Halong Bay

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I know I said I was going to Hanoi, but in all honesty, I spent 1 night there and less than 24 hours. It was a stopover/junction point at best. Upon arriving I booked a Halong Bay tour. Everyone along the way told me that I need to book it for as cheap as I can no matter what the tour selling people say. Every boat is the same, every tour is the same, so don't get screwed by these guys and their photo books of over marvelous adventures. I heeded the advice, and booked it for $40. 2 days, 1 night. Not bad.

When I booked the tour, I had low expectations in mind. I didn't even ask what tour did, but made sure I wasn't getting screwed on accommodation, food, and entrance fees. They were included, and it was not just rice and beans. Low expectations made for an unbelievable time when it came. I didn't realize Halong Bay was on another planet. Just 3.5 hours from Hanoi and you enter a new realm.

There was a big boat waiting for about 18 of us at the dock. It pushed off and we were on our way. The thousands of islands lay just 40 minutes off of the coast. Towering masses of 90 degree rock, mostly covered in jungle green. It had a very similar feel to Machu Picchu, except you fill in the valley with limestone green water and have just the tips of the mountains protruding. Our first stop was a jam packed bay with many many boats piled together. Let the tourism begin. I did not know the itinerary and was very pleasantly surprised to find that we were going into a giant cavern with stalagmites and stalactites. We filed through the opening one by one and walked into yet another realm. Fluorescent lights were placed in varying spots to give off spectacular colors inside the cave. Only 1 hour into the trip and I was giddy.

We returned to the boat and continued a lazy ride around many other islands and escaped many of the other boats. Everyone had cameras at hand and were snapping off photos. Hundreds of photos were taken and they all probably look the same. Although it was majestic, it was difficult to capture properly. We came up on a fishing village where an extra addition to the tour was available. Taking a wooden boat through a hole in the rock wall to a secluded "lake" surrounded on all sides by 200-300 foot walls. A few of us opted for this and it was an amazing place to take a swim.

The rest of the day was a lazy sunbathing afternoon, as we were treated to blue skies and very little clouds. So far on in Vietnam, I have experienced very little rain, which is surprising. We had wonderful meals served to us throughout they day, and got treated to a beautiful sunset on the water. Nighttime was no slouch either. Brilliant stars stretched across a cloudless sky and a small moon dipped rapidly below the horizon. I called it an early night while others partied. I had plans for an early morning sunrise on Halong Bay.

5 am. Not so bad in Halong. It was not the most colorful sunrise, but it awoke another beautiful day in Vietnam. I was the first one on the top deck taking photos before a few other stragglers made it out. It got progressively more beautiful as the sun rose. After a quick nap in the shade I was ready for another day in the sun. We worked our way back through the islands to a sea kayaking site. It was short lived, but allowed us to explore some spots on our own. It was sad to say goodbye to Halong Bay, but I had another overnight bus to catch. I barely made it in time.

Sapa was next on my list.

footnote: the staff for the boat was horrendous. Everyone felt hated with every stare and half yell from the old woman on board. Her side kick captain, was not much better either. I did not get spit on, but I was waiting for it. The workers at the kayak station were no better. They played control freaks and stopped people from jumping in the water and when 1 group was late, Dad and Son jumped into their own kayak with the 10 year old screaming at the tourists. They made one of the westerners swim back to the boat after he exited the kayak and got a little muddy, even though the water had washed it off.

I can't get pictures to upload. sorry.

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Photos

Funky Photo
Night photo of a rocking boat, from a rocking boat.