Sunday, July 22, 2018

Halong Bay


So this is where we’ve been the past two days — floating among the bizarre, steep-sided limestone islands of Halong Bay.

After our brief overnight in Hanoi, we caught a bus early Saturday morning and rode 3 1/2 hours to the coast. We passed through small towns and villages, and saw lots of people wearing the traditional conical straw hats that so defined Vietnam for earlier generations:


I’d thought they were a thing of the past, but no — they’re still in widespread use.


There’s a huge overnight cruise industry in Halong City devoted to ferrying foreign tourists and Vietnamese visitors alike out on the famous bay, which is another UNESCO World Heritage site and was featured in the terrific Catherine Deneuve movie “Indochine.” Our boat was an old-fashioned wooden vessel with two decks and cabins paneled in dark wood — it seemed like the kind of craft the colonial French would have traveled on 75 years ago.


Look at our fancy toilet!

Each cabin was equipped with a fire extinguisher and a hammer to break the window in case of emergency. (“But the boat is very safe,” our guide reassured us. Ummm…OK.) Dave and I had a room with a rear-facing balcony, but overall everything was more rustic than plush. The shower was cold-water only and the water from the sink ran out onto the floor and into a floor drain. The diesel fumes from the engine were strong enough that the balcony was pretty much unusable if the boat was running. I likened it to a cross between cruising and camping. (We did have air conditioning, thank God.)

I asked how old the boat was, but no one would give me a straight answer. Either they didn’t know or they didn’t want to say. I’m thinking fifty years at least.

So now I know what they mean by rainy season in Vietnam! Holy cow, did it rain. It basically poured all of Saturday, as you can see in the top photo. We had a couple of little excursions — one to a cave on an island and one (Sunday morning, when the rain had lessened) to go kayaking.


See all that rain?


The cave wasn’t going to fill with rainwater, a la Thailand, we were repeatedly assured — and in fact it was HUGE and the openings were large and numerous, so I don’t think it would have been possible. We were advised to wear shoes rather than sandals, which I did, but many of the cave’s internal paths were rushing torrents — so now my shoes are soaked.

But despite this near-constant state of personal damp, it was worthwhile to see such a famous beauty spot. There are 1,969 islands in Halong Bay, according to our guide — he said it was easy to remember because 1969 is also the year Ho Chi Minh died.

On the boat they fed us like crazy — family-style plates of rice, noodles, seafood, chicken curry and other dishes. (I completely failed to take pictures of the food, for which I apologize!) At this point I seriously feel like I don’t want to eat ever again. But ask again tomorrow.

And now we're back in Hanoi, where -- today at least -- the sun is shining!

15 comments:

Yorkshire Pudding said...

The nón lá is very sensible and simple headwear. It provides vital shade and some rain protection. I trust that you and Dave will buy your own and wear them as you travel to and from The American School. You will look so cool.

Anonymous said...

oh my gosh what amazing photos, the islands, the mist, the cave, the people. wonderful, your description of the vessel you were on sounds wonderful, even if it was old, what a wonderful trip, it gets better each day, the food sounds great as well,,could I say wonderful one more time ,, probably!

Ms. Moon said...

Another world. And it could be the rain and it could be the otherworldly beauty and it could be the fact that so many people died in a war there which was completely insane or it could just be that it's Sunday but oh- how lonesome, how absolutely solemn these images are to me.

Linda Sue said...

The only familiar thing about your surreal adventure is , of course, the rain, and the misty islands, common up here in mossback land.
What Mary said...achingly astute. Wonder if you "feel" the horrors of that war, how it must linger.
Pleased to see the fancy toilet, wonder if it flushes directly into the bay?

Wondering if you can still see Olga in the kennel? Wondering about the marvel of that magnificent cave. Wonderful photos of a trip that I will never take.Thank you.

ellen abbott said...

what a fabulous vacation, beautiful photos. I have one of the hats though mine is from Japan and made from bamboo. it's hard to wear unless you cinch it tight under your throat as it wants to slip slide everywhere or the wind blows it back.

Cheryl West said...

A soggy trip but very beautiful and interesting. I'm glad that it ended in sunshine.

jenny_o said...

That first photo is wonderful.

I would've been too freaked out to go in the cave. Period. Caves combine my two worst fears - water and claustrophobia! But I'm glad you got to go if that's what you wanted to do :)

Anonymous said...

It's so beautiful there. Those islands in the bay, and that gray misty foggy sea. I love seeing Vietnam through your eyes.

John Going Gently said...

Amazing x

The Bug said...

I love that it was rainy - the photos are so atmospheric and lovely. Of course, easy for me to say sitting here in my dry home - ha!

Sharon said...

That scenery is truly beautiful. It sounds like that boat was quite an experience. Did you feel like you were in an old movie?

Jennifer said...

How wonderful and slightly surreal these photos are! Thank you for sharing them!

Catalyst said...

I think that boat ride is going to make your return to British civilization seem very, very welcome.

Red said...

That was a worthwhile day. You saw some very interesting things. And the boat? What a ride!

Elizabeth said...

Stunning photos --what an incredible adventure you're on!