Hanoi to Halong Bay to Hue - Day 5 & 6

We board our bus headed to Halong Bay, four hours down the road.  Along the way we see lots of rice fields, several being tended by local farmers with virtually no mechanized equipment, many pineapple fields which yield a small, very sweet fruit, tons of bicycles, motorbikes, trucks, and several small villages, many of which run directly into each other, forming a continuous row of shops topped with homes.  About two hours into our drive we stop at a local school/craft market for handicapped children and adults.  The students are learning to paint with silk thread producing beautiful pictures that from a distance look like oil paintings, as well as wood and stone carving, clothing sewing, lacquer ware painting among other skills.  The goal is to teach them a skill they can use to make a living when they leave the security of the school.  A very interesting stop. 

We board a sampan that will take us to our junk which is anchored out in the harbor.  Upon arrival we are given our room key and some time to get freshened up for lunch.  Our guide, Tano, has told us that this is a brand new junk, only used 3 times before, and that as recently as 2000 there were no junks that offered overnight accommodations.  Amazing since this Bay is one of the most beautiful spots in the world and can only be explored by boat.  It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and deservedly so.  While I am at a loss for words to clearly describe the beauty we are encountering here, I will try to describe it as best as I can.  The water is emerald green, most likely reflecting the greenery that covers the nearly 2,000 islands dotting this Bay.  They jut up out of the water many hundreds of feet straight up with layer after layer of vertically stratified rock.  Couple that with a nearly constant mist/fog and you have eerie but spectacular views every way you look.  As part of our cruise we stop at a floating fish farm where rows of cubes of sea water hold dozens of kinds of fish and shellfish, some caught by locals, and all destined for local markets.  Fascinating.  We also stopped for about an hour while some of our group (not the 3 of us) climbed up the equivalent of 28 stories to see a cavern filled with stalactites and stalagmites. They said it was quite interesting - enough for us wimps.  Sunset was beautiful over the water, followed by the eerie hoodoo-like images exposed only by moonlight.  Morning came quite early as the junk engines start up at 6 a.m., ending the peaceful quiet of the night.  After a short cruise during our breakfast we return to our bus for the return trip to Hanoi where we have lunch and head for the airport for our flight to Hue.  We make the short transfer from the airport to the hotel, and gladly head for our rooms.  Dinner tonight is on our own, so we choose to head upstairs to the hotel restaurant.  Very good choice.

Is anybody out there?  We haven’t heard a word from home except our friend and house sitter, Linda.  Write and update us on the big snow and the Broncos.