M-whY

A collection of boats awaited to take the hundreds of tourists out onto the water. Even though I probably should've been more cost conscious, considering the amount I spent the previous two weeks, I couldn't resist coughing up the dough to be part of a smaller tour group. There were only 14 people on board, as opposed to the 40-50 I'd be stuck with had I chosen the budget option. We all got our own lounge chairs on the upper deck to chill out on.

Halong, in Vietnamese, means "dragon descending." According to legend, the numerous islands in the bay were formed by a dragon thrashing about on the earth. Villages of simple homes floated in various parts of the archipelago. We stopped at one of them to see a seafood farm.

"If you would like to buy anything, we can cook it on board for you," our guide informed us. Coming into the home stretch of my visit to southeast asia, I've become more inclined to try new things without worrying about money. Five dollars a plate isn't your typical backpacker meal, but I have to say, the prawns were worth every penny.

Some time after lunch, we arrived at the Amazing Cave. I had difficulty understanding the heavily accented english of our guide. However, the immense cave really needed no introduction. Stalagmites and stalactites that took millions of years to form, enhanced by lighting effects that really worked... I half expected to see the legendary dragon around the corner.

We returned to the boats to continue our cruise through Halong Bay. The scenery was similar to Ao Phang Nga back in Thailand, but in a much larger scale.

"How many islands are there?" I asked my guide.

"Maybe three thousand?" she replied. She didn't seem too confident in her answer. I guess the exact number really depends on whether the many tiny crags count as well.

Dangling my legs over the bow of the boat, sipping a Hanoi Beer, I felt incredibly relaxed. Towards the latter part of the afternoon, we dropped anchor for some swimming. I handed my camera to a fellow tourist and leapt over the edge of the boat.

"How did the picture turn out?" I asked after I climbed out of the surprisingly warm water.

"I only got your feet," she admitted.

"Let's try again," I said and took another plunge.

"Only got your upper body..."

"One more time."

On the fifth attempt, we finally got it. Man, the things I do for pictures.

As the sun began to set, we arrived at Cat Ba island, the only inhabited island of Halong Bay. A shuttle took everyone from the floating village to the other side of the isle, where stacks and stacks of hotels awaited. Accomodation was included in the price of the tour, and I checked into a room with two beautiful views. One from the balcony, and one in the bathroom.

Thanks to everyone for their support and comments! Knowing people are reading keeps me motivated to continue the updates!