​This morning we woke in another port in Vietnam – Da Nang. Once again we were up and ready to go at an early hour, had a terrific breakfast at Windows Café and disembarked by 8:15am.
 
We met our guide just outside our ship and while he led us to the van we discussed changing around our planned itinerary for the day due to the unsettled weather.  We headed towards the Linh Ung Pagoda but that would be as far as we would go up the mountain as the Son Tra Peninsula was unfortunately heavily covered with rain clouds.  On the way, we passed The Man Thai Fishing Village.  It was amazing to see this floating village with so many boats lining the shore and the city skyline as a backdrop.  Quite a sight!

​As we made our way up the mountain, we caught glimpses of the Lady Buddha also known as the Goddess of Mercy.  This is the tallest statue in Vietnam at a height of 67 metres.  It is believed that the Lady Buddha watches over the fisherman and provides them strength during storms and difficult weather on the sea. 

​The statue sits within a large courtyard that has incredibly detailed sculptures, bonsai trees, a pagoda and arched gate. This was a truly magical place where we would have loved to spend more time but unfortunately the weather was not quite cooperating. 

​After doing a quick walk around the gardens, we waited under the Lady Buddha pedestal while the rain came down in buckets.  Eventually we decided to make a dash for it.  Luckily our guide had our driver bring us some very fashionable pink polka dot raincoats in an attempt to keep us partially dry on the way back to the van.

​We piled back into the van and started towards our next destination – Marble Mountain.  On the way, we passed the Non Nuoc Beach that was nicknamed China Beach by the American soldiers stationed in Da Nang during the Vietnam War. This was a long stretch of beautiful white sand stretching for some 30kms that now has dozens of large hotels and condo developments sprouting up all along the stunning coastline.  In the midst of this development sits the abandoned military base that stored munitions during wartime.  It is very interesting to see the development happening alongside areas that have been virtually untouched in 40 years.

​Once we arrived at Marble Mountain, we made a stop at a reputable marble shop.  The differing shapes, styles and sizes of statues was overwhelming.  The master craftsmen make virtually everything out of the marble from the area and of course there were different colours and densities of this beautiful stone.  We chose to purchase a small Lady Buddha marble statue that is a pale jade green colour and is a considerable weight given she is relatively small in size.  She now sits in our living room watching over us each day.

​We proceeded to the area of Marble Mountain.  Our guide suggested that we take the elevator to the top for $1.50 USD.  This seemed like a good idea given there were 150 steps up to the top and the uneven, natural stone staircase looked slick and treacherous from the rain. 
 
At the top, we were awed by the incredible scenery.  A wonderland of ornate pagodas, temples, meditation gardens, statues and both Hindu and Buddhist alters were built at the top of this mountain.  The architecture was stunning and the colours and intricate details a treat to admire.  We thoroughly enjoyed walking around this area finding beautiful treasures around every corner.  Our guide brought us through a series of grottos that housed more wonders - shrines, intimate caves and huge grand halls that were fascinating to explore.  A truly spectacular place.

​Afterwards, we decided to descend via the staircase carefully picking our way down the 150 steep, wet steps. We paused at various stages on the way down to take in the marvelous vistas of the surrounding town, beach and several other marble peaks that have been mined over the years.

​Our next destination was the ancient city of Hoi An.  The drive took approximately 30 minutes and the scenery was comprised mainly of rice patties dotted with grazing Buffalo.
 
Upon our arrival in Hoi An we stopped at a silk factory where local artisans demonstrated how silk is made on the traditional looms.  There were various items all made from silk for purchase and incredible pictures that were embroidered in silk.  The last section of the store was filled with beautiful lanterns that were hand made.

​We proceeded to the Ancient City of Hoi An that has been designated an UNESCO World Heritage site.  The city is considered to be an excellent example of a well-preserved trading port dating from the 15th to 19th century that reflects the many different cultures and nationalities that have occupied this area.  Since it was getting later in the afternoon, we started to make our way to the restaurant where our guide had a reservation for us.  Unfortunately, he entire middle section of the Ancient City was flooded from the rain storm, making the restaurant inaccessible.  Local residents had arrived to transport pedestrians in their narrow, open fishing boats through the water across the flooded area however the police would not allow tourists to ride in their boats due to safety reasons. 

