PARADISE IN HALONG BAY

OK..this was the part of the trip that I had so dreamed about….an exotic overnight trip on an old rice barge or Chinese junk in a hidden corner of Halong Bay!
What a shock to arrive at the port and see a huge operation with multiple cruise boats (read modern junks) on a massive dock lined with vacation condominiums and hotels! This was definitely not the Vietnam that I had come to see.
Just like China, it seems that Vietnam has joined the capitalist world…even though it is a Communist regime that runs the county. I am sure there is a back story here where the big dogs in the government give these companies a “pass” if the money in the pocket is in the correct amount.
The people seem content with things as they are, ignoring the politics and making money any way they can. In a few weeks there is an election and it is mandatory to vote. When I asked who the candidates are, no one seems to know or care.
And so it goes in Vietnam!
We board our 3 story junk, complete with air conditioning, restaurant, bars and a sports deck with kayaks. At least we will have some fun on the Bay.
Departing port in the midday sun, the Paradise Luxury junk we are on is accompanied by a “gravy train” of boats of all sizes and shapes. There are over 500 boats that leave this and nearby ports per day. Most are day trips but there are in excess of 200 that are overnight boats. Halong Bay is vast, but I am not sure that a deserted cove is in our future.
The day is absolutely perfect for sailing…..enjoying the sun and a wonderfully cold Halong draft beer (I don’t usually drink beer) is perfect. The mountains formed by a shifting of the geographic plates, jut upwards into the blue sky in an array of wild vegetation and rock. The lighter the rock the newer. Rains here carve the various formations with the older ones the dark rock outcroppings.
At first when we left the dock with the “gravy train”…I was terrified that this was going to be similar to the Li River outside Guilin in China, where a cacophony of party boats cruise up and down this beautiful spot jarring the senses with their flashing lights and pulsating music.
I am pleasantly surprised as we leave these other boats far behind and head off in a different direction. The day is glorious and to make things twice as good we park in a small cove of pearl farmers and lower the kayaks into the water.
I am not a fan of the sit on top plastic kayaks, but in this case, they were perfect as we paddled into the coves and along the shores. The bird calls and monkeys are everywhere. It is absolutely breathtaking to think that I am on the coast of Vietnam in a kayak on the opposite side of the world from home.
I am truly lucky and this experience is beginning to be just the magical one I had hoped for.
The next morning, we motor off and hoist our sails to reach a small cove where there is a wonderful cave. These mountains are filled with caves and places to explore. Again we take the kayaks into a huge cave to discover the beautiful lagoon on the other side. It is like being in a prehistoric world…all by ourselves. Of course there are other kayaks nearby and a smattering of small boats filled with tourists, but I am told that a cruise of 3 or 4 days takes you to seldom visited nooks and crannies of this great bay.
Vietnam and my rice barge (read junk) experience is truly exotic and everything I had hoped it would be. Just wish I could spend a few more days here to hike the national parks and visit some of the small villages on its shores.
It will have to wait as there is still much more to explore in this fascinating country!