26th January 2008
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The weather forecast was light rain paired with temperature of 8°C which will dip lower later in the day. We slept cuddled together for warmth… i was mostly awake. Half of my body was numbed from not daring to move even an inch, afraid of touching the icy bed sheet that had not warmed from our body heat.

We woke up shivering from head to toe. We had a quick shower. The water heater was dead. *#@%#@^#%!!

I wore 3 pieces of shirts underneath my jacket to avoid freezing over.

On our way to Halong City –> Halong Bay

Our appointment was at 8am. We were off to Halong Bay for a 2D1N stay.

After a long struggle, we had finally decided on a group tour on board of Lagoon Explorer from Tropical Sails Co. Ltd. Hey, regardless to how darn expensive (USD120/pax) the package was, its still the best looking junk we’ve seen on the web and most important it runs on authentic traditional sails. Most of the junks or tour boats at the harbor could be hired for only USD50/pax but they run on motor.

Halong City

Our band consisted of 3 other Chinese Malaysians, 5 ang mohs and the two of us. The ang mohs were friendly enough but most of the time we kept to ourselves. It was a long and tiring journey… The uneventful trip from Old Quarter to the harbor took us at least 3hours. Besides the stretches of paddy fields and lands, there were nothing much to help us from dozing off. Fortunately, it was bearable coz our hired van was comfortable and clean.

However, i think i’ll avoid traveling with kids… period. The small girl in our group kept asking “Are we there yet?” and singing made-up Christmas carols. She’s so adorable… but 3 hours listening to fairy tales and funny Christmas carols is not. *i thought this only happens in Christmas movies -_-”

Dark gloomy district of Hon Gai

Halong City is popular for being undeveloped and not a pretty sight for the eyes. When we crossed over to Hon Gai district, we were welcomed by a dark and gloomy setting. It really was as if we were in an old movie setting. Being the main port district for coal exports, all the roads were black and dirty with soothe. Even the sky was cloudy and dark. Most locals wore masks covering their nose. It’s a wonder how much the locals could bear just to make a living.

Bridge connecting Halong City

Student’s winter uniform jacket

A stop at the disable people’s workshop was part of the itinerary. There tourist could find all sorts of junks and crafts to be bought as souvenirs. Silks and silk woven arts are particularly popular in Vietnam. They have one of the best works here. Naturally the price of the stuffs here are double the ones you could get at the local markets.

Uhm… I was there just for the loo. *it was fringgin’ cold and i needed to pee alright?!

Me in front of the workshop

When we got to the Halong Bay harbor we were greeted with tons of big and small boats or junks ready for hire. We were told that during the peak season (summer or spring) the harbor would be almost filled with boats making it difficult to maneuver. As this is the coldest winter season, there are less boats floating on the harbor.

Halong Bay harbor

The 10 of us waited at the deck to be sorted. The 5 ang mohs and 3 Malaysians went on separate junks (there were 2 Lagoon Explorer on the harbor). We were left behind.

Lagoon Explorer
with the leaking cabin

A petite woman came to greet us. Apparently our cabin aboard the Lagoon Explorer had a leaking roof that was not fixable this soon. *we are so unlucky… We were then offered a cruise on another junk as compensation. It was a private junk just for the 2 of us. The Princess Junk (Indochina Sails Co. Ltd. = sister co. of Tropical Sails Co. Ltd.) which would have cost us a USD500++/pax for a 2D1N stay! So, we get to cruise on a super luxury junk for half the price! *we are so lucky!!!!

Princess Junk woo hoo!

The junk is 3 months old and it is has only one cabin meant for a couple. The junk was so small, it cannot be harbored at the bank with the rest of the boats to avoid getting grazed by the bigger boats.

Come on baby!

Princess Junk layout

It was darn awkward when our Halong tour guide greeted us. Lined up behind him was the whole Princess Junk crew. All 6 of them (the guide, junk captain, deputy captain, a cook, a waiter, a waitress) welcomed us on board.

Our welcome drink

Hot ginger tea never tasted better! Read all about it HERE.

ZzzZZzzzz!

