Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Ha Long Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage site and so we wanted to check it out...……

It was a long 4 hour drive from Hanoi but it was  only 160 kms…….it takes so long because the roads were in a dreadful condition….
There actually wasn't very much traffic…we were all going in the same direction to get on the boats at the same time! In the afternoon the traffic would be going in the opposite direction after the on-board changeover!

The drivers also need to stop for 30 mins en route so one is left in a sort of very large Emporium which sells cheaply made (and lacking in taste!) Vietnamese goods.  We definitely resisted both ways!

We passed endless rice paddies on the way…….

Unfortunately, as it continued to rain, our initial view of the bay was not as awesome as we had anticipated…..

Our boat….the Dragon's Pearl….

 had very comfortable cabins….

with a full bathroom……

plus bathrobes…..

We did have to eat inside…….

and after a very good lunch we were supposed to go ashore on one of the limestone peaks and either kayak, lie on a small beach and swim or visit a large cave to view stalagmites/stalactites.

Lying on a beach in the rain held no appeal, nor kayaking in the rain, and I hate caves….so we waved the others off and had the boat to ourselves……

and explored it……...

………….using an umbrella!

The rain continued on during the night but next morning, although still very cloudy and somewhat cold, it wasn't actually raining….

Which was good as, on the agenda,  was visiting a floating fishing village.

This was very interesting…….but rather a hard life for the people living there……

……..particularly for the children.

We went to their cultured oyster farm…….

where they showed us how they find the pearls…..

The people living there make their livelihood not only from fishing and cultured pearls but of course also from the tourist visits!

Our boat finally unfurled its sails just to show us it did have them!