Monday 29th June 2009 Halong Bay

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Monday 29th June 2009 Halong Bay
We were picked up at about 8.30 which wasn’t too bad, getting a bit more used to getting up early these days and were put into a very cramped minibus to bring us the 3 hour drive along with obligatory 30 minute stop in some godforsaken souvenir shop to Halong Bay.. Halong Bay is a huge Bay obviously full of Halongs, no it is really a bay scattered with about 2000 limestone islands of varying size. It’s a sight to put up there with the Grand Canyon, especially I’d say if you could see it from the air. We were to explore a big wooden Junker boat tough so we boarded and headed off for 6 hours sailing around the bay.

I wasn’t immediately taken by the area, again built up too much I suppose but once you get in amongst the islands themselves the place takes on a new affection. There are just so many of the islands and rock formations and sheer limestone cliffs. Very photogenic indeed and for the first time since we have reached the north the sun was belting down so it was a very pleasant day. We stopped in the appropriately named amazing cave on one of the islands which for lack of another synonym was truly amazing. It was huge, full of the geography teacher’s favorite stalagmites and stalactites. The scale of it was its most impressive feature though. The Alawee caves look like a hallway compared to this.

The cruise then continued on through a little floating fishing village where people actually live on flotillas in the bay and then we all sat down for some lunch. We had an alright crew. Three good fun Canadian girls, an English couple and another English guy who was finishing up his 10 week around the world trip, sounded like a bit of a rush to us. The food was actually pretty good again, we did pay for the better trip though which does include a better menu though, but it was fresh and tasty. Then it was time to sit up on deck and drink beer in the sunshine and beautiful surroundings. Not a bad afternoon. Our last stop then was some sea kayaking around another village. We weren’t looking forward to this too much as we had heard form several people that the water is absolutely filthy, apparently at night all the junkers that are in the bay just empty all the sewage and waste into the ocean. I dint plan on getting too wet, also the water is full of pretty big jelly fish which will give you a pretty nasty sting. John and Claire’s trip had several such stings. It actually turned out to be a very pleasurable little excursion though, the water had a few plastic bottles and bits of rubbish in it but not too much waste, still didn’t fancy a dip into it especially with the jellies who were all around the kayak but we managed to stay dry in the craft for our half our leisurely paddle around. After the kayaking it was homeward bound so up on deck again for a while before it started feeling too hot and then we just chilled in the cabin till be came ashore for our 3 hour drive home.

It was after 8pm by the time captain slow eventually got us back to Hanoi so we dropped off our stuff and headed out for some food. Fast-food was the craving of the hour and in the absence of McDs we found this nice Italian and burger chain called pepperonis which fitted the bill nicely.

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