Cruisin' on the JUNK...

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  Halong Bay, Vietnam
Friday, November 16, 2007

Hello all armchair travelers.  Hope you are enjoying reading as much as we
are enjoying doing the "research" to write them! Sorry for the two day delay but
we've been in Halong bay. I typed this last night to post but lost it AGAIN.
Gotta love these slow connections!
 
Anyway, we left for Halong Bay Wednesday morning and enjoyed the 3 hr trip
with some British girls. They have been all over for the last several months so
it was good to get some pointers from them on the next few stops we'll be
making

Allen on Deck

.
 
HB was absolutely A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!! We got to our Chinese "junk" as they call
them and climbed aboard. Our fellow travellers were from all over the world,
most in theier mid twenties. Australia, Japan, Argentina, Portugal, Denmark,
Britain and Germany were all represented. We had an awesome luch of fresh fish,
spring rolls, french fries, rice, steamed fresh veggies and fruit! Then we were
off to cruise around the bay- it's full of limestone islands, about 3000 of
them!
 
We went to this really cave inside one of the islands and it felt like we
were on the moon or something. I hope the pictures come out for it. It was
really neat. Then we climbed to to the top of the island and got some neat shots
of the bay with all the boats floating around. Then we went kayaking around to
explore on our own for a little while. Got back to the boat about sunset and
just sat up on deck talking with everyone and taking in the awesome views of the
islands and boats at sunset. WOW

Chinese "Junk" Boat

!
 
We had a great dinner and just talked late with everyone hearing travel
stories and getting ideas for things to do in Ho Chi Minh City and Cambodia. We
also compared notes about how we do things back home versus how the others did.
It was neat to learn and share with each other. To me, that's what traveling it
all about!
 
Went to bed and woke up early for sunrise. We were the only 2 up for a while
and it was so quiet and peaceful looking out over the water and waiting. All you
children of the 80's will remember The Goonies. That's what some of the scenery
and the boats look like to me. We cruised back towards the pier after breakfast
and stopped at a floating village. It was really neat to see. This is a vilage
in the middle of NOWHERE and they are thriving, though poor by Western
standards

Halong Bay-Vietnam

. There are some very enterprising women who will paddle up to the
junks in their small boats and shot for you to buy something. Thay have all kind
of things from Pringles and Oreos to wine and beer. Very interesting. And of
course people buy because we are a captive market! No 7-11 around the
corner!
 

We got back to Hanoi about 4pm and just walked around the Old Quarter in and
out of neat little shops with paper lanterns, ties,silks and linens, wooden
laquerware bowls and other "bits and bobs" as the English girls say.
 
A great time had here and we are not done yet! More to come
later!

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Jenna Napping

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