​Our guide acted quickly and found a different restaurant for us to experience authentic Vietnamese food.  We enjoyed a very nice lunch at Hai Café dining on multiple courses including spring rolls, shrimp dumplings, pancake inside rice roll, beef skewers, eggplant in a clay pot and tropical fruit for dessert.  While we had to move to an inside spot in the middle of the meal, when it started pouring rain, it was still a very relaxing and enjoyable meal.

​When the rain had slowed, our guide led us through the town taking us into preserved ancient buildings that included a traditional Japanese courtyard and a typical Chinese house.  We also visited a ceramics museum, a Cantonese assembly hall and an Elementary school that is currently used for night school.

​We also visited a Japanese bridge that is a landmark in the city dating back to the 18th century.  It is a wooden covered bridge that has elaborate carvings and alters but it also provides a covered pedestrian passageway.

​The last stop in Hoi An was the local market that also had a large prepared food stand area.  As we made our way through the market, we found that much of it had been closed due to the flooding.  The produce sections were under a tremendous amount of water forcing the vendors to close and pack up their stands to salvage their food items for sale.

​The rain and water didn’t stop many vendors in the streets from displaying their items or walking alongside you to provide samples to entice you to purchase.  The sights, sounds and smells in this small town were quite the combination.  Bright colours everywhere made for a unique, charming city.

​Our driver efficiently navigated out of the town as we drove back to the port, boarding the ship after a long day.  We were all in need of a shower after the damp day so we planned to meet for dinner in the dining room.
 
The ship began its departure from port as we were changing for dinner and, because of the rough seas, I could feel the ship moving considerably.  We went to the dining room where we enjoyed appetizers, however as the meal progressed, I started to feel nauseous from the waves.  I wasn’t able to stay for my anticipated veal dish and unfortunately cannot comment on what everyone else had for dinner as I wasn’t there.  After receiving some motion sickness pills from the front desk, I retired to the cabin for the rest of the evening.

​The rest of the folks enjoyed a musical theatre show written and performed by the cruise director Eric DeGray who is a very talented singer, dancer and composer who hails from Toronto!  He performed a tribute to the music of Andrew Lloyd Weber, and Denis commented that his rendition of “Phantom of the Opera” was well done.

Adventures in South East Asia - Hong Kong Part 1 - click here
​Adventures in South East Asia - Hong Kong Part 2 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Hong Kong Part 3 & Onboard Azamara Day 1 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 2 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 3 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 4 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 6 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 7 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 8 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 9 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 10 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 11 - click here

​​The start to our day 4 in South East Asia began with an early breakfast at the MK Boutique Hotel in the heart of Hanoi.  We took the elevator up to the rooftop restaurant which overlooks the surrounding streets.  The restaurant was scheduled to open at 6:30am, but the hotel staff told us we could go up earlier.  We arrived just around 6:15am and were surprised to see that there was a family at one of the tables already eating.  The dining room was a large square with a breakfast buffet set up along two adjoining walls.  The room was modern and bright with one windowed wall opening out to a terrace with more tables set up.  There were plenty of hot and cold choices on the buffet reflecting both Vietnamese and American style foods.  We filled our plates with eggs, meat and fruit as well as a few pastries to take with us on our ride back to Halong Bay. 

The Azamara Journey was scheduled to leave Halong Bay at 1:00pm and we had to make the 173 km car ride back in time for the 12:15pm all aboard deadline.  Our guide had suggested that we leave Hanoi no later than 7:00am in order to try and avoid the extreme traffic that blankets the city during rush hour.  With a metropolitan population of 7.5 million people, many rushing to the city centre at the beginning of each day, we needed to escape as quickly as possible.  Even leaving as early as we did, the driver estimated our return trip would take a minimum of 4 hours. 

