Northern Vietnam - Hanoi & Halong Bay

We arrived in the grand old dame of the Orient, Hanoi is the most graceful, atmoshperic and captivating capital city. A mass of motorbikes swarms through the tangles web of streets that is the Old Quarter where we stayed and used as a base to Halong Bay and Sapa. We walked the narrow streets of Hanoi checking out the food markets and hiring a cyclos to get around when our legs got tired. This is a little carriage attached to a bike that we pay someone to peddle us around. Great way to manouver through the streets.

Halong Bay was next our sights to see in the north to the next morning we ventured out on a 3 day tour of this amazing natural wonder. Majestic and masterious, inspiring and imperious - words cannot alone do justice to the natural wonder that is Halong Bay, where 3000 or more incredible islands rise from the emerald water of the Gulf of Tonkin. The vegetation covered islands are dotted with many grottoes created by the wind and waves. Ha Long means 'where the dragon descends into the sea.' Legend says that the islands of Halong Bay were created by a great dragon that lived in the mountains.
We were picked up at our hotel in Hanoi and drove 3.5 hrs to Halong City where we boarded our junk (boat) for that would be our home for the next 3 days. Phoenix deluxe it was called and deluxe it was :) Amy and I shared a cabin that looked straight out onto the water. 15 of us loaded onto the junk and we set sail straight away....while sailing through the Gulf of Tonkin (off the north shores of Vietnam). The food on this cruise was absolutely amazing, more than enough food for an entire week. They served us Veg soup, pork with pepper, steamed prawns, stirfried squid, fried tuna in tomato sauce, mixed veg and rice.
After lunch we boarded a smaller boat which took us to visit a large cave because it was geared at those tourist who just did the one day tour. It was still great to see the cave and do a bit of kayaking but the adventure on the next day definitely showed up the first day. We headed back to the boat around 4pm for red wine and fresh fruit served on the top deck. Everyone on the boat was mid 20-40 so at this point we were just getting to know everyone. The deck staff said we could go swimming and I immediately asked if we could jump off the top deck (about 20-20ft to the water) thinking they were going to say 'no'.....then I thought hey, I'm in Vietnam, there are no rules here as they answered my question with a, 'yes'! So we did a bit of jumping off our junk into the sea....Around all of the junks parked in the area for the night there are small row boats that have everything from chips, to smoked fish, to BEER. So I thought it would be nice to float with a beer...I shouted everyone in the water a beer and then the rest of the party came to join us while we floated drinking beer and watching the sun set in the horizon in Halong Bay. Playing with a local boy who was on his Mom's shop boat selling us the beer while feeding us smoked fish....it was a pretty cool experience. The little boy was supposed to be doing his homework which I was very impressed that in the middle of the sea, with no actual land cities, this boy goes to school. She actually showed us his work!!! After a few beers floating and fun with the locals it was time for another massive meal consisting of seafood soup, deep fried tofu with egg, fresh spring rolls, steamed prawn, crab meat stuffed in a crab shell, steams clams with lemomgrass, stirfried chicken with mushrooms, fried beed with pepper and the list goes on!!! We finished the evening with drinks on the roof top as we listen to the sound of karaoke on some of the other boats...

The next day Amy and I boarded a small boat with our guide Tuan.....paid for a tour and got a private tour for the day. There was only one other couple we saw the entire day as we kayaked through Cat Ba National Park. We sailed for an hour in the morning on our own boat, then kayaked through a 100m dark cave with only a headlamp as light as bats swooped by our faces, eventually to come to a beautiful lagoon type enclosure which is home to various species of monkey which we were lucky enough to spot a few of one kind. We kayaked through two more shorter caves and then sat in a turquiose lagoon mesmorize by the beauty and tranquility of the peaceful waters and surroundings...I though for a moment that I had been transported to Jurassic Park....without the dinasours of course..
We jumped out of the Kayaks and went for a little float in the lagoon before making our way in the kayaks to Van Gia one of the largest floating fishing villages in the area. It had about 1000 people living in this village that reminded me of waterworld. These kids have probably never kicked a soccer ball or ran faster than a slow jog....it was amazing to see. It was very good to hear that the kids do go to a local floating school there. They get up in the morning and row across to their school....Our private boat was waiting for us here where we had another amazing lunch with endless seafood. We relaxed on the boat and swam around before mingling with the locals who would come visit us on there little row boats. I even got delivered a cafe surda (Iced coffee). What service :)
On the way back to our big boat we hiked a few minutes to another cave that looked as if no tourist had ever stepped foot in it and they guide said very few had...I think we definitely lucked out on this day.....private tour, sunny weather, a little breeze to give us a break from the humidity and a perfect guide and surroundings.
That evening there was a tropical storm after we all stuffed ourselves and went to bed. It was amazing to wake up in the middle of the night and go outside to see the heaviest rain fall I'd ever seen.
The next morning we cruised through the islands with a little rain back to the port where we drove back to Hanoi.