DIAMOND PRINCESS: Day 12--Scenic Cruise of Halong Bay

This scenic cruise on the Diamond Princess of Halong Bay ranks up there with my first view of the Grand Canyon, the fulfilling experience of Niagara Falls and incredible visit to Iguazu Falls on the border of Argentina and Brazil.  This latter waterfall system is the largest system in the world.  Went there 8 years ago:

• 
  has a max flow more than five times that of the Niagara
• is 50% higher
• is three times wider
• has 275 drops versus 3
• is 200,000 years old compared to 12,000
• is a UNESCO World Heritage Site--Niagara Falls not
• but is difficult to reach

Woke up to see another ship next to us.  Just in time, for the Diamond Princess was departing at 7:35 in the morning.

Here are videos of our scenic cruise.

Lunch brought back noodles,

Dinner was again in the Pacific Room.  Ordered only appetizers.

First, salad with Pasta E Fagioli.  Duckhorn Chardonnay.

Duck Liver Paté and Oysters Rockefeller,

The dessert menu,

.

Harvey's Bristol Cream on ice and a cream brulé

Did some karaoke singing.

Ended the night at Skywalkers Night Club.

That Singapore couple continued to dance for more that an hour, usually alone. Walked 4140 steps.

To close, I asked Google AI, what was the strategic importance of Halong Bay during the Vietnam War.

During the Vietnam War, Ha Long Bay's strategic importance stemmed from its labyrinthine limestone islands, providing natural cover for North Vietnamese forces to hide weapons, troops, and conduct surprise attacks, while also serving as a protected naval base and a crucial defensive barrier against sea invasions, though the U.S. heavily mined its channels. Its complex waterways and hidden caves, like Hospital Cave, allowed for covert operations, making it a vital asset for guerrilla warfare and logistics, despite the dangers from naval mining. Halong Bay was bombarded by U.S. bombers and naval ships.

Two facts to close my reportage of Halong Bay:

Tomorrow Never Dies – 1997

Tomorrow Never Dies, a James Bond movie starring Pierce Brosnan as Bond, was originally set to shoot in Ha Long Bay. However, the authorities forbid the movie of filming in Vietnam, thus, production was moved to Thailand. Rumor has it however that the movie did actually shoot in Halong Bay. We will never know.  Except that on further check by me, it appears that the iconic final was actually shot in Phang Nga Bay Thailand.

Halong Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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