​As we left the hotel at 6:45am we could see the inner city already springing to life.  Merchants were setting up their shops while scooters and motorbikes bulging with packages and people swayed through the narrow streets.  We made relatively good progress through the downtown area for the first 20 minutes, but as we came closer to the outer core of the city the growing traffic continued to slow us down.  I am a perennial complainer of the tedious traffic on my daily commutes in Toronto, but I have never seen as much congestion as we encountered leaving Hanoi.  As we approached the manufacturing and distribution districts on the outskirts of the city we were at a perpetual standstill.  It took us just over an hour to navigate our way out of the city and onto the provincial highway leading back to the coast of the South China Sea.    

Once on the main highway, we made moderate but steady progress, having to slow down at the entrance to each village and then gradually speeding up again through the rural areas.  About halfway through the trip, in one of the larger towns, the guide indicated that we would be taking a short break, and the driver pulled into a rest area off of the main street. 
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The rest area was a large covered modern market that included several different sections.  One section was devoted to ornate statues cut from various types of stone.  Many of these were life-size Buddha’s and other religious symbols.  A large billboard in their midst contained pictures, names and addresses of buyers from around the world who had purchased statues and paid in the tens of thousands of U.S. Dollars for their pieces. 

Inside the market we walked around through aisles of Vietnamese tea, coffee, spices and other locally grown products.  One of the market hosts invited us to sample the tea and coffee.  The tea was hot, aromatic and refreshing.  The coffee was very dark, rich and robust with a hint of chocolate.  We also sampled a Vietnamese treat unique to this area - green bean cake.  The one inch square pieces are individually wrapped in gold or silver foil and packaged in a box similar to assorted chocolates.  The texture has a fudge like consistency and the taste is subtly sweet.  We decided to buy a box to bring home along with some Vietnamese tea and coffee beans.

After our brief stop, we continued to drive towards the coast, alternating between villages and rice patties for most of the way.  About 20 minutes from Halong Bay, our guide pointed out the low mountain range that ran parallel to the road on our left.  He recounted a story about how Ho Chi Minh, on his way from Hanoi to Halong Bay, had stopped by the side of the road and looked up at the barren hillside.  He ordered that the hills be planted with trees for his people and then continued on his way. There are now large forests growing all along the roadside. 

​We arrived in Halong Bay at 11:00am, in plenty of time to be tendered back to the ship.  We bade farewell to our attentive guide, who was going to take a 4 hour bus ride back to his home in Hanoi.  The driver was local to Halong Bay, and was going to resume his local taxi service for tourists in the area.  A tender was just arriving as our Vietnamese hosts went their separate ways. 

Arriving on the ship just in time to drop our overnight bags and shopping in our stateroom, we made our way to the dining room for the Officer’s Barbecue.  This was one of several specialty meals that are offered throughout the cruise.  Today’s menu included a variety of barbecued meats and other delicacies: roast prime rib, chicken, pork tenderloin, sausages, ribs along with an assortment of sides and condiments, all served by the ship’s officers.  While we had enjoyed our daily lunches at Windows Cafe, this offering was a bit more elegant and provided some options that we didn’t usually see at Windows. 

​After a filling lunch, I went to the Cabaret Lounge to catch Part 2 of the lecture “China: Aggressive or Defensive”.  This was a continuation of the lecture which I had attended on our first sea day.  The topic focused on China’s position in South East Asia and the policies it has to its neighbours including Taiwan and Indonesia.  As with the first lecture, this one was at times a bit dry, but did offer some interesting insight into the relationships between China, it’s neighbours and the United States.  It seems as if there will be some contentious issues regarding territory, control and economic posturing in this region in the years ahead.

While I had attended the lecture, Kim had gone to the swimming pool to read.  By the time the lecture was finished and I joined her in the pool area on the 9th deck, the sky had become quite overcast and the air had chilled considerably.  As it was approaching 4:00pm and Kim was getting cold, we opted to abandon the pool and, instead, went inside to the Living Room where the afternoon’s trivia was about to begin.  Today’s topic was “U.S.A All the Way”.  Needless to say there were quite a few teams comprising mainly American residents.  While we did manage to answer some of the questions correctly, we just didn’t have the breadth of knowledge, especially with respect to American politics that our U.S counterparts had.   As on previous days when we had not fared well at trivia, we made up for it by indulging in a glass of wine and the afternoon’s tapas. 

