We got up early to meet our tour bus to Ha Long Bay.
Ha Long Bay is located in the Bay of Tonkin. The bay features some 3,000 islands and inlets, forming a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars.
It is possibly Vietnam's most famous attraction. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Because of their steep, sheer cliffs, most of the islands are inhabited.
Ha Long Bay is located 105 miles east of Hanoi. It's about a 3 1/2 hour drive to reach it. Most people come here on a tour.
The ride out was interesting, mile after mile of green rice paddies. Rice is the most grown grain in the world. Billions of people depend on it for substance. Here's how it works: rice seedings are started in seeding beds from a seed. After 30-50 days, they are transplanted by hand to the fields, which have been flooded by rain or river water.
2-3 weeks prior to harvest day, water is removed. When the rice changes color from green to brown, the rice is ready for harvesting. They are then cut by hand and dried for 2-4 weeks.
Threshing is next, separating the grain from the stem. The result is rough rice. By removing the hull of the rough rice, you have brown rice. By removing the bran (hard outer layer) from the brown rice, you create white rice.
We arrived at the dock to see hundreds of tourists waiting to dis-embark.
Ha Long means "where the dragon descends into the sea." According to legend, the bay was formed when a gigantic dragon plunged into the Gulf of Tonkin and created the myriad inlets by lashing its tail.
To see the islands and grottos, a boat trip is mandatory.
Our boat was the "Huy Loc." Huy means glorious, Loc means buddy. So we are the "Glorious Buddy."
We has seating for over 50 people.
TV included.
This was the galley where lunch was being prepared.
These boats are built for touring with an observation deck on top of the main cabin.
Off we go, our ragtag fleet of tourist boats, into Ha Long Bay.
We passed several barges with an amazing lack of freeboard. It looked overloaded to me but what do I know?
You can see why there are no inhabitants on these islands.
Instead, they have floating villages.
These villages not only include houseboats, but floating fuel stations, herb gardens, pigpens, ................
and even a schoolhouse.
We tied up at this one dock before lunch.
We had an opportunity to see the various kinds of fish and shellfish they kept in these pens.
The bay is home to many species of shellfish, many that I could not
identify.
I know these. I bet Tommy could charbroil these babies at Drago's.
Fresh fruit for sale.
Families live here.
All the comforts.
How would you like to cook in this kitchen ladies?
They even have pets.
Time for lunch.
And it was delicious.
If you wished to kayak, they were available.
I opted for a rowboat.
Check out the oarlocks. Crude, but it works for them.
The process of erosion by seawater has deeply engraved the stone, contributing to its fantastic beauty.
We continued on our cruise.
Rock climbers would have a field day here.
Every 5 minutes, we would encounter a new vista.
Many of the outcroppings resemble (& are named for) dogs, toads,
monkeys and other animals.
That's an overnight boat.
Towards the end, we tied up at Dau Go Island.
Several of the islands are hollow with enormous caves.
They are a candidate for one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World
This is one of the nicest caves I have ever seen.
This cave was discovered in the mid-1990's. Floodlights in pink, blue, green and yellow illuminate the sparkling stalactites that hang from the high ceiling.
Legend has it that a beautiful young lady named May caught the eye of the Dragon Prince and fell in love with her. They were betrothed, and their wedding lasted 7 days and nights in the very center of the grotto.
All the boats stop here for an hour before heading back to port.
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How was that guys? I have seen pictures of Ha Long Bay for the longest time and I never dreamed that I would ever have the opportunity to actually see it in person. It is definitely a bucket list item. Tomorrow we move on and fly to the old Imperial City of Hue. TO BE CONTINUED ........................ |
