Halong Bay by boat and last day in Vietnam!!
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Halong Bay,
Vietnam
Saturday, January 13, 2007
I'm back from my 2 day/1night journey to Halong Bay. It costed $35 and wasn't too bad. The limestone formations are truly spectacular and it really deserves the World Heritage site designation. I met an Aussie couple with 2 sons on vacation and learned alot about Australia and how horribly isolated Americans are to the entire world. Warren, the father of the 2 boys, was a Vietnam Vet and I imagine this was probably the second time he has been to Vietnam. He probably lost a lot of friends during the war and I think this time around he has come to appreciate what he fought for and lost his friends for.
In any case, the trip was far too short and I think I didn't see enough of the sites. Our ticket had 10 areas and we only visited 2 of them. I think I need to come again.
I also got some gifts from Halong Bay. I bought some pearl necklaces, bracelet, and ear-rings for under $20. The pearls aren't perfect, but they seem to be real and when the ladies tested them with their lighter, it didn't burn...
I think Hanoi is a much more polite city than Saigon (Ho Chi Minh). The tour guides spent about 5 minutes toward the end of the tour thanking us for our patronage AND they didn't ask for tips. I do plan on coming back soon.
We're heading to Laos this evening... 20 hour bus-ride...
Ugh....