​After trivia, we went back to the 9th deck and walked around the pool surveying the sea and sky.  It had become quite a bit more overcast since Kim had been on the deck previously and there were dark, ominous clouds forming between our ship and the coast.  The seas had also become a bit more choppy, and while not uncomfortable, we could feel a bit of pitch as the ship made her way southwest.
Following our brief walk, we went back to the stateroom to prepare to meet Karen and Geoff for dinner.  At 6:30pm we gathered at the bar in front of the dining room and proceeded to our table for another fabulous meal.  The chef's special this evening was lobster and shrimp.  Of course we all had the same dish! 

​The feature entertainment tonight was the comedy and magic of Mel Mellars, a British comedian and magician whose style is a bit polarizing.  While his magic tricks were entertaining and some of the jokes were witty, his particular style of comedy relies on insults and embarrassment to his audience members.  The overall act is a bit reminiscent of the burlesque style using mockery and ridicule, and as a result, it fell flat for some of the audience.  Though not one of my favourite entertainers on the ship, he did appeal to many in the crowd and we did stay until the end of the show.
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The feature performance ended at 9:00pm and Kim decided she wanted to go back to the stateroom.  I had heard that there was a feature guitarist that was playing in the Spirits lounge just outside the Casino so I decided to go down to the 5th deck and check it out.  The guitarist, Teodor, was excellent and played a variety of music from various genres.  I watched and listened to him play for his entire set and found the experience to be both entertaining and relaxing.  I left the Spirits lounge and headed for bed in a positive state of mind and looking forward to our next port of call.

Adventures in South East Asia - Hong Kong Part 1 - click here
​Adventures in South East Asia - Hong Kong Part 2 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Hong Kong Part 3 & Onboard Azamara Day 1 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 2 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 3 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 5 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 6 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 7 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 8 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 9 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 10 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 11 - click here

Our second day on the ship was another early morning wake up at 3:30am.  This was not of our choosing but just continues to happen, as our clocks slowly adjust to the new time zone.  It does however give us loads of time in the morning to prepare for the day.
 
After having fresh, made to order omelettes from Windows Café, we proceeded to the front desk to request our passports to disembark in Halong Bay.  The ship retains each passenger’s passport since several of the locations we were visiting required VISAs and the ship handles the process as a courtesy to their guests.  Since we were taking an overnight excursion, we needed to have our passport to check into the hotel in Hanoi.  The purser was doing her very best to have our passports released from the Vietnamese immigration officials but they were holding us up as they wanted additional information for an overnight VISA.  Fortunately, we had brought along a second set of passport photos that we supplied and they eventually issued us a different type of VISA.  After promising to be back with plenty of time before the ship was departing the next morning, we finally caught our quick tender into Halong Bay more than 1 hour late to meet our guide.

Our guide was a young man from Hanoi who was very understanding of the delay and promised to do his utmost to cover all that was originally planned for the day.  We started off by travelling to the Bai Chay Tourist Wharf.  We were surprised to see the incredible development happening all around this area.  There was a huge ferris wheel, cable car ride and massive developments of tourist centres along with hotels and sports complexes.  Everywhere you turned there was something new being built.  Our guide told us that in a few years the face of Halong Bay will be unrecognizable.  We are happy we visited prior to the explosion of growth and tourism in this beautiful area.

​We boarded our private boat – the Hai Long Dream - and headed out to see the incredible rock formations.  These majestic rocks rise from the water and produce such a beautiful sight.  We spent more than two hours gazing at these natural wonders that have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our guide told us tales about many of the formations and shared with us those that had special names based on legend and folklore from the Vietnamese people.

​Our captain guided us to a stunning grotto where the Thien Cung Caves were located.  These caves are known as the Heavenly Palace and stretch over 10,000 square metres.  The caves were discovered in 1993 however they date back 2 million years.  The stalactites and stalagmites are very impressive as they hang from various levels of the ceiling and protrude in a towering manner from most of the floor surface.  The numerous unique shapes are lit with different coloured lights giving the area an eerie but fascinating feeling.  Our guide asked us to use our imaginations as we looked at the varying shapes and he described what the Halong people have determined many of the shapes to represent. It was a truly magical place.

