Good news. My friend Terry arrives in Hanoi today. However, I will be out amongst the rocks in Halong Bay, but it will be nice to get this cycling trip started.
After I return from Halong Bay, the next adventure will be cycling out of Hanoi safely. I've gotten used to the hustle and bustle of Hanoi, the motobai drivers pestering me with rides, and the crossing of streets by leaping into the flowing traffic without waiting for the traffice to stop (they just ride around you). But it will be challenging to get on the loaded touring bike, navigate traffic, and ride into the country. I hope there is less traffic and chaos in the country.
Back to Halong Bay...a fellow traveller, Heather, is taking some time off to travel the world. She is also on the trip to see Halong Bay and Amazing Cave. She says that her blog was blocked by the Vietnamese authorities, but apparently not...
Ticket to the Bay.
From Hanoi, a one-way, 4-hour bus trip brings us to the Halong City Wharf. Along the way (both directions), we stopped at a warehouse (where mostly tourist buses stop), where we could buy all types of kitsch, from china plates, to shot glasses, to cermanic Tin Tin book covers.
A huge wooden throne platform was available for sale. I wonder how one would get this home. Athough the price was right at $1,000, you would still need to arrange for shipment of this 1,000-pound behemoth.
At the wharf, it's crowded and all of the boats look alike. I tried to stay close to my tour guide.
While boating towards the sights of Halong Bay, we were treated like kings. We were fed well. After the fourth item was brought out, I thought that we would be done, but no, they kept bring out more and more food. We are fed morning glory (rau muốn), fake tofu fish, real fish, real tofu, fake tofu, tofu fake, fish tofu, and on and on...
Almost to Halong Bay, we passed these rocks. Some see two kissing chickens. To me, from this side, it looks more like a partridge and a hamster.
A typhoon had pased through Vietnam a few days ago. It was no longer raining, but it was a smoggy day in Halong Bay.
This boat is similar to that which brought us to Halong Bay
The front of our boat, the Ho'i Phuong
Getting closer to our destination
The floating villages of Halong Bay
Although it was smoggy, the limestone cliffs and monuments of Halong Bay were still very dramatic.
The grey didn't keep the tourist from taking a swim.
New meets old: A Pagoda on a cliff nearby to a communications tower.
A dragon was placed on the bow of our ship for good luck and to chase away any evil spirits.
A break between the islands and cliffs near Amazing Cave
After lunch, our first stop was the Amazing Cave - a large limestone cave with Hollywood lighting. It looked like the set of a Hollywood B-movie. The B-movie would be called, "Attack of the Zombies from Outer Space..."
..or the movie could be called, "Attack of the Penguin-Shaped Trash Cans."
I'm not sure why a penguin is a good shape for a subtropical trash can, but penguins were common shapes for trash cans. If it motivates people to throw away their trash (instead of dumping in the water, in the countryside or along the curb), then it doesn't matter what shape the trash can has.
After visiting the Amazing Cave, we explored Halong Bay by kayak. Two people per ocean kayak.
Hey Matt, here's your next Ranch Boat!
This was a common site in Vietnam - a woman selling goods from her house or store (or boat). I would call this a mini-mart. Most of the mini-marts that we saw were not of the floating kind, but they were housed in all kinds of buidings - huts, brick buildings, even beside a railroad train station or in a market (cho). They more or less carried the same thing - milk and liquids in a box, sweet snacks, water, soda, and other miscellaneous items need to live. Terry and I would live from these mini-marts during our journey. During a typical day of cycling, we would stop and buy UHT yogurt, water, and orange juice as needed.
The seaweed-looking items in the blue and pink bowl are actually crabs. These were also available for purchase from the mini-mart.
