HaLong Bay

About four hours east of Hanoi is a UNICEF World Heritage Site and one of the new Natural Wonders of the World. HaLong Bay is an area of the South China Sea with remarkable limestone karsts. It is a very popular tourist destination (as you can see from all the tour boats)!

We spent one night on a boat amidst this beautiful landscape. We had hoped to spend a second night but a typhoon moving into the area brought wind and rain which forced all boats to leave the area. Our evening entertainment was to watch the thunder and lightening from our cabin while the movie KONG 2017 was playing on our TV. The movie was filmed in Vietnam and HaLong Bay. It was a memorable movie!

The Bay also has many large limestone caves that give an interesting afternoon adventure and beautiful views of the landscape. 

Hanoi

During the school October break, Tim, Lisa and Simon traveled to northern Vietnam. They spent a couple of days exploring Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. It is a smaller city than Ho Chi Minh and has a different feel. We stayed in the Old Quarter and enjoyed discovering small cafes, restaurants and shops. We took in some of the local attractions and walked a lot.

Of course we couldn't resist the urge to eat at Bún Chả Huong Lien, the restaurant made famous by Obama's visit in 2016. Bún chả is a delicious pork soup and this small, very crowded restaurant truly makes a delicious bowl!!!

Volleyball Season

The first athletic season of this academic year is Volleyball. Simon is playing on the Varsity Team and recently took a trip to Bangkok, Thailand for a tournament. This was a new tournament for the team and the level of play was higher than the usual. Simon's team performed very well with a respectable fourth place finish. It was good practice for the end of season tournament, which will be held in Laos.

Chocolate Stout

Tim and Lisa were exploring in District 1 last weekend. They spotted the famous Pasteur Street Brewing Company so stopped for a refreshment. On the menu was a Chocolate Stout that has won awards for the "best chocolate beer in the world"! It is made with Vietnam's own Marou chocolate, cinnamon from Saigon, and vanilla beans from Mui Ne.