Next morning, bright and early we board a bus to Halong Bay. We will be traveling on the V-Spirit for a two night cruise.

Ha Long Bay is located in the Quang Ninh province of Vietnam and since 1994 has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The name means, “Descending Dragon Bay” and is a very popular tourist destination. The bay features over 1600 islets or “Karsts” as they are called….limestone islands rising out of the sea, all different in size and eroded over the years by the sea and elements. Many have caves and lakes, some have tunnels you can kayak through only to end up in fairy-tale lagoons. Most of the islands are uninhabited and left pretty much in their natural state.

Our boat was one of many that make the one night journey. We booked three cabins, all with a small balcony, Jamie got a room all to herself and a small cockroach. We shared the boat with a great group of people, twenty all together. They all seemed to love to travel and marveled at the beauty of the bay.

The first day we cruised into the bay for about two hours before anchoring for the night. There was an opportunity to visit a cave, to swim and to climb one of the Karsts (one with a pagoda at the top) The evening brings a nice dinner and jigging for squid. In between we got to know our companions (a mother and daughter from Germany, two young American women whose military husbands are based in Japan, a middle aged couple from Australia (he celebrated his birthday on board), a group of five from Melbourne (there used to be six in this bunch but one husband recently passed away…first trip without him), a Swiss couple and our favorites, Richard and Cecile from Provence, France.

The next morning, the five of us plus Richard and Cecile boarded a smaller sister boat and took off deeper into the bay. The rest only signed up for one night and will return to the docks after kayaking and spring roll making lessons. Tomorrow we will meet the boat at the same spot but with a whole new group of people on board.

We loved the second day. We left the touristy area where all the boats anchor. It seemed like just us and the islands…peace and quiet. We stopped for some kayaking. Went through these cool caves and entered turquoise blue lagoons. One cave was so long all was black…couldn’t see where we were paddling. Went around a bend and presto, another lagoon. AMAZING !!!!

We then motored to an island sporting a calm bay. This was to be a two hour stop to swim and relax. We all wanted to swim but the water looked cold. We heard it was cold. And the deck was warm and comfortable. Then Gregg decided to do a perfect dive off the top deck. The dam was broken and the rest of us committed. Yes, it was cold but not Lake Chelan cold. Actually refreshing but salty, really salty. We are all so glad we made the plunge.

Next up was a trip to a Pearl Farm…educational for sure, but at the end you “get to” go through the gift shop. We did not buy. Finally rendezvoused with the mother ship and met our new mates. Completely different group…a large group of thirteen from Taiwan celebrating one of their group’s birthday (not sure how many bottles of whiskey they brought on board), a couple from New York and two women from Australia. That evening we sat on the top deck with Richard and Cecile drinking wine and playing SPOOF, a game Richard taught us. When we were finally ready for bed, the group of 13 took our spot and partied til 1:30. What a difference a day makes!!!

We enjoyed our trip, made new friends, and saw a wonder of the world. We are worried about this bay. Motoring out to the outer islands we saw just an immense amount of trash. Not sure where it is coming from but the sea was filled with all sorts of garbage. I hope the concept of a clean environment makes it to Vietnam and SE Asia.

That night we boarded a train to make our way overnight to Da Nang. We bought five tickets in a “soft” sleeping car. There were only four bunks to a room so I volunteered to go “single”. First in my berth I patiently waited for my bunk mates. First came a 20 something French girl. She was also in a group of 5 and drew the short straw. Next came a Canadian girl, on vacation from teaching English in a Korean Hagwon. And finally, my last companion for the evening ride, a Spanish woman from the Basque area of Spain traveling around the world. I do believe she lost her deodorant somewhere back in South America. The doors closed. The odors trapped inside…me, three women and no escape!!!! The “soft” mattress was just a little more comfortable than a plank of wood. The car rocked and rolled. This was going to be a long night!!!! Next door, the air conditioner kept Gregg and Jamie in the top bunks nice and cool but never made it down to the lower berths so Heidi and Nanci sweated like pigs. It was going to be a long night. But we did it for the experience, not the comfort. We are really missing the Sofitel Metropole!!!!

Around 8:00 the train stops at the ancient city of Hue and my three bunkmates depart. I air out the cabin and lie down hoping to get three hours of fresh air and perhaps a bit of shut-eye. But then the door opens and in plops a young Vietnamese man. The body odor wasn’t quite as bad as my Basque friend but it was close. Remember, we did this for the experience!!!

As we neared Da Nang, the train climbed a small pass. Down below we could see the ocean and empty sandy beaches hugging the shore. Made it to Da Nang at 11:30 am. Time to catch a taxi to Hoi an, our last destination.