Ha Long Festival Day

After being out on the bay for the morning I was now not sure what to do for the rest of the day. I walked down the promenade and noticed a more Western looking place and went in hoping that I might get some ideas about what to do next. After a little lunch I talked with some of the workers and it was clear that other than going out on the bay or getting a massage that there is not a lot of other things to do here. However, this was going to be a festival day. I walked on down to the festival and parade route. There was a neat stage and clearly a viewing stand. There were also some floats and more and more people were showing up. Not only to see the parade; but also to be in the performance. Some of the outfits were pretty outrageous. I was amazed that you could get so many people to dress up as flames, or bamboo shoots and I think some people were lumps of coal.

As it was getting closer to 4 PM I stationed myself close to the grandstand. Being a westerner and a little taller helps in this kind of situation but I still had to struggle like many others to get a good view as the crowd changed. There was a 2 hour performance starting out with traditional drumming, local pop singers, and dance routines and in the background on the boats dragons. The dragons were incredible. There were two sets and they did choreographed dances. Ha Long is descending dragon and the islands are seen as the humps of dragon sticking out of the water. I, of course, was the only Westerner in my group but I felt very welcomed and part of the group. After a while many of the people had to leave to be in the parade. Many of the people wanted me to be in pictures with them. I think that this was one of the best parades that I have ever seen.

Afterward, my usual luck and knack for publicity held up. I was asked by the local TV to be interviewed for the Westerner’s take on the proceeding. So next week I could be on TV here in Vietnam.

There was a fireworks show coming up and so I stayed for it. I had a good meal at a nice restaurant and I called Cuong to let him know I was ok. I waited outside with a new group of Vietnamese who want to know what I am doing here in Vietnam. Everyone is impressed that I know any Vietnamese. Finally the show begins and it was nearly an hour long and the best fireworks I had ever seen. The final blast of fireworks ended with the music of Dvorak’s, New World Symphony. This piece was written nearly one hundred years ago by a European impressed with the USA and now I think that in many ways the baton of the New World is being passed.

I knew that it was a long way to my hotel but I had hoped to get a taxi to take me there. However, with so many people this was not possible and I walked with thousands of people for nearly an hour to get back to my hotel a little after midnight. This was one of my most fun days here in Vietnam.

More on Ha Long soon.