Monday 13th July - Ha Long Bay

Forgot to mention last time that Tu also explained to us how to cross the road in Hanoi.  The trick is to walk confidently and SLOWLY and to keep going.  The cars and motorbikes will go around you.  It takes a bit of getting used to but it works.  By the end of the day we were doing it like the natives.

Collected from the hotel at 08:00 for  a 3.5 hour drive to Ha Long Bay.  The driver said it is only 175 km but the speed limit on the national highway is only 70 kph and through villages is 30 kph and there are lots of police speed checks.

Leaving Hanoi, we were caught up in the rush hour:

Once on the motorway, passed through nondescript towns.

Vietnamese school run:

You get a sense of how huge the industry rice there are paddy field everywhere (but not easy to photograph as the driver appeared to be in a rush).

Stopped at a rest stop which was a giant marble ornament and woven picture factory.  No idea who buys the huge marble pieces.

The off-putting part is someone follows you round the whole place and if you dawdle for a second at something they pounce on you with the price in three different currencies.

Carried on to Ha Long Bay and as you get closer to it the whole area is much more affluent.  Finally after 4 hours we  arrived at the marina to get a tender (little boat)

To board our vessel (OK vessel is a bit grandiose) the Heritage Line ship Jasmine.

Had the safety and orientation instructions from the cruise leader and then shown to our cabin:

This was followed by a buffet lunch which was fantastic

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As was all the food on the boat.  They called it a buffet.  I called it a challenge and I rose to that challenge.  They didn't know what hit them.  The waiters were giving me evils.

As we had lunch you cruised past the 1,969 islands that make up the UNESCO world heritage site of Ha Long Bay:

Time for a quick nap (cabin was really well air-conditioned before the afternoon excursion.


First stop was to a cave:

David described this as, "the worst cave tour ever" and that about sums it up.

Next stop was to a floating village where you could either be paddled around by locals in a large bamboo boat or kayak yourselves about.  We chose the latter but David kept complaining that I kept making the kayak go round in circles so he did the rowing and I took the pictures.

All in all, the excursion was not that great.

Time for another nap (all that sun is very tiring) before cocktails on the sun deck as we watched the sunset.

Followed by (yet more) food but as normal our motto is - I've paid for it so I'll eat it.

Turned in early as we had to be up for the Tai Chi before breakfast!


Addendum:  There was no internet on the boat and at the next hotel it kept dropping out - hence the hiatus since the last post.