Today we returned from a beautiful 2 day junk boat trip on HaLong Bay. Upon arrival we all took a big sigh of relief and took a deep breath of fresh air. We took a small motor boat to our junk boat, where we would be spending the next two days. Our junk boat resembled a modern-day pirate ship. The ship had a very nice dining room, and a top deck where we could lounge and relax--the best part was that we had the boat all to ourselves!
We were welcomed with a delicious 5 course lunch of all kinds of seafood, Vietnamese food and even some dishes that resembled those from home. The views from the boat were breathtaking. HaLong Bay has large rock formations--each truly unique and incredible to view from a distance. As the junk wove through the the rocks, and around the bay we were awestruck by the natural beauty. The turquoise blue water and relaxing atmosphere of the boat were a much needed change of pace from the bustling city of Hanoi.
Shortly after lunch the boat took us into a cave that was formed in one of the rock formations. Our tour guide told us legends about how many of the rocks within the cave came to look like animals and important people in Vietnamese culture. After visiting the cave a number of abroaders went kayaking in the bay--and could see fishing villages, which was very interesting.After kayaking we returned to the boat for dinner and a night of karaoke. The karaoke was a blast--we sang all of our favorites pop songs from the 90's.
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 Lynn and DH rifling through the countless cameras in order to capture the group photo above |
The next day we woke up and for the first time since we've been in Vietnam, we saw the sun! The day quickly turned beautiful, and the crew brought us to a little island where we hiked up one of the rocks. The view from the top was gorgeous, and after we descended, we sat on the beach.
After our wonderful afternoon on HaLong Bay, we relunctantly packed our bags and returned to shore for a bumpy bus ride back to Hanoi. It was a relaxing and beautfiul couple of days!
Written By Laura Massey
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