​​After re-boarding our boat, we were served a huge meal that was far more than we could have ever eaten.  We couldn’t believe how much food kept coming to us – shrimp, crab cakes, french fries, rice, noodles, a whole fish, spring rolls, squid with vegetables and a cabbage dish.  It was overwhelming but we did our best to sample each dish that was served.  This was accompanied by Vietnamese beer and wine

​As we dined we were shown several Vietnamese crafts and handiwork products for sale by the crew on board.  We purchased a simple Halong Bay pearl bracelet and a pashmina that was made in Vietnam.
 
After waving good bye to our hosts, we climbed into the car with our waiting driver and started the long drive to Hanoi. While the distance wasn’t that far – only 175 kms – the two-lane road is quite deteriorated and there are many small towns in between where the congestion can be difficult.  As a result, it takes approximately 3 ½ hours to make the trip. It was quite a sight to see as our driver shared the road with bicycles, walkers, motorcycles, scooters, vans, cars, tankers and even cows.  It was amazing to see the vast array of items that people carried on their scooters – everything from front doors to chickens to multiple family members.  We were certainly glad we weren’t driving!

​Our first stop in Hanoi was the Temple of Literature.  This is a serene and beautiful location that housed Vietnam’s first national University.  Dating back to 1070, the temples, courtyards, pillars and gardens make for a lovely space to wander and learn about the scholars that first studied here and dedicated their lives to literary accomplishments. Inside are several alters dedicated to Confucius and his disciples.  The entire spot is gorgeous and we were told it is an excellent example of traditional Vietnamese architecture.

​Our driver then took us to the area of Ba Dinh Square where many historical events have taken place.  This is the location from where Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence and announced the country’s unity in 1945.  It is a large, well maintained grassy space where many people come to pay their respects to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum where their revered leader’s body lies in a glass case.  We didn’t go inside, only wandered past the massive and imposing building.

Just behind the Mausoleum area there is the One Pillar Pagoda. The temple is built of wood and stands on one stone pillar.  It is designed to resemble a lotus flower – the Buddhist symbol of purity. The legend states that the Emperor had a dream that he met the Buddha who handed him a son while he was sitting on a lotus flower.  Afterwards, the Emperor married a peasant girl with whom he had a son.  He had the temple constructed as a show of gratitude in 1049.  Unfortunately, the original pagoda was destroyed by the French in 1954 but it was rebuilt afterwards. It is considered one of the most iconic temples in Vietnam.

​We then had a quick drive to Hoan Kiem Lake (Lake of the Returned Sword).  This beautiful lake is in the middle of Hanoi. According to the legend, the Emperor in 1428 was boating on the lake when a Golden Turtle God surfaced and asked for his magical sword.  He took this to mean that he was to return the sword that was used during his revolt of Ming China. He eventually did give the sword to the turtle and the turtle took it to the bottom of the lake in case Vietnam might once again have to defend its freedom.  There is a tower named Turtle Tower on an island in the middle of the lake that is also linked to the legend. We were told that for many years people could see large soft shelled turtles in the water.  It is said that there was one turtle that was over 1000 years old but he died in the 1960’s. It was preserved and put on display in the temple.

​The temple of the Jade Mountain is reached by crossing over the Cau The Huc (Morning Sunlight Bridge).  This is a lovely red bridge that we saw at sunset rather than in the morning.  The island includes many sacred temples all of which have significant symbolic meaning.  It was a truly beautiful place to visit as the sun was setting.

​Our driver then took us to the MK Boutique Hotel where we would stay the night.  We dropped our bags, cleaned up and changed and were back out to meet the guide for our evening food tour. 

