On the four hour drive to Ha Long Bay, our guide, Ha, entertained us with jokes and also told us frankly about the history of his country and the region. He was tremendously insightful and engaging (he kept us awake in spite of our late arrival last night) and we learned quite a bit.
On the way up, we stopped at an artisan market operated by disabled artists and found a beautiful souvenir to remember and show off our time here. We also talked with Yuri and Ilana for a while as well, and saw some was things we couldn't unsee.
Once we got to the Bay, we boarded our boat and took off in earnest.
We had a great lunch with Team Chicago on the boat but frequently hopped up to take in and snap photos of the breathtaking scenery around us. Simon annoyed no one as he silently hummed the theme from The Man With the Golden Gun in his head. The bay's tiny islands climbed ever upward and the green and lush vegetation stood stark against the murky water below.
After an hour of cruising, we reached our first stop and got off the boat to explore a surprisingly large cave. Ha told us about the various formations and pointed them out with a laser pointer.
Then, we got back on the boat and headed to our second stop: the floating village. There, we took a paddle boat ride into some water caves and lagoons - sights we could never see in any other way. Ilona also donated her portable electric fan to our hardworking paddle-boat rower.
Finally, late in the afternoon, we cooled off and took the boat back to the dock and got back on the bus for the long ride home.
When we got back to Hanoi, we navigated the night market around the lake and soon found our hotel. This was a remarkable place and we're excited for our upcoming city day in Hanoi!
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