In comparison to the day before, our daytrip to Halong Bay was utterly calm and peaceful. Leaving at 8am in a tiny shuttle bus we arrived at Halong Bay at 11am, with a quick pit stop on route for a chance to buy more stuff.
In one word, Halong Bay is Stunning. With so many tour groups heading there from Hanoi, I was suspicious that it was going to turn into a congested day of pushing and shoving. However, I was surprised when after leaving the harbour, I could count perhaps only three other boats that we saw. This I believe is simply down to the huge size of the bay itself, and the countless possibilities for routes through the limestone rocks. Granted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the place is best viewed at Sunset (something we only glimpsed at as we were leaving!) However during the day it still manages to evoke a sense of awe as we slowly sailed around the huge rocks.
Vietnamese legend speaks of the Mother Dragon who descended from the Heavens to protect Vietnam from the numerous invaders throughout the centuries. This Bay is the supposed site of the Dragons arrival from high above and there were several Dragon motifs dotted around the area.
After making friends with two fellow tourists over some lovely seafood onboard the ship we entered a floating fishing village in the middle of the bay and swapped the large cruise ship for a tiny bamboo boat fit for four. With this boat we went exploring into several smaller bays floating under gaping holes in the side of the rocks. It was here that I experienced the true beauty of Halong, as we slowly floated along with the sound of the boatman’s whistling as the only sound to be heard anywhere.
Returning to the larger boat briefly we proceeded to a large cave and once again disembarked to head inside. The cave was artificially lit with multiple colours highlighting several odd rock formations, which the tour-guide, Kim had great pleasure in describing. Some of them were a stretch to the imagination, while some were far easier to comprehend.
After a short hike through the cave, we emerged on the other side of the rockface and boarded the boat again for the return journey; our time in Halong Bay was up.
Once again, on the return trip in the shuttle bus, I experienced Vietnamese Driving in all its horror. Sat at the front next to the driver, on two separate occasions, I saw a Lorry and a motorbike veer across three lanes of oncoming traffic to get to the other side. It was then that I realised it was time to shut my eyes and go to my happy place.
