George is clearly suffering from the jet lag she was up at 5:45, milling about getting coffee. The massage last night had us both asleep quickly, it was a long eventful day. After another hot shower we ventured to breakfast and they had bacon! OMG bacon, it was delicious. After we grabbed out stuff and left our big bags in reception we met out guide for the morning Viet. Coincidently his brother is actually called Nam. He has the job of taking us to the harbour to catch our boat.
I think he was quite excited as we are young not the normal old people he shows round. It's evident we haven't done this the backpacker way, with more students coming in the summer months. It was a four hour drive to the harbour, but we had a running commentry from Viet which was very informative. Rice paddies adorn the fields by the roadside, complete with people in conical hats tending their crops. Exactly what you see on postcards. The towns are similar to Indonesia, random hut shops selling everything from food to spare cars parts, the only difference is they are multi floored with the top balconies reflecting the romantic French architecture.
Half way we stopped at a tourist centre selling all local crafts from pots and masonry art to tapestries that looked like paintings. I will hold off on the purchases until my return in case I find a local place. Soon we were near the bay and suddenly you can see in the distance the water mountains. As beautiful as I had imagined. We got to enjoy a beer before boarding our small boat that took is to the Hanoi Jasmine.
Not much of a looker from the outside but inside was a shock. It's beautiful. We seem to be on a boat full of couples and now I know why. The interior is plush. Our room is like a cabin from a luxury liner. Being on the bottom floor the water gentle laps under our window. We dumped our bags and went for lunch as the Hanoi Jasmine set sail. Sipping Mango juice and eating exquisite food I was a little speechless. The view outside was memorising. One of those places that will never be done justice in photographs. There are 1969 of these water mountains in Halong Bay alone. They are all different dimensions but every one as spectacular as the next, trees clinging perilously to the cliff faces while the sheer faces of rock tell a story of time.
Soon we had arrived at our first anchor point where we embarked our small boat and headed to the largest water village in the bay. It is home to nearly 600 people who live in floating houses. A small bamboo fishing boat took us round. They have dogs and cats which is odd to see, where do they walk them? There were three schools, each a hut for the three levels like back in the UK. Obviously they fish for a living with most of the children taking on the tradition and not going to higher education.
Next we headed to a cave in one of the mountains. It wasn't as big as the fairy caves in Sarawak but still beautiful in its own right. When we got back to Hanoi Jasmine it was time for our cookery lesson. Deep fried pork spring rolls. We all got to watch and then made our own, it was really great fun. Before dinner we had time for a hot shower and change. Upstairs we ordered a few cocktails and played cards. An Ozzy couple next to us playing scrabble getting progressively more drunk which was hilarious.
Dinner. Well where do I start. The chicken and mushroom soup tasted like my late grandmas. And then there was the seafood BBQ. Clams, prawns, squid and Sea Bass. Cooked to perfection with a choice of sauces. This is not what I was expecting but I can't moan I think we outdid ourselves. We ventured outside to review the bay at night, other boats moaned near ours. Dimly lit, very romantic I understand why we have so many honeymooners with us. I am pretty sure we should have been on the party boat a few hundred metres away, but frankly I think that May have been a bit overwhelming having lived such a simple life for two months.
After a few more Daquaries, making friends and some games of cards the long day had taken its toll mentally so we retired to our luxurious cabin for bed.
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