SE Asia 2014 Day 12

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One of the best days ever.

We have breakfast on board (where else?). The boat is moving deeper into Halong Bay. The weather is lovely; the haze of yesterday is gone. Halong Bay is simply one of the most OMG places I've ever seen. Everyone is constantly exclaiming and pointing out incredible scenes. I take so many pictures my trigger finger starts to cramp. Along with the natural beauty, the many boats of various sizes, both tourist boats and fishing boats, add their own charm to the scene.

The big adventure today is sea kayaking. Our tender ferries us to a sea kayaking facility set up for inexperienced tourists such as ourselves. Although I have canoed many times, I have never been in a kayak before. These are 2-person models designed for the sea, but for novices. Our fearless leader, Kien, looks after Violet, while I am paired with Alex, one of the stewards from the boat. It's tight fit for me, but I make it.

We head out as a group. This particular area is renowned for the low tunnels cut right through the islands by natural erosion. We first approach the so-called bat cave, which apparently really does have bats, although I can't see any. Fantastical stalactites thrust downward, some almost to the sea. We then paddle to dark cave, which is almost invisible until you are upon it but then leads through a dark, s-shaped tunnel to a secret lagoon. We float there for several minutes just enjoying the spectacle of sheer cliffs rising all around us and the tranquil call of sea birds. It feels magical in this place, like you've stumbled into the middle of a book.

We continued paddling past many more magnificent sites. Suddenly someone spots something moving on the cliff. It is a family of langurs, a primate (not a monkey) related to the lemur. We move in closer and can see perhaps 10 different individuals of various ages, scampering up the cliffs and vegetation as though it was the easiest thing in the world.

We return on the seaward side of the island, where the gentle swells of the ocean are more in evidence. This has been one of the most memorable experiences of my life.

Back to the kayaking station and then back to the main boat on the tender. We head off again. We are asked if anyone wants to have a swim in the ocean. Yes we do! The ships stops and a handful of us merrily dive off the side of the boat into the thick green water. It is warm and velvety, and very salty.

The boat continues its journey further into Halong Bay, and we are treated to an ever-changing spectacle of incredible rock formations as we enjoy lunch. Many of the islands and cliffs have been given names based on their appearance. There are a number of dragons, a sleeping giant, a crouching frog, and so on.

We have previously spotted small beaches on some islands, nestled at the base of towering cliffs. We stop at one and some of our party, including yours truly, tender over to it. The sand here is soft and warm. Your feet sink about a half inch as you walk because it has not been compacted. In the water, each footstep releases a burst of bubbles, as air trapped underneath escapes. As far as I'm concerned, this proves that we are the first human beings to have set foot on this secret beach.

All along the beach are scattered interesting fragments of marine life: shells ranging in size from small snails to large oyster shells, and several different types of coral. I gather some representative specimens to share with Violet, who has remained on the boat, then go for short swim off the beach. It is an unforgettable experience to lie on one's back in the luxurious green water and gaze upwards at the silent giants staring back.

Back on board, the ship's chef hosts a demonstration of vegetable cutting on the upper deck. Before our eyes, he creates beautiful bouquets of flowers from simple vegetables like carrots, daikon, cucumber, chives, etc. We saw his handiwork yesterday on the shrimp cocktail.

The boat next stops at an island that has a lovely beach which man has obviously had a part in creating. But we're not here to swim, but rather to climb to the top of the mountain. We're not alone, as several other boats have unloaded their passengers as well. There are a few monkeys trying to look underfed (they're not) but we have been warned to stay clear of them. The stairs are pretty good, although broken in a few places. I power up the stairs and get a good burn in the thigh muscles. The curious thing is that someone went to all the trouble to build a stairway all the way up the mountain, and at the top it just stops. There's nowhere to stand except on sharp boulders as everyone jostles for position to take in the magnificent view from the top. Far below, we can see the bay and anchored ships and further out the curious structures of Halong Bay, mysterious in the misty distance. A bonus is that the sun is just starting to set. Sunsets are superb in this area, but short, because the sun disappears quickly this close to the equator.

By the time we make back on board our boat, it's happy hour again, followed by supper and bed.

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