Published: May 23, 2007
HANOI, Vietnam
Fact of the Day: “A
Vietnamese fable says that the towering limestone-karsts rock
formations at Ha Long were formed with the crash landing of a
dragon sent by the prehistoric gods of early Vietnamese animism to
protect the country from an invading navy.” – Frommer’s
Vietnam
With little over 72 hours left in their historic journey through
Vietnam, the St. John’s volleyball team took an excursion North of
Hanoi to one of UNESCO’s world heritage sites, Ha Long Bay. The
squad, along with the study abroad students, spent Tuesday night on
a cruise ship docked in the emerald waters of Ha Long Bay. After
watching the sunrise, the group headed back to Hanoi for the Red
Storm’s final day in Vietnam.
The Red Storm woke up rather early Tuesday to pack their bags,
eat breakfast, check out of the hotel and board the bus for the
four hour trek to Ha Long Bay. The bus drove through the beautiful
Vietnamese countryside, giving the team an opportunity to see
individuals working in the fields with a mountain range in the
distance.
Halfway through the bus ride, the group stopped at a handmade
crafts store to stretch and do some shopping. Even out in the
middle of what seemed like nowhere, the Red Storm continued their
celebrity status as the artisans smiled and got excited for the
chance to talk to the silver medalists. Libero Kathleen
Yee (Honolulu, Hawaii) was even woken up from her nap to go
sign autographs and greet her fans.
Then it was back on the bus for the second leg of the trip to Ha
Long Bay. Driving on the main street through Ha Long City was just
like driving through the beach towns of Long Island and New Jersey.
Hotels lined the street along with restaurants and gift shops. When
the team arrived at the dock, they took a tender to the cruise
ship, which was reminiscent of a Mississippi River steamboat. Once
on board the Emeraude, the group immediately claimed their lounge
chairs and began to take in the sun. It wasn’t long before head
coach
Joanne Persico-Smith brought out her iPod and speakers and
began playing music for all the boat to hear.
Located in the Gulf of Tonkin, Ha Long Bay is covered with 3000
limestone islands, some of which are inhabited and only 1000 of the
islands are named.
The first stop on the cruise was to the Surprise Cave.
Discovered in 1901 by the French, the Surprise Cave was used by the
Viet Cong as a hideout during the war with the United States.
After exploring the cave, the squad took the tender back to the
cruise ship for more sun and relaxation before swimming and
kayaking in the bay. Several groups opted to kayak through the
emerald waters trying to find caves and grottos of their own to
explore. The swimming continued for quite some time afterwards as
the boat docked for the night. Patti
Hardimon (Honolulu, Hawaii) and Elizabeth
Austin (Kansas City, Mo.) turned the second deck into a diving
board, which started quite a trend. Many of the travelers braved
the jump including Persico-Smith and assistant coach Mario
Trebit, though it did take quite some time and encouragement
for Persico-Smith to take the leap.
Dinner followed shortly after and then most of the group chose
to go squid fishing with the crew, but due to the winds, the trip
was cancelled. Instead, they fished off the back of the boat. The
next morning, Dana
DeMayo (Ra’anana, Israel) and a couple of her teammates watched
the sunrise over the peaks of Ha Long Bay. The Emeraude docked at
the mainland around 10 a.m., and then it was time to head back to
Hanoi.
While on the cruise, athletic trainer Jennifer
Hamilton checked in with RedStormSports.com to post the team’s
12th daily journal entry. To view her postcard, click
here.
After checking back into the Hanoi Horison Hotel, the group ate
lunch at the café. After lunch, some of the ladies went shopping in
the Old Quarter, while the rest of the team continued their rest
and relaxation poolside.
The Red Storm’s final night in Vietnam was brought to a close
with a viewing of the Thang Long Water Puppet show. The puppeteers
performed 17 vignettes of daily life in the countryside and ancient
tales, including the legend of Hoan Kiem Lake and the peaceful
founding of the city of Hanoi. It is quite unique how the
puppeteers use bamboo poles to extend the puppets up through the
surface of a small pond that is the stage.
Tomorrow, the Red Storm will depart Vietnam for good and travel
the three plane rides and 24 hours back to New York City.
Before packing, Persico-Smith logged on to RedStormSports.com to
post the team’s 13th and final journal entry from Vietnam. To view
her postcard, click
here.
– Red Storm –