We set out from our hotel in Hanoi this morning, headed for world-famous Ha Long Bay. Three hours later we pulled into the parking lot at Tuan Chau Marina, where there must have been at least twenty boats waiting for tourists like us to show up. We boarded a boat named the White Tiger.
Once on board, we chugged out of the harbor and into Ha Long Bay. In no time at all, we were surrounded by huge rocks shooting straight up out of the water. The scene looked exactly as it did in pictures we had seen, but it was so much more impressive in person.
As we cruised farther out, we passed rock after rock. There appeared to be no end to them as far as the eye could see. It looked to me like there must be hundreds of them. It turns out there are thousands of them.
The “How” of Ha Long Bay
Geologists call them “karsts.” If I understood our guide correctly, this place started out millions of years ago, when tectonic plate movement created mountains. An ocean moved into the area, and erosion ultimately removed everything except these huge limestone rocks we see now. That’s the waaaaay simplified version.
Limestone, over millions of years, erodes in unique ways due to rainwater seeping into cracks, dissolving rock along the way. The results can be dramatic-looking rock formations and caves.
We docked at a floating structure somewhere out in the middle of the bay. Anyone who wanted to have a closer look at one of these rocks could board one of the small boats moored there.
Let’s Take a Closer Look
Four of us hopped into one of the little boats. It was commandeered, steered, and powered by a little lady wearing a traditional conical hat. This little lady – our captain – was about half as tall as either one of the two big oars she was wielding. She wasn’t big, but she had a way of making it clear who was in charge.
When she started rowing, we took off surprisingly fast. We were heading toward a massive rock wall rising straight up out of the water. As we got closer, we could start to see a tunnel-like opening. That’s where she was heading.
We went through the tunnel and emerged into an enclosed lagoon. Limestone walls went up for hundreds of feet on all sides. The little lady stopped rowing, so we were just floating in that enclosed lagoon. We were the only ones there. It was beautiful, serene, and eerily quiet. It was like we were on another planet.
Our captain/guide used all kinds of gestures to show us where to get the best pictures. She did whatever it took to say, without words, “You two sit there. You go over here and take a picture of them with that rock formation in the background. Now you other two do it. Here – I’ll take one of the four of you.” She didn’t speak english, but she was an effective communicator!
She took us to another lagoon to see more dramatic rock formations. We went through the photo-op routine again, but this time, she didn’t have to work so hard. Apparently we were fairly trainable.
We returned to the big boat and cruised to another large rock. This one was known for having limestone caves that we were going to explore.
Cave Exploration
This part of the tour started out with a 100-step staircase up the side of the rock wall. The “100 steps” was our guide’s estimate, but I’m pretty sure his estimate was on the low side.
After reaching the top and catching our breath, we went inside. The cave was enormous. Some of the “rooms” were as big as a small auditorium. Eerie-looking stalactites drooped down like giant icicles from the ceiling. Rays of sunlight shot down through the occasional hole leading to the outside world. It was pretty spectacular.
After leaving the caves, we meandered back to the marina. We had only seen a tiny bit of Ha Long Bay, but I’m not complaining. I’ve heard good things about a tour where you stay overnight on a boat that goes far out into the bay. That way, you’d have time to let it soak in. And waking up in a fog-shrouded Ha Long Bay is probably very neat.
There are a lot of concerns about the effects of tourism and over-use of the bay. I can see why, because there were an awful lot of boats out there floating around. Let’s hope that it’s managed wisely as time goes on.
Back to Hanoi
The bus ride back to Hanoi was enjoyable. Just about everyone on the bus was conked out, snoozing away. Not me, though. I was gazing out the window the whole time, taking it all in.
It was getting dark when we reached the outskirts of Hanoi. We passed so many open-air restaurants where people were having dinner. Lots of families. And we must have passed a hundred karaoke bars with their flashing neon mini-lights enticing people to come in.
I saw three karaoke bars on one block. Can there really be that many singers or singer wanna-be’s in Hanoi? I think “karaoke” over here must be something different than “karaoke” back home. Hmmm. I’m going to have to look into that.
To be continued…
