September 6, 2024
Sea Trials were done yesterday and today!
Map shows the Odyssey leaving the dock yesterday afternoon and doing Sea Trials. They got a late start on test due to tugboat issues. They had to dock Ship in the sea overnight and complete the test this morning. No significant deficits were reported. We are now just waiting for ALL AGENCY to do their final reports and sign off! Insurance company is keeping all residents off Ship, until this is complete.
Hope to get update tomorrow to see if I should fly back to Ireland Tuesday night, to be part of Inaugural Sail on Wednesday 9/11/24.
I had dubbed this the Fun Tour of Vietnam! We could have gone to all the historic war memorials and museums, and I totally respect and am grateful to All those who gave so much. I just didn't want that, to be my only insight into Vietnam and it's lovely people. In the morning, we again explored more of the village and our room stay included a huge buffet breakfast. We checked out by 10:30 am and took the cable car back down by 11 am to meet our driver and head to our next stop.
Ba Na Hills was so special, I took so many photo's! Here's more from the Golden Bridge or Cau Vang. One of the perks of staying at the Resort is that the last cable rides down for day visitors is 6pm and the first cable rides don't start back up till 7 am. So hotel guest get to explore the park without tons of guest. We could have gotten up at 6am to see bridge at sunrise, but directionally it's off and I took so many pictures at sunset, I didn't see the need for more!
Ba Na Hills is Bananas WoW, in the best way!! Let me try and explain. There is n o way you imaging a place like this, when you think about travel to Vietnam! A resort atop a Mountain, high in the clouds/fog, far above the city limits of Da Nang . Accessible only by cable cars, on stretches so long, it's in the Guinness World Records . Built to look like a French Medieval Village complete with Versailles style fountains and the Louvre pyramid and a Golden Bridge suspended by Giant Hands hanging off the side and carved Mount Rushmore like sculptures into the supporting rock faces. It's an Instagram wonder!