Halong Bay

What I am sure will be the most incredible part of our journey and was Halong Bay. Tama and Helah (aunts) both said it was well worth the money and they weren't wrong. For $256 per person we spent 3 days/2 nights with 3 other couples on a Junk Boat. Besides the scenery we were fed on average 6 course meals, 3 times per day. Billy and I chose the "Off the Beaten Path" option. Unfortunately the weather was a bit chilly the second and third day so we choose not to kayak but the tour guide and captain still made sure we didn't miss a beat.

There are over 3,000 limestone islets over 1,500 km which in 1994 was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As part of their efforts to keep it pristine the floating fishing villages and their residents are being employed by the government and operators of junk boat tour companies to clean and remove garbage, replant mango trees, and move out of caves and into the villages.

On the first day we went kayaking around two islets and spent about 1.5 hours out on the water. We stopped at a beach just to feel the sand between our toes and look at coral. Billy and I laughed through much of the time since we couldn't keep our kayak straight. Billy was supposed to follow my lead and stick to my cadence, but he often paddled to his own beat. We would have to say "left, left, left" to get us to turn right, or vice versa.

On the second day the weather was chilly so as a boat we opted against kayaking. In the morning as an alternative we traveled to a floating fishing village of 15 families. We had tea with the village "mayor" and visited the primary and grade school classrooms. After singing with the children we embarked on a two hour paddle boat tour of lagoons and other islets. Billy and I had a boat to ourselves with an incredible boy of about 15 paddling.

After our tour of the village we returned to the boat where we left for lunch on the beach. The cook and his assistant grilled shrimp, fish, chicken, and beef all on the water. We also participated in beach cleanup.

Since the weather was still cold in the afternoon we returned to the boat for a little R&R as we sailed through the bay. Dinner brought another six course meal of fresh Vietnamese salad, shrimp, fish, beef, pork, vegetables, rice, and fresh fruit. It was the birthday of one gentleman from Canada so we spent the night entertaining each other with songs. Neither Billy or I sang but the voices of other members was incredible. The young sound engineer from Australia had a voice like Lauren Hill, and one of the Canadian women sand to us in French. Even though we couldn't understand Vietnamese the emotions transcended any language.

Billy and I retired early for the evening since he felt a cold coming on, which he is still fighting.

The final morning we took a boat to an islet which had a cave. Until a few years ago the cave housed 15 families, including our tour guide's uncle, grandmother, and cousin. His uncle didn't want to leave so he lives on his own near the cave. On our way back to the bay that morning we waved goodbye to his uncle. The cave reminded me of Murphys since the stalactites and stalagmites were beautiful and all named.

We shared wonderful experiences with our fellow travelers and picked their brains on where to go next, places to stay, how best to travel, etc. One particular couple from outside Ontario, Louie and Helen, we were particularly found of. Louie accidentally fell in the water on our first day and got his camera wet. Fortunately we lent him our backup, but after looking at photos from both cameras Billy decided that we needed a new camera.

There were some photos taken of the children in school that Louie has which I will get copies of and have framed. Children seen to be my soft spot for photographs since I love to people watch and see how everyone moves throughout the city.

We are both found of architecture so you will notice quite a few photos from our drives of homes. Even Vietnam suffered a housing bust and we saw half finished homes, or just the shell.

A couple on our boat who had traveled to Africa, Europe, Korea, Japan, and China said that Halong Bay has been their favorite. I hope everyone enjoys it just as much as we did, although photos don't do it justice.