​One thing that took a bit of adjustment was walking in the streets of Hanoi.  At first we were quite hesitant to cross the heavily congested streets with all methods of transportation zooming by in different directions.  Our guide taught us to walk slowly but confidently and to never stop in the road.  Once you start across, you continue moving and do not stop.  It was actually amazing once we did it a few times.  Somehow the traffic maneuvers around you and you arrive at the other side. At night, you cannot walk on the sidewalks as the 1000’s of scooters are parked on the sides, forcing the pedestrians to walk in the street.

​We then hopped in a cab and were whisked away to see a traditional Water Puppet performance at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre.  The show was fascinating with traditional Vietnamese music and elaborate puppets that were controlled by people behind the curtain and under the water. It was a series of vignettes and even though we couldn’t understand the language, they were colourful and entertaining to watch.

​​Our guide met us after the performance and offered to show us nightlife in Hanoi but at this point we were so tired we decided to go back to the hotel and try to sleep since we had an early morning departure to make it back to the ship on time.  It had been a memorable day exploring Halong Bay and Hanoi.

Adventures in South East Asia - Hong Kong Part 1 - click here
​Adventures in South East Asia - Hong Kong Part 2 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Hong Kong Part 3 & Onboard Azamara Day 1 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 2 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 4 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 5 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 6 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 7 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 8 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 9 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 10 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 11 - click here

The second day of our cruise was a sea day and our first opportunity to explore the luxurious Azamara Journey - our home for the next thirteen days.  We welcomed the rest and relaxation that a sea day brings after the hectic pace of our time in Hong Kong.  Our morning started early as usual (we had still not fully adjusted to the 12 hour time difference).  After waking up, I pulled open the blackout curtains on our balcony door to let the daylight burst into our stateroom.  I quickly got dressed and left Kim to read in bed while I went searching for morning coffee and whatever other delicacies I could find to start off the day.
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One of the amenities offered by Azamara on their cruises, unlike most traditional cruise lines, is the inclusion of a beverage package in the base fare.  This meant that instead of settling for regular brewed coffee, which I usually find a bit too weak for my tastes, I could indulge in a nice dark brew of Italian Espresso or a creamy Cappuccino that are all complimentary.  The Journey has the perfect little spot, the Mosaic Cafe, on the fifth deck that overlooks the staircase to the fourth floor lobby.  Along with a bevy of caffeinated brews, the Mosaic also features a pastry bar stacked with freshly baked goods.  I grabbed a couple of the mini Chocolate Croissants, ordered a double Americano for me and a hot chocolate for Kim, then headed back to the stateroom. 

Since this was our first real chance to just take it easy since our flight from Toronto three days before, Kim and I sat out on our balcony drinking our hot beverages, enjoying the fresh sea breeze and gentle rocking of the ship as we continued to head South West along the coast of China toward Vietnam.  Today was going to be all about taking it easy. 
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After spending some time on the balcony chatting about our Hong Kong experience, we decided it was time to get a proper breakfast.  We left our stateroom on the 7th deck and climbed the two flights of stairs to the 9th deck and walked to the back of the ship to find Windows Cafe.  This is the buffet style restaurant on the Journey which is open for lunch, breakfast and dinner.  It is conveniently located at the back of the pool deck and is accessed on either side of the ship.  There are two long hallways, one on each side of the ship that lead to the stern where the buffet is set out.  Each hallway is made up of rows of tables and the outside of each hallway has floor to ceiling windows, running the length of the restaurant, that look out to sea.  The back of the restaurant flows out to an open deck where more tables are set up for al fresco dining.

​Following a hearty breakfast of omelettes made fresh at the omelette station, along with some fruit, cheeses and deli meats, we continued our exploration of the Journey.  Our next stop was the Cabaret Lounge, the main theatre on the ship located at the front of Deck 5.  This is the usual spot for the nightly theatrical entertainment, but on some sea days there are guest lecturers.  Today’s morning lecture was titled “Asia: Aggressive or Defensive” and spoke to the political pulse of the area over the last several decades.  While the lecture was at times a little dry, there were some interesting tidbits to be gleaned about the general culture and history of South East Asia.

