Day Twelve - Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay

Halong Bay (Dragon Bay) and Bai Tu Long Bay (Baby Dragon Bay)

Our trip into Halong Bay (Dragon Bay) and Bai Tu Bay (Baby Dragon Bay) didn't disappoint. The scenery was at once breathtaking, inspiring and peaceful. There are nineteen hundred Karst Limestone Islands in the two bay's. Our time was spent kayaking two separate times with one stopping at a beautiful spit of beach where we swam for a hour.  We also had dinner in a cave. All of the breakfasts, lunches and dinners were very interesting and quite good.

Martha's Notes:
A 2-hour kayak trip in 100 degree heat mid-day.  Chuck and I didn't kill each other, so we'll call it a success!  My hips, arms, and wrists ached and reminded me that I have arthritis, which I had kind of forgotten on this trip.  The heat and exercise together made me feel sick, and I spent the afternoon in the cabin trying to sleep.  I felt bad, because the boat was cruising the bay all afternoon, and I missed everything.

Our cave dinner was amazing, although I probably didn't appreciate it as much as I might have, since the heat was still bothering me.  146 steps up to the cave, and I was dripping with sweat again.  My showers that I had taken that day didn't last long.

I woke up at 6:30 am on our final day on the boat feeling like hell.  My body ached, both from the awful bed and the kayaking and climbing we had done the previous day.  The heat was already oppressive and my journal read like this:  "My  hips ache, my head aches, my neck aches.  I don't ever feel like going outdoors again.  I am tired of sweating. I  am tired of humidity.  I am tired of traveling.  I want to stay in one place.  I am ready to go home."  The morning's activity was to take a boat ride through a fishing village.  I excused myself and stayed in the air conditioning.

While I gave myself some quiet time in the cabin, Chuck spent some time talking to a young man on the crew about the effects of the wars that Vietnam had been in.  The young man, like all the others we had talked to, was fast to reassure Chuck that the  past was in the past, and that things were better now.

Our plotted positions on the way from Hanoi to Halong Bay

Traditional Vietnamese Water Puppet Show

During the trip down to Halong Bay and our boat, -our driver took us to lunch and a Traditional Water Puppet Show.

Click on the image below to see a video of the Water Puppet show. Make sure you view it in full screen (lower right of the video window).

Halong and Bai Tu Long Bay

Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay are World Heritage Parks. They defy description by mere words. I'll let the video and photos do the talking.

Click on the image below to see a video of our boat trip on Halong Bay. Make sure you view it in full screen (lower right of the video window).

Our plotted position while on Halong and Bai Tu Long Bays

Click on the image below to see a slide show of some of photos from our boat trip 

As part of our Halong cruise we were treated to dinner in Cat Ba Cave. Ca Ba Island is in Bai Tu Long Bay (Baby Dragon Bay).   

Click on the image below to see a video of our Cat Ba Cave Dinner. Make sure you view it in full screen (lower right of the video window).

Vital Statistics

Date - Tuesday, September 29

High Temperature - 95 degrees, Heat Factor 110 degrees

Kayaked - 2 hours (mid-day)

Day Eleven - Arrival at Halong Bay

We finally arrived at Halong Bay at 13:20 (local). We are now in the passenger terminal waiting to board our junk. I am looking forward to relaxing with an umbrella drink on deck.

The photo below was our only image of the Bay as we approached by car.

Martha's Notes:

We finally got on board the boat about 1:30 or 2 pm, and cruised into the bay for a couple of hours.  We anchored around 4 for the night and Chuck and I joined in the kayak adventure with the rest of the passengers.  We had a little difficulty, as we've never kayaked together.  But we made it.  Sadly, Chuck got his foot caught trying to get out of the kayak and onto a ladder back onto the boat.  He twisted his knee, adding one more injury to his list.  

We had dinner and drinks after the kayaking.  Our dinner included morning glory salad with chicken, oyster cakes, boiled shrimp, steamed rice, noodles, clams and fish.  After dinner, we had drinks and visited with the other passengers.  I think Chuck really enjoyed having people who speak English around, so he could share some of our stories from the trip.

The other passengers on the trip are:  a retired couple from Australia who live near the ocean and travel extensively in their "caravan"; two young women from New Zealand, one a teacher and one radiologist, I think; a family of six -- the grandparents live in Australia, and their daughter, her husband and their two children live in Hong Kong- he was a computer guy; a family of four from Australia - the husband was a construction worker and the wife was a nurse; and a couple from Canada who were retired geologists.

It was a little disappointing when they shut down the bar and all the lights and there was nothing to do but go to bed at 10 pm.  We went to sleep quickly, though.  Unfortunately, the beds on the boat were harder than any bed I've ever slept in and I tossed and turned all night trying to get comfortable.

Vital Statistics

Date - Monday, September 28

High Temperature - 93 degrees, Heat Factor- 105 degrees

Day Eleven - Halong Bay - Transit to the Bay

Today we embark on what should be the most beautiful part of the trip, Halong Bay. We leave for a four hour drive to the vast at 07:40 (local). The background photo of this blog is a net photo of the Bay.

This entire area of Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay is a "World Heritage Park."  I have read that this is one the top diving places in Vietnam. 

I understand that there is some pollution near marina areas do to the Japanese tsunami. Reportedly the vast bay is clear of debris and quite beautiful. There will be lots of photos.

Martha's Notes:

Our trip to Halong Bay was by shuttle (a passenger van).  We were on the van with a family of four from Australia and two young women from New Zealand.  Along the way to the Bay, we stopped for a rest stop at a workshop for disabled people where they made and sold artwork.  They did not allow photographs, so we can only share the photo of our purchase there -- a small Happy Buddha!

Our second stop was a village where we were treated to a water puppet show portraying rice farming in Vietnam.  We then had lunch with multiple courses -- shrimp cakes, banana leaf salad, steamed rice, noodles, morning glory greens and french fries.