Rock the Cat Ba!

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Vietnam is instantly more pleasant than China. As soon as we crossed the border, the toilets became bearable, the people got friendlier, the food gained flavor, and the sky became blue again. My first experiences in Hanoi and Halong Bay were so relaxed and beautiful, it was easy to overlook the street people literally thrusting items into my hands to buy.

Halong Bay is only a few hours away from Hanoi by bus, and has been listed as one of the 7 Natural Wonders. A three day tour package had me swimming in the tropical sea at sunset, hiking in the jungles and climbing through caves on Cat Ba island, kayaking on the ocean between towering limestone pillars, and lots of sun and sand. The food was great, the weather was deliciously hot, and the whole experience was well worth spending several of my few remaining precious days.

Some people had warned me off about how intense the vendors can be in Vietnam and how ripping off tourists is almost a sporting event. It's true that things are many times more expensive for tourists than locals, but prices are still negotiable and my experience haggling thus far in Asia means I can now hold my own against the most ferocious street merchants.

I've bought an 'open' bus ticket, which runs from Hanoi in the north to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in the south and stopping at many places in between. I'll stop a day or two in each place, eventually moving to Cambodia in about 2 weeks or so. Internet is spotty at best, but my classes are almost over and it hasn't been difficult at all to set aside time to take care of business. Even my laptop has somehow survived all the packing and repacking, bus rides and dorm rooms, and even getting drenched with sea water on at least one occasion. All in all, things are proceeding more or less according to plan. Excellent...

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Photos

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Vietnam loves the color green, even the street lights cast an emerald glow over the busy traffic.

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Apparently the mummy of Ho Chi Minh is in here. Everything in Hanoi closes on Monday, so this was all I saw.

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I barely escaped without buying some pineapple.

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The water puppet show was pretty cool, they even had fire breathing dragons!

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Halong bay is full of limestone formations and warm ocean waters.

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The caves on Cat Ba island are great to walk through, they even put in some cool lights!

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Treacherous hiking up slippery slopes in the island jungles.

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Perfect.

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Even just sitting on the boat was really relaxing.

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In Ninh Binh, tiny boats glide through claustrophobic caves under the cliffs.

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It's pretty hot, even in the shade of the caves. Yep, that guy paddles with his feet.

Comments

[linzah]

charlie!
Vietnam by way of photograph absolutely seems somehow more majestic in its natural beauty... By far my favorite set of pictures from the journey :)

[Tim s Excellent Adventure]

charlie!
Thanks... it should be noted that my skills as a photographer have as yet been unchallenged, and so have been improving with experience. Also, Vietnam offers some of the most stunning scenery in SE Asia. Combined, it creates the best collection of pics yet taken by yours truly.