I love it when a plan comes together! And did it ever do so today at our port stop in Da Nang.
The ship arrived before 7am and we scurried up to the Lido for a quick breakfast before meeting up with our little group of 8 in the Ocean Bar at 7:25am. Everyone was there early and that makes it so much easier for me as the organizer. We headed down to deck 1 where we disembarked and immediately spotted out guide, Nguyen (pronounced Win), or "Jimmy" as he suggested. We boarded our nice Ford 12-13 passenger van and and headed out to Hue which is supposedly a 2 hour drive from the port. Just outside the port area we stopped at a marble factory and saw how marble statues were carved. I was thinking, "Oh no, not another sales pitch and early in the morning." But they were low key and the pieces were gorgeous; I just wouldn't want to pay for shipping home.
While there we could see Marble Mountain and a temple structure on the side with an elevator taking tourists up close to the temple. Fortunately we were back in the van and continuing on our way on Route H1A which headed to Hue (pronounced WAY). The road was crowed with scooters but not as many as previous cities. But they all still do the same dance of weaving in and out and somehow being able to turn left in front of big trucks or cars without crashing. We even passed a location where there was a class being given regarding the "new" traffic laws.
Fortunately we didn't have to climb the mountain pass as there is a relatively new tunnel through the mountain that costs around $2US. Once we reached Hue, we had to navigate crowded and narrow city streets. At one point we encountered an overpass that was too low and it took 20 minutes for the driver to figure out a workaround. And finally after 3 hours we reached what was to be our destination: Hue Eco Lodge. By this time I was a bit concerned that we wouldn't be able to get all that was planned in on what was supposed to be Hue Countryside Tour and Cooking Class. Fortunately all of the activities centered around this venue. First we donned aprons and were instructed how to make spring rolls. Each of us then had the opportunity to make a 1/2 dozen and those were deep fried and we ate them all on the spot! Next we made a taco like creation with a crepe filled with a shrimp, some pork carrots, onions, and a quail egg. The quail egg was difficult to crack and flipping the taco like creation was challenging and all enjoyed that. Last we watched the creation of a paste of pork, figs, and various spices. We all had the opportunity to slice the figs which had a mushroom like consistency.. That paste was served on dainty little potato chip sized seafood crackers. Once again, yummy! All throughout this process many pictures were taken, laughs shared, and a great time was had by all.
We were then served a lunch, but we had to purchase our own drinks. For two Coke Lites and one local beer, it was 100,000 Vietnamese Dong or $5. Next on the agenda was a bicycle ride through the local villages. This was a hoot as most of us had not been on bicycles in quite a while. The first one they gave me had a flat front tire and the second one had a seat that wouldn't adjust. But the third time was the charm. And off 7 of the 8 of us went. The eighth person rode on the back of a motorcycle as he was a large fellow who didn't fit the bikes. We stopped at a picture painting studio and watch an artist masterfully and quickly create pictures. Many of us elected to purchase a picture as they were so pretty. And they cost a whopping $4US. All of us gave $5. After riding back to the Eco Lodge, giving kids 'High Fives" as we rode by them, we were treated to neck and foot massages. Again this was wonderful. I've never had a massage, but I really liked it. With the small group of eight, we all soaked our feet in warm water with special leaves while receiving a head and neck massage until it was our turn for the foot massage.
We gathered for one last group picture at the Eco Lodge before boarding a Dragon Boat for a short sail down the river. There were a number of local craft items for sale and some took advantage of the opportunity to shop. Others of us enjoyed the scenery especially the dredging operation which yielded sand for building contruction.
At the end of our journey on the river, we landed at a Pagoda shrine and reboarded our bus for the trip back to the ship which only took about 2 hours including a bio-break along the way. The universal sentiment was that this was one of if not the best shore excursions we had been on this trip. There was something about the hands on teaching process combined with the bicycle ride, the meal, the painting experience, and the boat ride that just made it special. Yes, the plan came together!
Back at the harbor, there was a Windstar ship moored next to us. It was considerably smaller.
On board the ship, it was Taste of Asia night in the Lido, and they pulled out all of the stops. There were all kinds of cooked Asian dishes, sliced fuits, coconuts with the milk inside, and more. It was terrific. There was also a local Vietnamese dance troupe from Hue who performed two shows: 7 and 9pm. We attended the 9pm show and it was wonderful.
Tomorrow is a sea day as we make our way to our last port of call in Vietnam: Halong Bay. There are some good things on the agenda, and I'll be leading the Interdenominational Sunday service at 5pm.
Stay tuned for details about our sea day.
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