The day dawned heavily overcast after a rainy night. Not ideal conditions for a tour on Ha Long bay but we were hoping it would clear. We boarded a 30 seater full of westerners and headed out of town. Over three hours later we arrived in Ha Long city. Only four of us on the bus had opted for the el-cheap-o trip (2 days, 1 night) and we were immediately demoted to another tour group. The bay at Ha Long was surprising – packed with tourists being led about in groups while junks jostled for position on the piers. Our new group made my ears itch instantly as the loud affected twang of SAFA accents bellowed forth. On board we were provided lunch as we drifted out into the bay.

Even in the heavily overcast conditions the bay is still stunning. Over 3000 karst islands of varying sizes fill this UNESCO world heritage site. Unfortunately without the sun the water wasn’t close to the deep turquoise you see on postcards. Our first stop was the recently (1994) discovered Hang Sung Sot cave. Beautifully set out and lit for tourists even V enjoyed the space (not at all claustrophobic). Our guide led us through a bit of the history and pointed out the well known formations – more dragons, lions, frogs, turtles and bits of anatomy. All required little imagination.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent cruising around the amazing waterways and formations before dropping some people off at Cat Ba Island and continuing to a floating fishing village and the promise of kayaks. By the time we got to the kayaks the wind had come up, the temperature had dropped and night had fallen. Pity – I was looking forward to a swim.

We anchored for the night surrounded by dozens of similar boats all being swirled around by the strong wind. Dinner was acceptable (although the ‘fresh’ seafood looked decidedly not) and we enjoyed the evening with an English/Irish couple before retiring to our cabin. A large celebratory scotch and a pile of M&M’s had me unconscious before we could get through two eps of The West Wing ! Tough life we have 🙂

[Pictures: Views of Ha Long bay ]

– Posted from my iPhone via WiFi