The Day at Halong Bay - 3 December 2006
We set out early to Halong Bay this morning. It took us some 3 hours drive to get to the jetty where we were to take the boat down through the bay. We were told that the weather there would be colder, but surprisingly, it was warmer than at Hanoi.
Our tour guide, “Hero”, bought us our tickets and showed us to our boat. To our pleasant surprise, we had the boat all to ourselves and we didn’t have to share it with anyone!
It wasn’t before long that we started to leave the jetty and into the bay area. The weather was cloudy and I thought that I wouldn’t be able to get those nice shots of Halong Bay that we often see in the postcards and magazines. But surprisingly, as the boat began to move, the clearer the skies got, and it wasn’t before long that we began to see the many islands of the Halong Bay.
Our guide stretched our imagination as he pointed out “dogs”, “fighting cocks”, “junk boats”. Of course, if you looked hard enough at the rocks, you’d probably be able to see it!
Lunch was served on board in no time. It was a simple but sumptuous meal and really, of all the dishes, I loved the rice and egg best!
The sights around us were too nice to be missed and so I rushed through lunch and excused myself to catch a few shots at the top deck. For a moment, I had to pinch myself to see if I was really there. It was so beautiful and serene and quiet in contrast to the bustling city of Hanoi.
We didn’t know that there will be a stop at a limestone cave, and so when we were told to alight, we were surprised, but went along anyway. The climb up and down the stairs, between narrow pathways and all made me feel as if I were on some Indiana Jones expedition. Nevertheless, it was really enlightening to see the limestone cave as it was my first time.
We headed back to the boat before heading to Ti Top Beach. There wasn’t much to see, or perhaps we were tired and so we went back to the boat after some 15 minutes. It was close to 4pm and for us to get back to Hanoi by 7.30pm, we had to leave.
The weather became colder as we headed towards Hanoi. All of us sat at the top deck and as only us ladies went (the guys will be taking an overnight trip on their extension), there was some time to share about relationships and matters of the heart.
It was chilly when we reached the jetty, and all of us must have been really tired as we slept almost immediately on the van. It was another three hours’ ride before we would reach Hanoi.
We decided to stop over at the Hilton for a light snack and enjoy the music. My teammates have begun to tease me that I couldn’t live without my laptop and the WIFI at Hilton. Well, they are right in a way!
I headed back to the hotel and looked at the pictures I took of Halong Bay.. Boy do I love them! I must thank my friend who lent me the camera!
Mum sent me an sms to say she missed me. I called her and that made me miss home too. I missed talking to my friends back home too, and so I sent an sms to one of them. The exchange made me miss home less but still, I’m looking forward to being back!
Our tour guide, “Hero”, bought us our tickets and showed us to our boat. To our pleasant surprise, we had the boat all to ourselves and we didn’t have to share it with anyone!
It wasn’t before long that we started to leave the jetty and into the bay area. The weather was cloudy and I thought that I wouldn’t be able to get those nice shots of Halong Bay that we often see in the postcards and magazines. But surprisingly, as the boat began to move, the clearer the skies got, and it wasn’t before long that we began to see the many islands of the Halong Bay.
Our guide stretched our imagination as he pointed out “dogs”, “fighting cocks”, “junk boats”. Of course, if you looked hard enough at the rocks, you’d probably be able to see it!
Lunch was served on board in no time. It was a simple but sumptuous meal and really, of all the dishes, I loved the rice and egg best!
The sights around us were too nice to be missed and so I rushed through lunch and excused myself to catch a few shots at the top deck. For a moment, I had to pinch myself to see if I was really there. It was so beautiful and serene and quiet in contrast to the bustling city of Hanoi.
We didn’t know that there will be a stop at a limestone cave, and so when we were told to alight, we were surprised, but went along anyway. The climb up and down the stairs, between narrow pathways and all made me feel as if I were on some Indiana Jones expedition. Nevertheless, it was really enlightening to see the limestone cave as it was my first time.
We headed back to the boat before heading to Ti Top Beach. There wasn’t much to see, or perhaps we were tired and so we went back to the boat after some 15 minutes. It was close to 4pm and for us to get back to Hanoi by 7.30pm, we had to leave.
The weather became colder as we headed towards Hanoi. All of us sat at the top deck and as only us ladies went (the guys will be taking an overnight trip on their extension), there was some time to share about relationships and matters of the heart.
It was chilly when we reached the jetty, and all of us must have been really tired as we slept almost immediately on the van. It was another three hours’ ride before we would reach Hanoi.
We decided to stop over at the Hilton for a light snack and enjoy the music. My teammates have begun to tease me that I couldn’t live without my laptop and the WIFI at Hilton. Well, they are right in a way!
I headed back to the hotel and looked at the pictures I took of Halong Bay.. Boy do I love them! I must thank my friend who lent me the camera!
Mum sent me an sms to say she missed me. I called her and that made me miss home too. I missed talking to my friends back home too, and so I sent an sms to one of them. The exchange made me miss home less but still, I’m looking forward to being back!
posted by deb at 5:45 PM
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