We got up this morning at 6:45 and had our bags out by 7:30. We headed to breakfast and were on the bus by 8:15. Since we would not be returning to this hotel again, I took a few minutes to get some pictures of it. It doesn't always look as creepy as it did last night!
Our bus took us to the Tuan Chau International Marina, where we caught our tour boat for the day.
As we stepped out the back doors of the building, our excitement began to build. This is the day we have been waiting for! We will be cruising through one of the natural seven wonders of the world.
The morning fog gave the bay a very mystic feel. It wasn't cold at all, just calm and mysterious.
Halong Bay covers 300 square miles and has over 3000 islands, and is only 40' - 50' deep. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and was recently declared one of the "New Seven Natural Wonders of the World". There are caves and grottos throughout the limestone formations.
The name Halong means Descending Dragon. The legend of this bay is as follows: The tribe that originally lived in Halong Bay was invaded by outsiders. They prayed to their god for help. Their god sent down a dragon to help them, and the dragon had 1000's of babies. All of the baby dragons liked the bay so much that they decided to stay, but this made the god so mad that he turned all of the dragons to stone.
Our tour boat was two stories with a rooftop deck. We were asked to start out on the first floor for our briefing before making our way around the boat.
Once we set sail, we made our way to the other floors and eventually found the rooftop deck.
It was time to sit back, relax and feel the wind in our faces as we made our way out into the fog, moving toward this land of mystical dragons.
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| Alex and Mila |
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| The fog is beginning to lift...yay! |
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| Andra, Steve, Alex, Mila, Chris, Sarah, Helen.....the clan! |
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| Our Captain |
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| Steve and Helen |
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| Alex and Mila |
We made one stop on our trip through Halong Bay, at Sung Sot, one of the largest cave systems. Over millions of years, erosion of the limestone has created caves in many of the rocks. The rain has created stalactites and stalagmites in these caves. The ceiling in many parts of the cave looks like a beach, created many years ago when the cave was under water.
There was lighting throughout most of the cave to give depth to the formations.
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| Beverly, Helen and Sarah |
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| Steve and Sarah |
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| Alex and Mila |
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| Papa Khanh showing us the way back to our boat |
As we climbed back aboard our boat, a vendor was selling her days catch. If you purchased something, the boat staff would cook it up for you along with your lunch. Kind of a fun touch!
The views heading back to the marina were no less dramatic than coming out.
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| A swim beach on one of the islands. |
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| The sun was getting very hot! Too pretty to go inside the covered part of the boat! |
As we sailed back, they served us a nice lunch, and provided a nice display of wares and souvenirs for anyone that might be in need.
I don't think I have ever seen a more beautiful, tranquil place in my life, and I doubt I'll ever have the opportunity to see it again. But the memories of this day will remain in my heart and mind forever!
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