This has been the best excursion so far in my trip. 

We took a four hour bus ride from Hanoi and arrived at the pier, where we took a small boat to meet the big boat.  After check-in, we had a 10 course tasting menu for lunch.  Then we toured Thien Cung Cave for about an hour, and then we went swimming until sunset.  And then, a 10 course tasting menu for dinner.
​
​This morning, we had breakfast at 7 am and then went kayaking in the Bay for about an hour. Then we made our own spring rolls.  And then, we had brunch before leaving to come back. The views were fantastic.  I'll post some pictures.  I didn't take pictures of the food since we sat at tables of six (other than the spring rolls).

​It may sound expensive and in comparison to the hotel where I was staying, it was.  But everything was included so I think it was a good deal.

The first was dinner (Bun Cha, which is a Hanoi local pork dish) and the second was an evening snack (Banh Mi)

In hindsight I probably spent two-too many days in Hanoi.  But I am booked on a two day/one night trip to Ha Long Bay beginning tomorrow and staying on a boat, so I am doubting they have Wi-Fi.

​So far today booked my flight on the 7th to Da Nang and am staying at a reasonably-priced hotel in Hoi An for three days.  I also booked a flight after that to Ho Chi Minh and still need to get a room.

​I think I may go to Malaysia after that...

Today one of the hotel workers took me on the back of his scooter and dropped me near (not actually that near) the Presidential Palace and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.  Unfortunately I couldn't get into either.

Yesterday I walked to one of the local lakes.

I hadn't been that hungry the past few days and tried a few of the local soups, pho, and local onion rings, plus a Vietnamese salami pizza.

I'm staying at a budget hotel in the Old Quarter area of Hanoi but it's clean.  It is very crowded here and there are scooters, taxis and pedestrians sharing the same streets since the sidewalks are used for scooter parking and outside seating for restaurants. There is non-stop honking from morning until evening but thankfully I'm on a high floor.

It took a long time to get a visa on arrival and then through passport control in Hanoi.  First, you stand in one line to show your entry letter.  They give you a form to fill out with the usual information, a photo (didn't have one), and then asked for a bunch of personal information like phone, email, relatives, etc, which I didn't fill out anyway and they didn't seem to care.  Then, you go to a second window once they call your name after half an hour and as an American, pay a huge visa fee for a one year visa (cannot get 30 day visas anymore, I was told).  I didn't have enough USD on me so they directed me to an ATM where I paid in Viet. Dong.  And they had to take my photo.  Then I finally got to get through passport control and pick up my bag.  So I grabbed a bite to eat before the 45 minute ride to the city.  Below is a glass of water they gave me, which wasn't the color of water.  It tasted like normal water though.

The street that our backpacker hostel is located on, and bags in the lobby of the hostel of people waiting to check in or leave (or the bag was too big to fit in the security lockers...)