March 16 to 19, 2012, en route, Ha Long Bay, Viet Nam: Even The Albatross Walked
Having sailed from Shanghai's Cruise Terminal pier on the Huangpu River at 11:00pm on March 15, by the morning of March 16, we had turned south from the Yangtze estuary into the East China Sea. There was dense fog (from the bridge camera you could not make out the bow) with light mist, and temperatures in the 50s Deg F. Not exactly a good day for lounging on the pool deck. The ship's course was to take us south southwest through the East China Sea, Taiwan Strait, South China Sea, around the southern tip of Hainan Island and northwest through the Tonkin Gulf (have not heard about that place in a while) to Haiphong.
The fog, with varying degrees of density, would stay with us until we reached Ha Long Bay, and it would play a role in extending our voyage by over 8 hours.and changing our port of arrival in Viet Nam from Haipong to Ha Long Bay. Our problems began on the afternoon of March 16, when the ship changed course from south to west toward the China coast. The Captain announced that one of the crew had become critically ill (rumoured to be a heart attack) and would have to be medivaced to a Chinese hospital (What a thrilling thought!). Because of the fog, it was impossible to use a helicopter, and we were being met by a Chinese Coast Guard cutter from Wenzhou. Later that evening, the cutter came alongside and the transfer was successfully completed. The crewman is reported to be recovering.
The Whisper returned to its original southward course toward the Taiwan Strait, but later that night, another medical emergency occured, when a passenger's heart condition worsened (another rumour), and he could no longer be treated on board. Again, because the dense fog made air medivac impossible, the ship diverted to a Chinese port (Fuzhou) and evacuated the passenger in the port. This whole business occured in the early hours of the morning of 17 March -- Happy St. Patrick's Day!
We were now 12 hours behind schedule and well off course along the China coast. Changes in itinerary and schedule were obviously going to be forthcoming. On the morning of the 18th, the Captain announced that we would skip Haiphong and proceed directly to Ha Long Bay. This engendered a J & E crisis. We were scheduled to leave the Silver Whisper in Haiphong for a six-day tour of northwestern Viet Nam, including Dien Bien Phu and Lao Cai. With the help of Norman, the ship's hotel director, using the ship's satellite phone, we finally contacted someone at A&K on an emergency number (it was Saturday in Chicago and Sunday in Southeast Asia, of course) and informed them of the change. They assured us that their Bangkok office would contact us with a revised plan, and not to worry. (A good rule-of-thumb is to really worry when someone tells you "not to worry.")
Twenty-four hours later, we are in the Tonkin Gulf west of Hainan Island approaching Ha Long Bay and not an email, fax or phone message has arrived from A&K Bangkok or for that matter A&K anywhere! (Not to worry -- right.) So, thanks to Norm, it is back on the Sat phone to Chicago and Bangkok. Finally, as we are anchoring in Ha Long Bay, about 1:00pm 19 March, the ship receives a call from our A&K Vietnamese guide that he and the driver were waiting for us at the pier in Bai Chay, Halong City, and we are to meet them there when we clear customs and a tender is available to take us ashore. Crisis resolved - sort of.
Somehow the beauty of Ha Long Bay on a junk as in "IndoChine" was lost in the dense fog and mist, but we were anchored, cleared, and disembarked to begin our 6-day, minus one, shore adventures in northwest Viet Nam. Those adventures are the subject of forthcoming blogs -- aren't you lucky!
Ha Long Bay in the Fog
Ha Long Bay in More Fog
Bridge at Halong City, Still in Fog
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