Our three day/two night boat trip on the “Dragon’s Pearl” to Halong Bay started early when a van arrived at our hotel at 7:00 am to pick us up for the four hour drive to the harbor. Along the way we saw the urban sprawl spreading out from Hanoi, with many new apartment complexes and homes, businesses and commercial buildings. Everything looked very clean and neat, especially compared to the poorer roads and trash in Cambodia. We drove through large areas of farming, mostly rice paddies, and ordered gardens. Beautiful scenery. About halfway we detoured off the main roadway, meandered down a small narrow winding lane through a lovely village and their farmland. We were going to a water puppet show and lunch in the village of Yen Duc. Hanoi is famous for it’s water puppet show which we’ve seen in the past. But this petite provincial production moved my heart as it was performed in a natural setting. Lotus pond and a wooden stage provided the backdrop for the puppets that arise from the water while the puppeteers are behind a screen standing up to their waist in the water. Little ducks, swans, dragons, and people puppets are telling the stories, as songs are sung and live music accompany the show. Really very charming. Lunch was fantastic, perhaps the best food of the trip. The waitress explained that it was all farm to table from their gardens. The rice alone was exceptional, tasting unique and texturally different. The gardens were inviting and it was a nice break in the journey out to the harbor. There we were organized into groups and our “tender” transported our group of 16 to the awaiting boat. She was a wooden junk style boat with two large mast and brown sails. We climbed aboard and sat in the small snug dining room for the inevitable lecture. Then received our room assignments. Our cabin was about the size of a large walk in closet, wood lined and ship shape. Bathroom included a glassed in shower in which you could only turn in a tight circle. We stowed our one duffle bag, found a few places to put our books and ipad as the ship set course for the beautiful dramatic waters of Halong Bay. Limestone karst, hundreds of them, jut out from the surface of the water, layering the horizon in multiple cusps covered in greenery. We sadly only had grey skies and some drizzle the entire trip, although that seemed to create a romantic misty layering of shadows on the karst. Actually the sun did break through for exactly 120 seconds, time enough for me to get two photos of the rays on the water... it was a well organized trip, guide and crew very well trained and taking care of us in every way. Excellent chef. We were a small boat so we could travel further into the Bay and away from the other slew of boats. Our small group consisted of mostly British, one German, three aussies, and us yanks. One couple were Russian but lived in US for many years. It was a nice group. I found just sitting on deck watching the beauty of the water and clouds and karst lulled me into a kind of hypnotic trance. So relaxing. I was originally worried about getting seaside, but this boat was smooth, the water calm as there was very little to no wind. A gift for me. We kayaked three times over the two days. Enjoyed a Bar-BQ on a small white crescent of beach we kayaked to in the rain. The crew had set up two white table clothed tables and director chairs in the sand with two large umbrellas. But by the time we all arrived it had begun to rain in earnest. They asked if we wanted to move the tables to the cliff side for a bit more protection, but we all said “no” it’s beautiful here in the sand by the waters edge. Ron and I gamely gave our more protected seats beneath the umbrella to an older couple and we took the edge where we got the wettest. We had kayaked in so it really didn’t matter as we were kinda damp anyway, and we were feeling young and strong. The water was an amazing changing chorus of blues to turquoise. It was exciting to get right up to the cliff faces and actually paddle through caves, or arches, in the rock. Three days went by very quickly. Everyone bonded, enjoy dinner conversation in smaller groups while they served seven course meals. Sitting on the upper deck beneath the few stars that appeared through the clouds and the mist brought a peace and serenity to my whole being. Then it was over, we motored back to the harbor after breakfast our last morning. Everyone exchanged email addresses, took photos, and once we were tendered back to shore, everyone seemed to run halter skelter to the awaiting vans for the journey back to Hanoi. It was less exciting riding back. Less comfortable, and no charming farm to visit. The party was over...but the memories remain sweet.
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