Halong Bay, Vietnam: Poetry from the Sea

Luang Prabang, Laos

Halong Bay was one of our target destinations for the journey -- as righteous parents, we hoped to be able to share the beauty of this remarkable ocean garden with our kids. Like Angkor Wat it was a place to which Anita and I had traveled before at a different time in our lives and it left an indelible mark.

There a video blog at the end of the post that also links from here

Last time we took a local bus and then a local ferry to a large island, mostly park, off shore known as Cat Ba. That was 1992. The ferry was a hopeless rust bucket, listing 10° left -- the kind of boat your mother warns you about if she thinks about listing boats at all. A 10-year old boy sat at the bow, puffing on a cigarette. This time we opted for an inclusive cruise through a reputable Hanoi guide service (http://kangaroocafe.com). In 22 years we've come up in the world. So has Halong Bay.

The junk-rigged rattan boat that was on the cover of our guide book and took over my mind was becoming a rare site in 1992. They're quite extinct now. Little wooden sapans have taken their place, pulling in nets or selling fish to cruise ships. The waters are filled with cruise ships like ours -- 6-20 cabin vessels with no hope of going too far from the sheltered bay. Gone was the sense of falling off the edge of the map and into a sea of beauty and miscommunication. But there is also a sense that they've recognize the need to crack down on the wild-westiness of the place so that more people can come and enjoy it without destroying it. 

Gratuitous scenery picture

Kayaking under mountains

And what about kids? Were they staring out the windows, entranced? Were they rushing from one side of the ship to the other to take in a new karst island rising majestically or the sight of small trawlers silhouetted by the sun? Maybe we could rent those kids somewhere. Instead we brought the kids who thought the ship was cool, thought their cabin was cool but were disappointed that it didn't have wifi. They thought the kayaking was cool, but would have preferred to have been swimming, and they only grudging joined us for the cave tour -- Liam is more accustomed to making caves in MineCraft and the idea of walking through a limestone showpiece and not being able to dig it or blow it up is almost unbearable. If they were moved by the scenery they kept those cards close to their chest.

Gracie: We're in this cave. What is it called?
Angus: Amazing Cave.
Gracie: Amazing Cave? Well
anyway, it is pretty amazing.

Squid fishing. Squid were safe.

After a night on the redoubtable Baitu Long Junk we were beached at our old island, Cat Ba. Twenty-two years ago a group of us hired a bus that we presumed would take us around the island. When the driver only took us to one place, the national park, and then proposed to turn around and come back we balked and argued -- culminating in Anita and I walking the 8 kilometers back to our hotel. But that Cat Ba has been replaced. Only the enveloping jungle seemed familiar. The city had been transformed from a sleepy backwater into something of a domestic tourism mecca, with a promenade, karaoke bars, 3 and 4-seat cycle rentals and lots of romantic young couples.

For this escapade we were joined by two English women who were traveling for 18 months, Billie and Marie. It is nice to have fellow travelers -- I'm used to making connections with other travelers from myriad countries, but those spontaneous meet-ups don't happen as much when you're putting your kids to bed at 9 pm. So we were grateful to have Billie's sense of humor and Marie's patience with Gracie's questions for a few days. Thanks guys! Have a great trip.

Here's the video I made to celebrate: