Travel Diary

Setting the alarm a little early gave us time to grab some breakfast. They did a fine job with the arrangement. A cook was even making fresh items and ensuring coffee was aplenty. That said, it was wise to go easy on coffee since a 4-hour bus ride was in front of us. Big busses have bathrooms. Little busses have nothing. Well, maybe you could bring a small bottle if you're somewhat daring.

The bus arrived and we were off, heading to...well, pick up other passengers. It made sense. After several stops, the small bus was full and heading east to the coast. Frequent stops were made at toll booths and/or checkpoints. The passengers were quite talkative, including an Australian man who chatted a mile a minute, while his wife and daughter remained stone cold silent. Later, several people would comment on this fact.

After about two hours, we stopped at a halfway point. It was a welcome break since I had had to use the restroom pretty much immediately after leaving Hanoi. While there, we had some coffee and stretched the legs. Then, it was back on the road again.

Riding is more dangerous than walking because you're then at the mercy of the drivers. And if the drivers want to constantly cross into oncoming traffic to pass other drivers (and most of seem to), they only increase your odds making Vietnam the final location on your finite time on earth. But not much can be done. You pray for the best and try to think about other things.

Some of the "other things" might include observing the various vendors on the sides of the ride. Just about all types of food are sold, but themes are common too. One common sight is seeing seller after seller offering baguettes. They each seem to have a large cart full of items and are all about equally spaced apart. I believe it's mainly for the scooters that go by. They just stop and make a quick purchase and zip off. You wouldn't really see this happening on a freeway back home.

In time, the scenery was slowly morphing, most notably in the mountains--or at least the shape of them. They became a lot rounder. I guess that's the best way to describe them. You simply knew you were reaching the coast.

And eventually, we did.

1pm -- Ha Long Bay

The boarding area had a strong stench to it. Perhaps the sewage pipes were in need of some repair, yet it didn't dampen our spirits. We were seated in a waiting area as our names were checked off and our bags marked. At first, they had us in the wrong group, but this was remedied in quick time.

We then met our guide and he led us down to the loading dock. They had us check for our bags quite carefully and then we got aboard a small motor boat. Out in the bay were numerous boats all ready to take passengers out into the majestic bay of wondrous sights. Soon, we were traveling across the water and heading towards the junk: the Dragon Pearl. The many tour boats out in the water suggested that the industry was doing quite well.

We then came up alongside the Pearl and were welcomed aboard. It was great to finally be on deck. After checking off our name, we got a room key and checked out the room. YIKES! It had only one bed. Uh, no. This wasn't going to work out. We found the guide quickly. Okay, they resolved it. Since the boat wasn't at capacity, there was another room to use. Two beds. Sweet. Sure beat the idea of sleeping on the hard wood floor.

We were then topside for a nice lunch which contained about nine courses. They were very small courses, but I didn't mind. I would much rather under-eat than overeat. While food was provided, alcohol was not. And the drinks were where they made the big money. At least a beer was only $2USD, so I had one or two with each meal. I also had to my vodka along on the trip. This helped. It was actually Vietnamese vodka made from rice and tasted pretty decent, as far as vodkas go. No headaches at least. And isn't that what vodka is all about?

With a break in meals, we used the time to take some photos. The cold and windy weather made it tough. You just had to accept that January has January weather, and that involved grey clouds and chilly winds. No rain, though. Not yet at least.

The boat had been making its way out into the bay and after time, we anchored somewhere below the grand sweeping cliffs. Tall and surprising mountains surrounded us. The scenery was unlike any other I had ever seen. Each cliff just thrust out of the sea and was covered in foliage with perhaps only birds calling it home.

The guide said it was time for kayaking. It was freezing, but heck, we had to at least try it. I was told that gloves would only get wet so I took them off. I was also told that my pants would get wet, so I changed into shorts. I was finally told that my hoodie and sweater would get wet, but I couldn't suffer to lose any more clothing. It was just too cold. Terry and I shared a two-man kayak and ventured out. About eight of us journeyed out into the cool waters.

The view from the kayak was great. You could get much closer to the base of the rocky cliffs and witness how grand they were. We paddled around and followed the route that the guide led us on.

Yet the light was fading. Combined with the heavy mist, clarity was diminishing. The maximum viewing distance decreased rapidly as time went by. As well, the cliffs all looked fairly similar. Getting lost out there would not be in our best interest. Still, the guide tried to stay at halfway points in our small flotilla and ensured all were accounted for.

Fighting the current was also challenging at times, but it was never a huge issue. It just served to ensure more exercise. By the time we were heading back, I was almost warm from heavy paddling. I also had pretty wet arms since the waters became a lot choppier and the sea starting swelling up. Returning to the boat, I grabbed a quick shower.

Showering was okay, but water pressure was low. Hot water wasn't too aplenty either, but one had to figure other passengers were probably doing the same at the exact same time. At any rate, I was finally clean, but my sweater and hoodie were wet.

Luckily, a blow dryer was in the bathroom and after some careful effort, I managed to get them fairly dry. I would have to wear them a little wet for a while to allow my body heat to finish the job. While it wasn't the most pleasant experience, dinner was indoors, so that helped.

Dinner was good, though a little smaller than lunch. We sat with different people this time, which would seem to be the trend. Each time, you try and mix it up and get to know different folks. It was a good method. The food was tasty, but some of the fish was a little rubbery (though even more rubbery food would come much later from a really unique source). Not an issue since this didn't matter as I had had a few drinks and that really helps when it comes to trying new foods. It's almost as if you then have a choice whether or not to focus in and truly taste the food. It's like a mental switch. The odder the food selection, the more you drink.

People chatted for some time after that, but most seemed exhausted and crashed early.

I wanted to watch a recorded version of a Vikings/Eagles NFL game. I got about 15 minutes into it, but just could not stay awake. In fast time, I was out cold.

By the way, Ha Long means Descending Dragon. Remember that in case it ever comes up on Jeopardy. The bay to the east of it means little dragons, but I forget the name.

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