Where are we today? On our way to Singapore!

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Hong Kong Day 2 and Vietnam Day 1



Sunday was sunnier than Saturday, and we got a few nice photos of the HK harbor.  These two were taken from one floor of the school where there is a church meeting for the  international group (non Chinese speaking residents of HK). We enjoyed worshiping with the Christians there and finding out what drew them to the city and what their lives are like.  We ate and played board games after service.  Dave and I made it home to the ship by a combo of cab and ferry.

We had a lovely sea day and arrived in Danang, Vietnam the next morning.  Do you remember the show China Beach, which was inspired by the memoir of an army nurse who served in an evacuation hospital/USO unit? That all took place in Danang.(The nurse was stationed in Pleiku; the show moved it to the famous evacuation hospital outside Danang) China Beach

We rode a couple of hours away to visit Hue, the former capital of the country.  To my surprise, farmers in the fields still work with water buffalo and wear pointed conical straw hats. The countryside is beautiful.  There were several tall and interesting statues of Lady Buddha, who is a favorite n Vietnam.  The statues represent Avaokitesvara, also known as Guanyin, who is a bodhisvattva in Buddhist mythology. Adherents believe she helps all living beings with her compassion. 

In Hue, we first visited Tu Duc Tomb, a complex of tombs, canals, pavilions, and shrines. 




The 




We then lunched in a restaurant that had a delightful garden setting. One of my favorite menu items was the chicken and lotus seed soup. 




 We boarded a dragon boat for a short ride down the Pearl River. 
We climbed steep towers to a Pagoda and surrounding Buddhist gardens and buildings. 

We walked for an hour around the Citadel. 





We were supposed to stop by a market later, but we were all so exhausted that we asked to skip it.   It was a wonderful day. 

tạm biệt! 
(Goodbye)

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