The morning lecture ended just before noon and since we were still full from our mid morning breakfast we decided to spend some time at the pool and continue our sea day theme of doing as little as possible.  The Journey has one pool, situated in the middle of Deck 9 with super comfortable loungers surrounding all four sides of the pool.  On other ships we have cruised, finding a lounge chair near the pool anytime after 9:00 AM on a sea day can sometimes prove a bit of a challenge.  We had no such issues on the Journey as there were plenty of empty loungers available all around the pool. 

We chose a couple of loungers on the port side of the ship which gave us partial shade as we continued to sail south west into the afternoon sun.  What makes the lounge chairs on the Azamara so comfortable are the deep cushiony mattresses.  Many cruise ships have plastic or mesh loungers that are easy to maintain and dry quickly if they get wet.  Azamara sacrifices cost for comfort, and as far as the loungers are concerned, it is well worth it.  Another distinction between Azamara and some of the other cruise lines we have sailed is the quality of the pool towels.  They are bigger, thicker and softer than you get on most cruises.  And, there is a fresh one on each vacant lounge chair.

​After finishing our light lunch (we were saving ourselves for this evening’s dinner at the Prime C specialty restaurant), we decided to attend the afternoon lecture titled “Hanoi - Paris of the East”.  We were particularly interested in finding out more about Hanoi because Kim had arranged an overnight, private excursion to Hanoi after we visited Halong Bay, our first stop in Vietnam.  As with the morning lecture, there were some dry spells, but overall it was interesting to get an overview of modern Hanoi and how it has evolved since the Vietnam War (which in South East Asia is referred to as the American War).  The lecture finished just in time for us to make our way up to the Living Room on Deck 10 to meet up with Karen and Geoff for a glass of wine and to try our hand at today’s trivia - the topic was Love Songs. 

The Living Room is one of the larger lounges on the Journey.  It takes up the width of the ship at the front of Deck 10.  It is a large, bright room with windows facing out to sea that surround the bar.  There is a Grand Piano in one corner, a small parquet dance floor in the middle surrounded by comfortable and inviting chairs, sofas and coffee tables.  A couple of the seating arrangements had purple, high-backed chairs that curved to wrap around you.  We decided to choose one of those arrangements, ordered our drinks and blundered our way through the list of love songs that made up the trivia game.  We managed to identify only 10 of the 20 songs that were played but enjoyed another round of drinks to celebrate the winners.  

It was just about 5:00pm as we finished our drinks and discussed our plans for dinner.  Kim and Karen had made reservations for us at Prime C, one of the three specialty restaurants on the ship.  Prime C, as the name suggests, is the ship’s Steakhouse.  Our reservations were for the 6:30pm seating, so we agreed to meet a few minutes before at the bar outside the restaurant.  We returned to our staterooms to shower and get ready for dinner.

One of the joys for us when we cruise has always been the quality and variety of food that is offered, especially for evening dining.  Our experience at the Prime C more than met our expectations.  We met up with Karen and Geoff just before 6:30pm and were escorted to our table.  Prime C, like the Living Room, is located on Deck 10, but at the rear of the ship on the starboard side.  After being seated at our table, we ordered our respective wines and looked over the one page menu.  This night’s offering included a variety of starters and salads along with several entrees.  Besides the expected steak selections, the entrees included Rack of Lamb, Cornish Hen, Baked Alaskan Salmon and Sautéed Giant Shrimp.
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Between Kim and I, we chose the Pumpkin Soup, Beet Salad, Tenderloin Pastry, Crab Cakes and Filet Mignon.  While this seems like a lot of food (and it was), the portion sizes were just right for the number of courses.  We lingered over our dinner, enjoying every bite as well as our lively conversation.  It was approaching 9:00 pm by the time we finally finished up and were ready to leave. 

​While it was still relatively early, our lack of sleep over the last few nights was finally beginning to catch up with us.  We all retired to our staterooms to get ready for our first port of call - Halong Bay.

Adventures in South East Asia - Hong Kong Part 1 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Hong Kong Part 2 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Hong Kong Part 3 & Onboard Azamara Day 1 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 3 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 4 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 5 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 6 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 7 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 8 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 9 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 10 - click here
Adventures in South East Asia - Onboard Azamara Day 11 - click here