Ha Long Bay

Was beautiful!

We went with a company called "Indochina Junks" on their Dragon Pearl III. There were, all in all, 17 of us comprised of 7 Australians, a family of 6 from Norway, and 4 Vancouverites!!!  All (except the 4-year old) were over the age of 27 which was one of the most civilized and good company we've had in a long time. The rooms were nice and clean with a good shower, but a non-functioning drain... ah it's Asia, nothing is going to be perfect!

I guess at this time of the year, Ha Long Bay is hazy, which makes it all the more mysterious and romantic. We saw the giant rock like mountains looming in the horizon in the big calm bay with blue/green water.

We spent the 2 days kayaking, swimming (there are some lovely soft white sand beaches... and we were the only ones there!), relaxing, and eating. The meals were quite good... they served a variety of stuff, but a lot of seafood (prawns) in courses, so the meal times lasted for a couple hours at a time, talking to each other, etc. It was a nice break from the heat and hustle & bustle of Hanoi. If you ever decide to visit Ha Long Bay, spend 2 nights and splurge a little, you won't regret it.

We also went to a floating fishing village in the bay... our guide said that approximately 3,000-5,000 people live like this in Ha Long Bay. They anchor their homes (which are tied to plastic barrels) to the rocks and they only go in to the city to buy fresh water and to sell their fish. One village has a motor boat to transport water/rice/vegetables and sick people to and from the city. People who live in these floating villages are largely extended families with blood ties, so when the young people get married, they have to find their partner on land or another village.  There are even schools in these villages where the government sends teachers to teach. BTW, these people are not ethnic minorities, they are Vietnamese. There is a midwife present in each of these villages as well, it takes about 45 minutes on the motorboat to get to a hospital. Birth control is also an issue in these communities as access to everything is an issue. The Vietnamese government is trying for these villages to amalgamate so that it is easier to provide services, and eventually (I am assuming) have them come back on land? I couldn't imagine living on water. The kids learn to swim and row boats at an very early age... we saw a baby/toddler rowing his mini styrofoam raft in the village. Obviously these people's primary livelihood is fishing, Which they trade for water, rice and vegetables. Everything is washed in salt water...clothes, body, food and then rinsed using freshwater sparingly. Imagine wearing salty clothes all the time...

That was a nice end to our Vietnam portion of this trip, and next we're off to Laos on another culinary journey! Excited!

I hope Ha Long Bay stays beautiful.

More pictures have been posted in the Vietnam album, so view it at your leisure!