Ha long Bay

As mentioned before, Halong Bay was the only reason why I chose to visit Hanoi back in June. I ought to be damned for my ignorance because there are so much more to the city than just this heritage site. Then again, one thing led to another, and this place has opened my eyes to the other natural beauties of Vietnam.

The unimpeachable UNESCO world heritage site is a retreat purely for relaxation and recuperation. For me, the main highlight of the tour wasn't the visiting of caves or kayaking, it was the hours spent on the deck, lying down, putting my feet up (literally) and letting my mind wander off. Amazingly amazing. The cascading serenity is to die for!

It took us approximately 3 hours to travel from Hanoi to the city of Ha long, by a minibus. Had to wake up at around 7 am to get prepared and catch the 8 am ride. 

I was very lucky during this trip. They gave me a free upgrade to a more expensive package, which was worth 100usd when I only paid around 60usd for mine. And it's more of an exclusive tour, with only 9 of us on a big boat, whereas the usual ones consist of around 14-15 people. It would've been more fun and happening but some softened enjoyment once in a while could be equally therapeutic. 

Since the other eight people in the group were in pairs, I get to have one whole room to myself, and it was very decent - two single beds and a nice toilet. The itinerary for the first day was the visiting of the cave (can't remember its name), which was huge and beautiful, and kayaking. Some of us also did some swimming, or rather jumping off the deck, which was EXTREMELY exhilarating. Once was enough for me. I sorely regretted not having a video or a picture of that jump taken! So much for wanting to bungee jump when I'm scared stiff even from a two-storey high leap. 

Before dinner was being served, the tour guide and the crew on-board taught us how to make the traditional Vietnamese spring roll. It's very very delicious, especially with the fish sauce! We were then treated to a sumptuous meal, with the accompaniment of a smidgen of Courvoisier, which was enough to make me groggy and tipsy.

Did a little bit of fishing with the locals after dinner before we had to stop due to bad weather, which was such a waste because I was hoping to idle on the deck. Wouldn't have mind sleeping there as well. It's THAT relaxing. 

As seen from the picture, I was the youngest (and the only loner) in the group. A few of them actually mistook the guy beside me and the lady opposite as my parents. Couldn't blame them. I think our similar ethnicity does pose a certain amount of resemblance of a small Asian family. 

Being part of an all adult group does bring about different forms of enjoyment. Initially, the whole unfitting scenario made me feel like a fish out of water. But I'm glad they were all very friendly and approachable people. That definitely made me feel less inferior. 

All in all, I was pretty satisfied with this place and it did live up to my expectations. Besides the downpour on the first night, everything else went well. I think it's safe to say that this was the most relaxing getaway I've ever had in a long long time. 

And that's another item striked off from my "Wonders of the world to visit" list!