There were heavy seas again during the night and the weather conditions (likely the effects of Typhoon Fengshen) were rainy & misty. Once again, I was up early (0430) so made the best of things - I caught up on my blog, social media and some reading. At 0600, I went walking on the Sun Deck - by that point, there was still no land visible. The rain clouds, however, were VERY noticeable... Before long (0630), I sat down to breakfast (eggs, sausage, croissants, beans, etc.) in the World Cafe - about halfway through my meal, I ended up joining Holly & Paul when they sat down nearby. We had a good conversation - that's been a nice part of the cruise. By 0730, Viking Venus docked at a port called Chan May so that we could take excursions to Hue or Danang. While the crew was completing their post-docking procedures, I walked some more and then returned to my stateroom to relax. Throughout this time, it was still very misty, with steady rain at times, and temps were in the 70s. After what seemed like an eternity, I left the ship to join my excursion: “Hue Forbidden City” (it began at 0945). With the rainy conditions, I was very glad to brought my rain gear. Unlike yesterday, the tour bus was packed today and this made the drive of more than 60 minutes quite uncomfortable. Initially, I sat with a couple from Utah and a couple from Arizona. Near the front of the bus, there were a few other solo travelers (including Glenda, who I'd met the night before). Tthe close quarters among the passengers and the resulting complaints that arose ultimately led me to meet Damian, the Cruise Director on Viking Venus. He was from the UK and I found him to be quite engaging and interesting. He assured all of us that he would resolve the crowded conditions. Before we could get some personal space back, though, we had to avoid getting stuck in mud on roads that were covered with water from the Typhoon. Even when we found routes around the flooding, it was clear that water levels in all creeks and rivers were very high. We eventually reached Vietnam Route 1 and the driving conditions got better. Our tour guide called himself “Mr. Happy” and he spent most of our drive talking about the Ho Chi Minh Trail and Agent Orange. Meanwhile, I looked out the window at the passing scenery. I saw several churches on the way. After reaching Hue (1115), we got a bathroom break at the Hotel Saigon Morin. There was a bus swap of passengers (with another Viking group) and the seats opened up a little after that - Damian was true to his word. Once we were back on the bus, we drove for another five minutes until we arrived at the district where the Hue Forbidden Purple City was located (1145). The royal complex contained a citadel and several reconstructed buildings (most had been earlier destroyed during the Vietnam War). We spent lots of time with "Mr. Happy", crossing the moats, learning about trees, visiting the throne room of the king (no photos allowed), marveling at artwork, touring the palaces, walking around the temples and generally getting drenched. I noticed that our guide was very protective of his passengers but he also seemed to be skipping things like providing background on sights, showing people where there were available bathrooms (I found my own) and giving us time for photos. His "my way or the highway" approach led me to stray farther and farther (although I kept within range of the QV). Most of my exploring was in an attempt to find access to the Perfume River but I eventually concluded that it was too far away. At one point, I noticed hundreds of birds rising from the trees growing in the moats and asked the guide what they were (he called them cranes). Throughout our time in Hue, I went off on my own to get better views or explore interesting areas. Eventually, though, the rest of the passengers practically revolted with the desire to return to the bus. "Mr. Happy" didn't seem to be in any particular hurry and we wandered back out of the Forbidden City by a strange/circuitous route. With everyone onboard the bus again, we departed at 1330. For my part, I was feeling very waterlogged... We drove for another 15 minutes so we could tour the grounds of the seven level Thien Mu Pagoda, which is located on a bluff above the Perfume River. To visit the iconic structure, though, we had to run a gauntlet of very pushy vendors. I was using my umbrella but my whole body was SO wet that I felt like I might as well peel off my rain gear. The views of the building and the river below were well worth the climb and wetness, though. While "Mr. Happy" talked longer (keeping us in the rain), I decided to return to the bottom of the hill (where the bus was parked) and explored the edge of the river. I saw an interesting “Dragon Boat” shuttle (might have been fun to hire) and then paid to use an antiquated bathroom. Everyone else returned from the tour of the Pagoda but promptly got swept up in the vendor net - most people bought a cheap-knockoff item or two... We finally departed Hue at 1430 and began our return journey to Chan May. The trip was supposed to be 60 minutes but we didn’t end up reaching the ship when we expected. Instead, we detoured (though a mountain tunnel with a lot of traffic) to a jewelry business, Lagoon 2, located on the northwest corner of the An Cu (or Lap An or Lang Co) Lagoon. The guide called this a bathroom break but it was all about sales - another tourist racket. It was already 1600 by the time we arrived and most of us pointed out that we should have been back on the ship - "Mr. Happy" assured us that we'd make it to the Port before Viking Venus departed. And, since Damian was with us, that reassured the crowd a bit and they began shopping. Since I had no interest in buying anything, I walked along the shore of the Lagoon. It had actually stopped raining by then and I got some great photos of the mountains, ocean and some traditional Vietnamese boats. We finally got back on the bus after 20 minutes and then headed back through the mountain tunnel to reach Chan May. Along the way, we passed lots of water buffalos and domestic cows. After arriving at the ship (1650), I boarded and went straight to room so I could attempt to dry off - I was moderately successful. I had time to worked on my travel blog and to call Geraldine (following up on her suggestion to get together for dinner) but had to leave a voicemail. Before Viking Venus left the dock (1730). I completed a pre-tour questionnaire (food order) for Sihanoukville, Cambodia and dropped it off at guest services. At 1800, I went to The Restaurant and got a solo table - before going inside, though, I told the staff at entrance I might be joined by Geraldine. They actually knew who she was (I guess she's been a frequent guest since she got on the ship in Tokyo, weeks ago). For dinner, I ordered the latest iteration of Destination Menu, which was comprised of three courses: Bo Tai Chan, Glazed Pork Tenderloin & Belly, Regal Black Truffle. I had some good Cabernet Sauvignon with my meal, which I consumed rather quickly. Actually, I was just about finished when Geraldine showed up (1945). I'll admit that I was very surprised to see her but we had a nice chat, more wine and caught up on each others’ days. Geraldine ordered some soup and I waited for her to finish before I had my dessert. Everything was delicious. Afterwards (2015), we departed for The Atrium and chatted in some relaxing chairs until the doors of the Star Theater opened for the scheduled performance of an Abba Tribute (2045). Starting at 2100, we watched a good show - the young people replicated the Scandinavian band's look and sound very well. Geraldine and I stayed for 30 minutes and then said goodnight. After returning to my room, I spent the rest of the evening reading and watching a movie - bedtime was at 2230. Despite the wet weather, it was another great day in Vietnam! Next stop = Ho Chi Minh City!
