Goodbye, Ha Long Bay

Another blissfully calm sleep and gentle wake up on our little cruise boat in Bai Tu Long Bay, the mist swirling in between the limestone karsts, making the view outside our window hazy and mysterious. Another gorgeous sun, so dark it is almost red as it sneaks out from behind the dark shadow, hazy obstructing it from view until it is ready to shine brightly for us. Another varied and filling breakfast to sustain us for the morning's activities, eggs on toast, fried rice and caterpillar hot dogs, chunks of watermelon and bananas that taste not green, and plenty of yummy coffee. Another meal paired with entertaining conversation with our fellow 3d/2n cruisers, a younger couple from Australia who are just finishing their trip as we are starting ours. We share stories of our travels, they give us suggestions for places to see, we talk about all the food...it makes the days more enjoyable, being able to share it with others.


Our morning's activity is heading into one of the larger formations in the bay to tour inside a large cave. This cave was often used by the fishermen as a refuge from major storms in the area, but also as a hideout during the war. After climbing up 97 steps, we descend slightly into the cave, which opens up its giant maw and swallows us up into its depths. The spaces are huge in here! Several small areas branch off from the main chamber, ceilings dripping with mineral-rich stalactites, floor uneven from the footfalls of so many people before us. This cave is considered a public area, not like the majority of Halong and Bai Tu Long bays, which are protected places by the government, and require special authorization to access.

Of course, being a public access cave, you can imagine that EVERY cruise on the bay is stopping here for the morning, unloading boatload after boatload of passengers to make their way up the climb, down into the cave, out the other side to the lackluster photo point, and back again. Of all the activities we enjoyed on this cruise, the Thien Canh Son cave tour was our least favorite, though still relatively enjoyable.

Back on the boat, we sadly have to check out of our cozy cabin, with its big, luxurious bed, breezy balcony and crazy doorbell swan(a story for another time). Bags packed, we adjourn to the top deck to watch the bay pass by, limestone formations and fishing boats making way for barges, cruises ships and the tall hotels of nearby Ha Long Bay. We can see the end of this wonderful experience, but NOT YET! First we eat one last amazing meal, but the staff makes us work for it, in the form of a cooking class!

We are taught the intricacies of making a simple-yet-complex Vietnamese specialty, fried spring rolls. The process is easy, but long, so this is an activity that families save for the weekend, and everyone lends a hand, chopping vegetables, mixing filling, and filling and rolling the delicate rice paper rolls. We all pitch in, and are rewarded with heaping plates of the crispy fried treats alongside a delicious lunch of Bun Cha, a noodle dish made famous by Barack Obama. And believe me, they LOVE to mention that fact when introducing the dish! Too bad PM Trudeau doesn't have as much pull over here - there is no steamed bun or sweet fruit dish associated with our head of state, I'm afraid!

And that's all she wrote for the Ha Long Bay cruise. Stuffed, we disembark by tender to the mainland, collect our luggage and are ushered into bus transfers back to Hanoi. We get split from our Australian friends, and as good as the ride from Hanoi was, the ride back is uncomfortable, cramped and stuffy, and we are only too happy to find ourselves off again, in the middle of hectic Hanoi, and back at Tomodachi House. I find that sometimes, a poor finish at the end of an adventure can almost ruin the whole experience, and I like to keep a positive attitude about it, but I wish tour companies would put more effort into their closing moments, as often, this is what travelers are marked by the most. Still, I loved my time in Ha Long and Bai Tu Long, and THAT is what I will remember with fondness.


Our evening in significantly less eventful, but still filled with tasty goodies. Mario and I fight against the pull of sleep in our comfortable(and upgraded!) hotel room, and venture back to the Hoan Kiem Lake area, discovering that it has been transformed during our absence into New Year's Eve party central! The surrounding streets are closed, there is music and streets food everywhere, and groups of school kids are participating in activities of all kinds. Next to the post office, the stage is set for the festivities and sound checks are being conducted. An old bamboo pole dance, similar to playing elastic, traps people's feet as they attempt to hop through. Game areas are populated by people attempting to build the tallest tower with blocks, not unlike Jenga. We get approached by a group of students participating in a scavenger hunt, needing to learn the definition and pronunciation of English terms and phrases. And some of them are hard! You try to explain "Literally" and "On cloud nine" to someone who is learning English! Forget that - just try explaining it to someone who DOES speak English fluently! It's not that easy!



 We walked and we ate our way all the way around the lake, fruit in sweet milk and coconut coffee and big steamed dumplings, and stopped for one last bowl of fried mixed noodles before finally retiring to our room for the night. One thing is for sure, we will certainly not go hungry here!