Monday, March 11, 2013

Never Never Land

Vietnam is known for its copious amounts of scenic beauty, the most famous of which is probably Halong Bay. One of three world Heritage Sites in the country, Halong has some 2,000 small islands, mostly made of limestone and many of which take on some fascinating shapes. Most people do overnight trips in Halong Bay but because my travel mates are a bit short on time, the three of us decided just to take a day trip there from Hanoi. The weather wasn't the best but cruising the Bay felt like being in Never Never Land. It's that beautiful.




We turned it into a bit of a booze cruise...



And then befriended and started drinking with the other foreigners on the boat (from the US and the Philippines)



When the boat docked for a bit, I asked our tour guide if I could jump off the boat - he said no. Much to the excitement of the Vietnamese passengers on board, I decided to jump anyway.


It caused a bit of a panic on the dock - the men pulled me out like I had been drowning



When I was safely back on the boat we had a group photo session


I hope at some point in the future to go back to Halong Bay at a different time of year - I think it would have been even more spectacular on a sunnier day - but it still made for some fantastic scenery and a ridiculously fun day.


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Alex - today I caught up on many of your blogs and was truly amazed at your passion and insight for such a foreign place as SE Asia. Your posts are so very personal, as well as informative. I am enjoying experiencing this trip through your eyes. Have fun and travel safe.
Love, Auntie Sandra

Anonymous said...

Alex - today I caught up on many of your blogs and was truly amazed at your passion and insight for such a foreign place as SE Asia. Your posts are so very personal, as well as informative. I am enjoying experiencing this trip through your eyes. Have fun and travel safe.
Love, Auntie Sandra

Wondering and Wandering said...

Glad you're enjoying it :) Thanks for Auntie Sandra! xo

mom said...

Being your mother, my initial reaction to this story was a bit less congratulatory than Auntie Sandra's..... I am however delighted you survived your dip into Halong Bay but am beginning to note a trend when it comes to you and bodies of water. I recall a few fountains in France that you felt inclined to wade into ... I can only wonder what's next......