Ha Long Bay

We just returned from an overnight trip to Ha Long Bay. This famous spot on the Gulf of Tonkin is truly incredible and it was recommended to us by family and friends that have been lucky enough to travel over here. The bay is famous because it is filled with countless karst islands - steep walls, tiny islands, and little bits of greenery clinging to the tops. I've never seen anything like it before - so we spent as much time as possible on the deck of our junk. Yup - we did an overnight on a traditional Vietnamese junk and it wasn't as junky as you would think our budget would have allowed for. It was quite nice actually, minus the rat and a few cockroaches! Ha. Really, it was a great trip. There were two highlights - the 4-hr steam through all the narrow island passes and a kayak trip this morning. During the passage through the islands we watched Vietnamese eagles fishing and heard loads of birds singing from the tops of the islands. Kayaks are the best way to explore a place like Ha Long Bay and we took advantage of the opportunity to ditch all the tourists and junks and get out there. There is nothing better than quietly floating on a tiny boat with sheer-walled islands all around you. Ha Long Bay seemed quite magical this morning.
Now we are back in Hanoi and planning on leaving tomorrow on an overnight train to mountainous Sapa, in the NW of Vietnam. I have been looking forward to Sapa for months because of the colorful ethnic minorities, their textiles, and the hiking!
And, to comment on the previous post from Jay, the rumors are TRUE! Yee haw! If you don't know what I'm talking about, read the previous blog and comments. We had plans to celebrate with some bubbly on the junk in the bay, but we couldn't find any. Maybe that was for the best though, bubbly on a misty mountain top in Sapa sounds grand as well. Write to us if you want details on the rumor, we are enjoying all the happiness right now!