Ha Long Bay - A New World Wonder

"You must see Ha Long Bay!" the Vietnamese woman screamed at us. She worked in the hotel next to ours, arranging Ha Long Bay tours, and resembled a small cyclone (see previous post). "Now there is storm but in two days should be fine but just in case don't book anything! You must, must see Ha Long Bay!" We nodded a lot and assured her no no, we would not be booking a bus or a train away from Hanoi until we were sure the tour would go ahead. She smiled a lot and raved about the beauty of the bay and kept shouting "don't book anything!" until we were out of the door. She wasn't wrong about the bay, it is one of the most stunning sights you will ever see.

Ha Long Bay

A New World Wonder

The storm did eventually clear and our tour went ahead so after two days in Hanoi we found ourselves embarking from Ha Long dock on a mini cruise ship and sailing to the jagged shapes of the rocks on the horizon. Rocky islands of all shapes and sizes loom out of the still waters of the bay. The maze is so vast and complicated that even with the swarms of tourists that visit everyday the bay can manage to be quiet and serene. Sheer rock faces towered above us, densely wooded and untouched by humans. When the sun went down the islands became alive with the familiar sound of crickets and the water around us glistened from the lights of the nearby boats. When we awoke on our second day we could pull back the curtains and watch the majestic scenery glide past. Sometimes the rocks were so close they loomed large over us, casting deep shadows across the boat. Sitting on the top deck of the boat was breathtaking as well, as the engine chugged along we sat, mouths agape, waiting for it to maneuver round yet another jut of rock, anxious to see what further beauties lay on the other side.

We were lucky on our tour, having heard toe-curling tales of rip-off cruises with rats and peeping toms. Our boat was lovely, two floors of cabins, a restaurant and bar and a top deck with loungers for taking in the view. Our cabin was nice enough and the view from it was incredible, not only did we have huge windows that dominated one wall we had a decent balcony that stuck right out of the stern, allowing a sweeping view of the rocks as they dwindled into the distance.
On board we ate every kind of seafood imaginable, so much so that we were sick of it by the end. We had fried prawns and fish basted in all sorts of tasty sauces. There was chewy squid with vegetables and whole crabs seasoned with lemon. Our tour guide for the two days was great too. He was an energetic young man optimistically named "Quan" by his parents, meaning soldier, in the hope that this would guide his career choice. I don't know how they felt about the fact that he changed his name to "Happy", spiked up his hair and became a tour guide, but he certainly lived up to his new name.

All at Sea

The floating village

There were also plenty of activities to do en route. Our first stop at a floating village allowed the opportunity to kayak. We set out, in a double kayak again, through the chaos of a small floating dock, dodging fishing boats and cruise ships alike and glided towards a cluster of islands. A cave opening in the rock like a wide mouth led us through into a sheltered bay within a circle of rock. Up close we could see the craggy, unforgiving nature of the vertical cliff-face and the birds and insects wheeling about, the only creatures capable of inhabiting such a place. The floating village was a strange place. It was incredible to see people living in such confinement; a wooden house and bit of decking is all they have to call their own. You can't exactly storm out and go for a walk if you have an argument with a family member. The people there are driven into the bay because of their poverty, they can't afford any land for their home so they are forced to build one in the bay. It must be strange to live somewhere so many people are desperate to see and to see so much wealth glide past everyday when you have so little. There is a school and a bank, and lots of tiny boats to get between them all. It looks sort of idyllic until you think of the remoteness, the sanitary conditions and the fact that when there's a storm they have to flee to land and pray there'll be a house there waiting for them when they return.

Surprising Cave

In the evening we stopped near Cat Ba, a vast island that houses a national park. Here we swam in the warm salty sea, Theo leaping off the top deck of the boat while I clambered carefully down the steps. On the second day we visited Surprising Cave, discovered and named by the French. Starting small the three parts of the cave, situated halfway up a massive island protruding out of the bay, became larger and well, more and more surprising. The last part is a vast deep hole that winds far back into the rock. It doesn't feel at all claustrophobic however as steps lead up to a wide mouth way up the cliff face through which the sunlight pours. The rock shapes inside the caves are fascinating, having been shaped by gradually descending sea levels. The ceiling looks like it's been gone over with an ice cream scoop and Happy showed us all sorts of interestingly shaped rocks; the Happy Buddha, the elephant and the turtle who, it is said, grants long life if you pat his head and leave him money. Up at the cave mouth we had a view out over a shimmering section of bay. We could see the white cruise ships drifting like tiny ducks among the picture perfect scene, all blue sea and green slopes and jagged peaks.

Cruise ships in Ha Long Bay at night

You Must See Ha Long Bay!

We were sad to leave that afternoon as we waited for the small boat to take us back to shore. We chatted for the last time with the other tourists, some English, Danish, French Canadian, Chinese and Vietnamese. The Vietnamese couple tried to teach us a card game which was interesting as we couldn't speak a word of each other's languages. Theo and I just sat there holding hands of cards, throwing in random cards when prompted receiving either smiling nods or shrieks of derision. Eventually they just took over and played for us, until we won because they'd totally forgotten about their own hands. Back on dry land it was all over too quickly and we had to wave goodbye to the fleeting luxury we had enjoyed as cruise-goers, a totally alien experience for both of us. All I can say in conclusion is, if you're ever in this part of the world "You must see Ha Long Bay!"