We returned to Hanoi at 5am, in time for breakfast at our hotel before heading off again for our Christmas cruise.
Ha Long bay is about 4 hours drive from Hanoi, and is one of the ‘New’ Seven Wonders of the World. Thousands of tiny limestone islands rise from the calm water creating a spectacular sight.
Ha Long translates as ‘where the dragon descends into the sea’ and the scenery is just as mythical as it sounds. Legend has it that the Gods asked a Dragon to protect people from invaders from the sea. The dragon performed a crash-landing, digging up chunks of rock and spitting out pearls before grinding to a halt.
Over 900 tourist boats are in the bay, but so few are visible between the islands. We’re currently on an overnight cruise on a 22 suite junk called the Paloma. When the area was named one of the New 7 Wonders, the Government directed that every boat in the bay should be white. And so they are.
After arriving on the boat, we sailed to Vung Vieng Village – a floating market and pearl farm in the middle of the bay. It was fascinating to see families with small children living miles out in the middle of the bay, making a living from pearl farming and supporting the tourist trade.
While it was a little chilly, the Bunch decided to take the option to kayak around the village rather than take a tour in a bamboo boat – much more adventurous than the other young couples on the cruise! Despite losing our guide in the first 5 minutes, we had a great time exploring the islands and archways around the rocks.
Tonight we’ve had a Christmas dinner of sorts – a mix of local Vietnamese and international foods. I’m not sure how much was intentional, and how much was lost in translation, but we combined beef stew, Ha Long Bay fish, Russian salad and mashed potato – all eaten expertly with Chopsticks!
Thanks to some Aussies, the girls managed to pull a couple of crackers and share some dodgy Christmas jokes. There’s a great festive feel on the boat, which hopefully goes some way to making up for being away from family on days like these 🙂
We finished the night with an attempt at squid fishing. Apparently they just come towards light and wind up on your rod… Clearly takes more than 40 minutes patience!
That’s all from me… I need my rest before the 6:15 Tai Chi session on the deck.
Hope you’re enjoying the early hours of your Christmas morning. We’ll keep an eye out for Santa as he heads from Brisbane – we believe he should have stopped there for us 😉
Wishing you a Merry Christmas!
love M & the Bunch xxx
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