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Published: March 24th 2007
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As we researched tours to Halong Bay, it became clear that we would have to be extra cautious when signing up for one, since there are so many frauds and scams out there! So we opted for the pricier, but well reviewed, Handspan tour company, which was just up the street from our hotel on Ma May. We walked in hoping to sign up for the 2 day, 1 night trip, but it was fully booked for the next couple of weeks, so we signed up for the 3 day trip with a day set aside for kayaking. I had some reservations - I'm still a bit shaky on my feet, and it is cold and rainy in Hanoi (my new definition of cold is 20 degrees though!) so I wasn't sure about being on the open water in a kayak, but getting out of the city for a couple of days was going to be a welcome break.
We left at 8:30 and drove through Hanoi into the Red River Delta area, passing a wonderful bridge that was designed to look like a dragon's back. Unfortunately, only half of the dragon survived through repeated bombings and re-buildings and
the other half of the bridge is now flat. In the delta, there were acres of rice fields surrounded by the peculiar northern-style houses that are narrow, deep and tall. They make sense in the old quarter of Hanoi, where there are a number of them squeezed together (apparently streetfront property was the most expensive, so owners could only afford to have a sliver of their house facing the road) but it looks a little strange when there's one tall, skinny house surrounded by nothing but green! Soon, unlikely looking stone lumps started appearing in the scenery and we knew we had arrived in karst country. The harbour that we were delivered to was hopping with other tour groups and it was filled with wooden boats that looked like Chinese junks. Our boat was lovely - the staff was great, our cabin was spotless and as cute as a button, and the common areas were comfortable - I was relieved that the trip was going to be what was promised!
Sitting on the top deck we marveled at the view - it wasn't a sunny day (none of them were) so I could only see the closest karsts to
the boat, since the ones that were further away looked soft and indistinct in the mist, like they were painted with watercolours. We were also amazed at the sheer number of other boats - they were a huge part of the scenery for the first part of the afternoon, but as we veered off towards our own destinations, they didn't intrude on the view as much. The karsts are spectacular - limestone rock formed by ancient coral and shellfish skeletons, worn away into interesting shapes, some (surprisingly!) covered in plants, some of them home to wildlife, like monkeys and langurs. We saw brown/golden eagles soaring past and John spotted a flying fish beside the boat.
We arrived at the 'Surprising Cave' later in the afternoon, after most of the other tour groups had cleared out. After a steep climb up, we entered an entered an enormous cave that was redone for visitors - the floor was paved and some formations were lit with coloured lights. Our guide told us some of the cave's stories - many of them featuring a lonely female dragon who bathed in the pools and raised her baby dragons there. We could also see a
laughing buddha and a happy couple on their wedding day in the walls. Yes, there is a surprise, and no, I'm not telling what it is.
Once we were back on the boat, John jumped into the bay for a quick and cold swim! Later, we spent the night in a sort of marine trailer park where all of the other houseboats had put down anchor. The next morning, we made it to Handspan's base camp, where we had a quick kayaking lesson. John was happy that our kayak had a rudder, which made steering easier (this came in handy when we paddled through some of the tunnels in the karsts) and I was happy that they were tandem kayaks, so that I could take breaks from paddling! The kayaking was the highlight of the trip - it was quiet, and we could take a really good look at the scenery as we paddled around and through the karsts.
We spent the afternoon on Cat Ba island, which was a really pleasant spot to spend some time. It's touristy for sure - the waterfront properties are all hotels, and there's a wide walkway beside the bay that's been
redone with topiaries and lit up with fanciful lampposts - but most of the people we passed were friendly and it was a great spot for strolling around. We watched the busy pier for awhile (we were a little nervous for the fellow who picked up his delivery of an unwrapped pane of glass, which his passenger held on his lap as they drove away on their motorcycle) and sat in a cafe drinking coffee with condensed milk. Vietnamese coffee is the best caffeine fix I've had since chai, especially when they use the individual steel filters so that it is good and strong...
TBC...
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