''Floating'' in Ha Long Bay - Vietnam

Last year i decided to quit my job and travel around the world .

After i browsed a bit through Europe, i thought ''mm i've been around Europe quite frequently, why don't you scale it a bit and try something new?'' It sounded like a dare and a curiosity in the same time..

''Hell Yeah!!'' :D

So i bought a one-way ticket to (guess where?) Vietnam!!

I landed in Hanoi, its capital - which you probably also know it as Saigon - and, I couldn't believe my eyes, when, everywhere there were tens of motorbikes on the road, busy streets, smell of food everywhere and asian eyes (ahaha) !! Haishh i loved it :D

My plan was to go through Ha Long Bay, end up on the Monkey Island and then return in the same day, at dawn.

For those who don't know, Ha Long Bay, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site which features thousands of limestone karsts and isles in all kind of shapes and sizes and several caves and grottoes. Witnessing that, only brought peace and wonder to my eyes .

Also, there is a legend that tells of a dragon which had a huge large tail, that it used to tore up the earth, leading to the creation of the valleys and crevices that became flooded when the beast jumped into the nearby water.. That is how this area got its name Ha Long Bay (in vietnamese : Vịnh Hạ Long, meaning ''Where the Dragon Descends to the Sea”) .

So to get there i had to take a 5hr bus which would take me to the harbour, and then to pay an entry fee on one of the cruise ships making this tour. Eggcited that i done all that, i was now ready to start my voyage !

..The engines of the wooden ship had started; and since it wasn't the only one in the bay, the sounds just naturally mixed away in the background. We slowly started the drift away on our course, and as i was looking around i couldn't help but notice, it was a gray day, quite a lot like british weather..

As we're floating further and further away, i could see everything that once looked familiar, was now slowly replaced by
karsts, giant rocks, and a brief layer of fog.

It was almost like a landscape depicted in movies; so closing my eyes, i let my imagination take its toll. The same giant rocks remained in place, established wickedly through the middle of the bay, the fog was now denser as if you could nearly cut through it with a sharp blade; You could only see mere shapes and shades now in the distance, but only of the higher peaks of limestone which, looked too weak to stand a chance in looking impressive.

The rocking ship engulfed by this mysterious landscape, took me in to an epic tale of dragon hunting voyage, having aboard famous chinese and vietnamese . Although I've been through numerous dangerous adventures so far, i couldn't stop thinking that underneath my boots, could freely swim the giant beast.. Being the only new member on this ship didn't helped much either. In the drops of my sweat, i could smell the fear, respect and the excitement i had .

And as we were slowly treading through the fog, there was a rather deaf and unsettling silence.. like, that moment when a lion chose its pray, and hidden, awaits for the right time to strike. While watching the other pirates ardently awaiting on their posts, i started to hear the sound of some steps coming in my direction from behind, slowly but steady. I couldn't dare to look back. But now it stopped. And it stopped a breathe away of my right shoulder.. 3 more seconds of unbearable silence felt like minutes.

So i decided to turn.. Just when to do that, BANG!! A crazy noise made me jump and instantly, i opened up the eyes and got pulled back in the Real world!

There was the captain of the cruise ship who, ''accidentally'' dropped a metal bucket on the floor right next to me. He looked at me while giggling to himself, as if it was an elaborate prank.. I politely smiled back, and he continued to walk around with no purpose in particular.

After a while, i started to see more and more signs of civilisation. Various boats for transport or fishing, and even small floating villages . It was quite unbelievably to see, someone could actually live and sleep on water. Fantastic! (i told to myself)

Shortly after, the ship stopped for about an hour, time in which we've had lunch served (it was a lovely traditional vietnamese dish, made of fish, fried rice and salad) and also explore the area around in a canoe :D ! Lovely timing indeed, as during lunch the sun went out of the clouds and stood there for quite a while during our trip. I'll share with you some lovely shots i took, during maneuvering for the first time, a canoe.

The landscape. So beautiful and peaceful..

The wickedly placed rocks..

A water carved cave.. (some people actually canoed into the cave! but i didn't dared to :)) )

The groom and bride :D !

It was a bit frightening at first due to it being so close to the water and al highly unstable! But, somehow i managed and in the end i was back to the ship all nice and dry :D !]

We started the engines, and shortly we had another stop to swim this time. Although they were quite a few jellyfishes around, foolish by nature, i decided to jump in and swim, heading to a small beach across the ship . The beach was very small in length, but the sand was the loveliest my feet ever experienced, and the water was just amazing!

20 minutes we spent here to explore and dive, and then we went ahead to our final destination. Of course, i took a picture as souvenir on my way out.

We could now see the island in the distance. As we were getting closer and closer, the smile on my face as growing in size. It didn't looked like a big or extravagant island, but i was very keen on seeing the monkeys. As i stepped on the beach, couldn't help but notice the white color of sand and it was so fine, almost like powder; and of course they were several monkeys running and playing around, and i actually noticed one attempting to steal something from a purse. (cheeky).

Here is a video with them in action and being silly :))))

The rest of the place looked like a resort more or less, a small one, and probably quite quiet later on when the tourists would've gone. After enjoying watching the monkeys, i went on a 5 minute hike to see the other side of the island. I went there because all the people were queuing for a different hike to reach a nearby viewpoint and see the island . I'm more the type of going against the herd so i choose to go to a more remote area, where i admired the solitude of the karsts, and the openness of the ocean. I started a 5 minute meditation session, which was absolutely lovely in that environment. Since no one else was around, i could feel i was a karst myself too (ahahaha). I love this type of peace of mind, silence of human presence, and noise of the nature..

After enjoying this rocky treat, i went back to lay down on the sand while waiting for the boat to return. Having the monkeys play around me, listening to the light sound of waves crashing, and the warmth of the sand on my back felt indeed like a well deserved break. I only needed a cocktail to sip now.

This lovely break lasted for about 15min as the boat arrived on time and we all now were queuing to embark on it. Soon i was watching the island getting smaller and smaller as we were heading out of the bay.. It felt kind of sad, as if i left something there, and i had to return and get it back.

In a corner of the ship, i was now writing in my travel diary how grateful i feel for having the the good chance to see Ha Long Bay. It was all beautiful and peaceful, and was worthy every single moment and penny spent.

In a month time, i am back to Asia i am definitely going back there. Only this time, i will spend the night on the island to admire the stars, and sleep with the sound of the ocean. What more can i wish for ? :)

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