The junk was amazing. Mainly because there is heater in the bedroom *muahahaha! Nah, I’m kidding. But seriously, the oriental interior bedroom was very very comfy and cozy.

Silk bath robe

There’s nothing better than to start a day with a hot shower overlooking the beautiful bay.

View from the shower

Read all about our seafood lunch HERE.

Mmmmm Hmmmm… yummy… shhhh don’t tell him i curi his drink!

WTF?!!!! Gimme back or else!

Sorry lor…. uhm… my coconut as to say sorry can ar?

Categorized as one of the World Heritage site, Ha Long Bay includes some 1,600 islands and islets, forming a spectacular seascape and scenic beauty. The whole bay is like a crystal green pool of limestone pillars.

Limestone formation

Halong Bay is known as the “Bay of the Decending Dragon“. According to local myth which goes as follows:-

Long ago when their forefathers were fighting foreign invaders from the north, the gods from heaven sent a family of dragons to help defend their land. This family of dragons descended upon what is now Ha Long bay and began spitting out jewels and jade. Upon hitting the sea, these jewels turned into the various islands and islets dotting the seascape and formed a formidable fortress against the invaders. The locals were able to keep their land safe and formed what is now the country of Vietnam. The Dragon family fell so much in love with this area for its calm water and for th
e reverence of the people of Vietnam that they decided to remain on earth. Mother dragon lies on what is now Ha Long and where her children lie is Bai Tu Long. The dragon tails formed the area of Bach Long Vi known for the miles of white sandy beaches of Tra Co peninsula.

This myth is in line with the Vietnamese myth of their origin Con Rong Chau Tien. This myth describes the union between a king (representing the dragon) and his bride (representing a goddess) giving birth to 100 children which are the ancestors of the Vietnamese people. The Ha Long myth illustrate the Vietnamese belief of their origin and the fact that throughout their history, they are aided by their ancestors, the dragon and the gods, in the defense of their land.

My own theory is that a meteor somehow hit the mountains and sea in the area now known as Halong Bay causing an impact so great that the mountains was blasted into huge rocks, scattered all over the place. *make more sense right?

Don’t be fooled. It’s below 6°C out there.

Cruising across the amazing landscape is an unforgettable experience. It’s just as what everyone had described it to be and even more. The many many rock formations and natural grotto scattered in the bay were breath taking. Even in the misty cold winter, it was beautiful. I could only imagine how spectacular it would be during summer.

Brrrr… ccoo..coldddd

Although it was below 6°C, we couldn’t resist sitting out on the deck to enjoy the view. Our nose were running, our fingers were numbed, the blowing wind and the drizzle hitting our faces made it even worst… but who could resist right?

Mountains

Sitting on the deck, you can relax (for us it’s more like lying and shivering on the deck) and take in the breath-taking beauty of the rocky islands on the crystal-clear water of the bay. The water was really clear and green. If it wasn’t freezing i would have consider a skinny dip… in the summer maybe… to scare off other tourist. *wakaka!

Crystal clear water

The silence and tranquility made us pause for a while. We could even hear the gentle lapping of waves against our junk. The many many rocks afar looks like stretches of mountains surrounding the bay.



Scenic seascape

As we headed towards fishing village, our English speaking guide gave us some facts and histories about the bay. I was pretty surprised to find out that he was once a fisherman form the same fishing village we were about to visit.



Fishing Village

According to him, almost 80% of the adults living in the fishing village had never seen land. They are poor and uneducated. He was one of the lucky ones who had the chance to venture out of the village to make a living.

Tiny shacks above the water

Villagers on sampan

I have been to the fishing village in Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia. It is completely different from this village. In Tonle Sap, the villagers could go on land whenever they wanted to. Shacks were just nearby the bank. Here in Halong Bay, the shacks are floating on the clear water. There were no lands for miles. It would take hours to travel to land. I can’t imagine living all my life in this condition. *wow…

Towards inner lagoons

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Spectacular sight isn’t it

To be continued at:-
Natural or Man-Made Beach?

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Note: All photos are taken with my Panasonic Lumix F8.