Day 13 - Cruising and Hanoi

Received a short text off Dad first thing but he was texting off the bus. He'd had a good time on the boat and three good meals. They'd been inside a big cave and done some canoeing off the boat. I received another text later to say it was hard texting on the bus (crumbs knows what sort of bus they are on!). They are now back in the hotel in Hanoi. En-route back they'd been on a tour of Hoa Lo Prison which the US prisoners called Hanoi Hilton! They'd also visited the Temple of Literature. Tonight is their last night together as a group, so they are out for a farewell meal. That two weeks has gone by real quick.

Not sure yet what Dad has planned for the next couple of weeks, but he did say he'd text me with the details.



Details of the day from Exodus

Day 13 (Day 14 Ex London) Cruise in Halong Bay & return to Hanoi

We continue to cruise around Halong Bay this morning before
returning to port. We then drive back to Hanoi, and take a sightseeing
tour of the city: this will include visits to the Temple of Literature, Hoa
Lo Prison and the Old Quarter of the city. This charming city contains
many beautiful old buildings, and the atmosphere is completely
different from that in Saigon in the south mainly due to the much
more conservative nature of the North Vietnamese. Also, unlike its
industrial counterpart, the centre of Hanoi has a faded charm with
broad tree-lined avenues dating from the French period as well as
some attractive lakes and pagodas. In the evening there is the option
to enjoy a performance of Hanoi's famous water puppets.