This post features student writing.
Following 2 days sightseeing in Hanoi, we went to the world-famous Ha Long Bay for a 3-day boat tour. We had opportunities to visit caves, go kayaking, go swimming on small stretches of beach and to explore a fishing village with a pearl farm.
When we first arrived in the city of Ha Long we took our bags and boarded a smaller boat which took us to our bigger boat, known locally as a ‘junk’ boat, in the bay. We boarded and sat down to have lunch which consisted of soup, salad, fish and fruit for dessert. We then had an hour to unpack our bags and explore the junk boat as it moved further into the bay. It was actually not junky at all but quite spacious and comfortable, with private rooms, a dining hall, and plenty of open deck space.
We took in the incredible scenery all around. Ha Long Bay is an island dotted with jungle-covered rocks that juts out of the calm sea. In the afternoon we paired up and were given 2-person kayaks which we then paddled around the bay while both seeing the rock formations and picking up any trash we saw in the process. We even paddled into a cave for shelter during a brief rain shower. Dinner was delicious and we passed the evening by singing karaoke on the top deck. We had fun performing songs like Jesse’s Girl, Party in the USA, and various songs from High School Musical before heading to bed.
The next morning, after a Tai Chi lesson and breakfast, we visited a fishing village in the bay and got to see the pearl farm run out of the village. In this village people live in floating houses and catch or farm fish for a living. Seeing the way people lived in the fishing village showed me how simply people live without technology or “First World problems.”
That afternoon we went kayaking again and explored a fairly large cave, which we needed to bring flashlights to see inside of. We were also able to swim at another nice little beach and do flips and cannonballs off the small boat. We had chicken fights and “accidentally” capsized a kayak for practice. When going back to the junk boat most people boarded the small boat while others stayed in kayaks and paddled to the junk boat. Then we had some break time so some people took the opportunity to get Instagram shots while others relaxed on the roof playing cards, puzzles, games, or tanning.
On our final morning we explored another, even larger cave and enjoyed our last sights of the bay as the boat motored back toward the harbor. Though it was cloudy most of the time we really lucked out on the weather because it barely rained even though the forecast said it might storm. Only after we loaded the bus and hit the road back to Hanoi, then we saw heavy rain falling over the bay.
– Flemming S.
We are now back in Hanoi for one final night before making the journey home. We will share one more post very soon with some final thoughts on Vietnam. In particular, we want to share our newfound realizations, which contrast with the typical American perspectives of this country and its people.
