Ha Long Bay

Getting up to leave at 7.30am isn’t the easiest thing after a night out with 6 Irish folk, but I’m off to Ha Long Bay, one of the most popular places in Vietnam!

I was clearly looking a little tired before the bus, but the ride inspired a little energy, with the bus of 20 something people pumped for the trip. We made one of these ridiculous “toilet break” stops so the driver can get his commission, but seriously how dumb are these people? We are BACKPACKERS. All of us. This tour company is part of a hostel. We are all tight asses running on very little money (part reason to go to SEASIA) and they drop us at a place selling $500 wooden sculptures?? WTF am I going to do with that? Put it in my backpack? And thats worth 2 weeks of travel over here.

This sign was quite interesting, so we centered it and immediately gathered around!

When we reached the docks at Ha Long Bay it was a scene of madness (another common trait of Vietnam). Literally hundreds of Junk Boats (No not crappy boats, they’re just called “Junks”, originally Chinese style sail boats) crowd the waters. We got onto the Jolly Roger, Hanoi Backpacker’s own Junk, and headed out to the bay.

Ha Long Bay is littered with 1000′s of limestone karsts poking through the waters. Its an amazing sight, especially with a few Junks in frame! And clear skies. (A little like watching that part in Troy, or a game of Age of Empires!)

We anchored at one point and got into kayaks to take a close up look at the karsts. We went under a small, cave like opening, just a few feet above the water line that opens into an area completely surrounded by the karsts! This cave is the only access into it so its almost like a lake. A little like the beach!

Belgian Ian cut his foot on the boat at one point, from a nail that was slightly raised in the boards, btu couldn’t find it after. Then about an hour later I did the EXACT same thing! Same spot. This time we found it, and after giving me some weird green herbal disinfectant, he comes up with a CLEAVER and hammers the nail and any other possible nasties down haha. This was just the start of my bad luck to come in Vietnam…

All afternoon however, I started getting a cramp in side. Now, I know I’m not the fittest person in the world, but I can definitely handle a couple hours kayaking. Hell I’ve done it about 5 times in the last month! This cramping got so bad I couldn’t lie on it & barely slept at all! Every time I moved, coughed or laughed it hurt my side. I lacquered it up with tiger balm and by morning it was making its way around my back and stayed for the next day or two. I’ve never had anything like it before, and I later diagnosed its cause: Anti Malaria tablets!! I’ll write about this extensively later.

I noticed while taking some sunset photos that my camera now has a line accross the LCD, which it didn’t have before we went out on the kayaks!! It was in my bag which we all placed in one room, and when coming back all the stuff was moved. I’m guessing they put something heavy on it and it put pressure on the screen.. Grrr… This doesn’t look promising.

As the sun went down we had a few bevvies and listened to music on the deck till slowly everyone crashed out, a few remaining on the deck all night, sleeping on the comfortable sun beds under the stars.

Cat Ba Island, Ha Long Bay, Vietnam »« Enter Hanoi