Hai Phong shipyard

We took a little "detour" yesterday afternoon and went for a guided tour of the nation's largest shipyard. It was quite interesting, and there is a quite story behind it, which I won't post online...

So, I’m scared of heights. And of course, what’s the first thing we do? Go up in an open construction crane elevator to the top of a cargo carrier under construction, followed by a large step over open space on to the deck of the ship. I put on a brave face, for Canada. If nobody had been looking, I would have crawled off the elevator.

5,000 people work here, and the plan is to bouble the size of the operation in less than ten years. They're in the midst of building several bulk carriers for the UK right now.

The "scenic" shot is the housing right nextdoor, taken from the bow of one ship under construction. The yard is about 40 km from Halong Bay, so you can see the unique limestone hills in the distance.

I couldn't resist the picture of the welder looking out one of the holes in the hull.