Travel in Vietnam,
come to Halong Bay. The first time I stepped onto Halong (Descending
Dragons) Bay I was amazed by the limestone islets moored in the sea.
They looked like a vision out of Pandora - an imaginative country in the
movie Avatar. On my second visit to Halong Bay, I felt the same way,
and also same again on this my third trip.
I stood on the deck of Emeraude gazing at the limestone islets with
different shapes that we passed and left behind. From time to time, some
wooden boats appeared out of nowhere and then disappeared into thin air
before I had a chance to see the faces of the passengers. The sky
wasn’t as blue as I expected but at least it was sunny and breezy. I
noticed that many other guests also joined me on the deck, although they
could view the fascinating landscape of the bay from their own cabin.
A person catches fishes on Halong Bay – Vietnam tour
During the two-day cruise on Emeraude, our activities were not only
limited to the ship but we also had a chance to visit the Surprise Cave
with beautiful and mysterious stalactites and stalagmites, and the
educational pearl farm. While I was perched on the ship’s deck to
indulge in the beauty and serenity of the bay, other guests were
paddling into the sunset.
Sunrise in the bay was exceptionally beautiful when the sun itself
slowly made its appearance from behind the limestone islets. I sat down
in the lotus position to greet the first sunlight and let it touch me
gently and kindly.
Tourists enjoy exploring surprise Cave
After a sedentary cruise on the bay, we decided to climb Mount Bai Tho
(Mount Poem) not long after landing. The entrance to the trail of the
mountain was shockingly funny. Phuong, our local friend, was walking
past the street-front houses when she suddenly stopped and seemed to
look for something. “Here it is,” she yelled, turning toward a tiny and
dim alley between the two houses. “What?! Are you kidding? Is this the
way to Mount Bai Tho?” We all looked at each other in puzzlement and
then burst out laughing.
A tourist boat drifts on Halong Bay – (Vietnam tour)
After walking past some houses in the alley, we stopped at a closed
gate. I thought we took the wrong turn but when one of us pushed the
gate open, we found ourselves in someone’s front yard with a barking
dog. We sneaked to the back of the house to find a narrow way leading up
a staircase to the mountain. After about 45 minutes climbing steps
covered with goat’s poo, we reached the 100-meter-high Bai Tho to
witness a splendid 360 degree panoramic view of Halong Bay.
The sun was setting on the sea, painting a part of the waters with its
shiny golden color. “I wish we could stay longer. Maybe I have to come
back here some day to greet the sun rising up behind those limestone
islets,” I told Phuong before we climbed down the mountain.
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