We began our day early on the Emeraude at 6:30A with a tai chi lesson on the sun deck. We lined up and followed the graceful movements of the crew member as best as we could. Our group was not as fluid but we all made it through the 24 step movement without anyone toppling over.

The engines rumbled to life around 7A and the boat began to glide through the haze back to the harbor. It was a peaceful 2 1/2 hours of seeing more islands and watching the local fisherman setting their first traps of the day. The entire bay is very protected and the water just rippled against the hull.

Our cruise finished, we boarded the bus back to Hanoi We traveled the same roads so it offered ample time to nap and contemplate the country. The scenery on the roadside alternated between small specialized shops, fields growing corn, rice and other crops and large factories. The Vietnamese strike me as a hustling culture - everyone trying to sell something to build their wealth. As we got closer (and into) Hanoi, the number of scooters and motorbikes increased exponentially. Our guide estimates that 60% of the population get around on two wheels. It is a constant river of bikes that sends tributaries down side streets and eddies around all other traffic.

We had lunch at Cafe Mokka and enjoyed some Vietnamese delights. After lunch we wandered for about 30 minutes among the artistic shops in the area. A few had reproductions of propaganda posters - they were fantastic! They implored people to grow oranges for export, raise pigs for food, strengthen their buffaloes to tighten their load and generally to celebrate Ho Chi Minh. They were colorful and printed with the block lettering that was so popular in that day.

Our final Hanoi stop was the famed Hanoi Hilton (Hoa Lo Prison) which held American POWs who were shot down over northern Vietnam. This is clearly still a complicated topic for people to discuss. The history of the building itself dates back to very early French occupation. The French would imprison anyone who stood up to them, even reserving a wing for female political prisoners. The French built the prison near the turn of the century, with construction completed in 1901. The originally vast complex was built to hold about 450 prisoners, but records from the 1930s show 2000 Vietnamese prisoners were held there.

By the time Americans took up residence there, the regime had changed. There is a sincere effort to portray the life and treatment of the prisoners positively. There were pictures showing smiling airmen playing volleyball, preparing Christmas dinner and decorating a tree. Images of prisoners (including John McCain) being treated for injuries were interspersed with images of devastation in Hanoi caused by B52 bombing campaigns. It is a difficult place to be without feeling your emotions manipulated.

We had en evening flight to Danang and headed straight to the hotel for a late dinner. We would visit China Beach and Marble Mountain another day.