg"><br>
Water buffalo and rice.<br>br>
<IMG SRC="HanoiDay2MotorbikeSugarCane.jpg"><br>
Motorbike carrying some sugar cane.  I couldn't
get pictures yet of some of the huge loads
some of the motorbikes carry.  I'm pretty
sure I saw one with a small cow draped over
the back.
<IMG SRC="HanoiDay2Cyclo.jpg"><br>
Cyclo in downtown Hanoi Saturday night just
before dinner.<br><br>
<IMG SRC="HanoiDay2Dinner.jpg"><br>
After we got back from the trip to the bay, 
a few of us asked one of the Vietnamese staff members
of our organization for a small nearby restaurant
recommendation.  We would probably never have
walked in this place unless someone had told us
to go there.  Walk in, sit down, and they bring a big
bowl of noodles with bits of beef and vegatbles. THere
didn't seem to be other choices. Some other small item 
was served also, like an  appetizer wrapped in a
big palm leaf.  Total cost for the four of us, including
large drink bottles, $7.  The soup/stew was VERY yummy.