1 May 2011
Halong Bay Tour – Day 2
Kayaking Halong Bay
His paddle is upside down and he’s telling two of the lovely Brits on our trip to not worry about getting their rudder down. For a kayaking guide he sure doesn’t seem to know much about kayaking. Good thing this is not an extremely technical sport involving things like ropes or crampons or carabiners, but it would be nice if he’d tell us what he plans to do if one of us should fall overboard. My guess is he’d continue smiling enthusiastically and tell us to swim back to the junk. I sure hope that doesn’t happen, not just because it might be a bit dangerous but more-so because it doesn’t look to be the most pleasant of swims, what with the floating trash and minor oil slicks here and there. That’s not to say that the scenery around us isn’t quite stunning and beautiful, this sea full of vertical cliff faces and colorful boats, just that the water quality seems to be a shade less than pristine, perhaps because of the many floating villages we are paddling and puttering around. It’s not clear to me where the villagers dispose of their wastes, but I’m starting to get the idea that the bay itself may sometimes serve as the receptacle.
The good news is that we are kayaking, the activity we set out to do. This is after we were unceremoniously booted off the Victory Star this morning onto a smaller “transfer” boat. This transfer boat appears to be more what we paid for: we’re not sure where the life vests are located, the crew are also the cooks (though lunch was quite tasty), and one of the toilets is missing its seat. Nevertheless, the views from the top deck are top notch and it’s here that we continue to share laughs with the wonderful folks on our tour. There are 10 of us in total with all from the UK except us (obviously) and a Kiwi who’s partnered with one of the Brits. All are extremely personable and conversational and we enjoy their company and their accents tremendously. It’s amazing what good group dynamics can do for a trip. Who needs toilet seats when you can laugh with others about their absence?
Our transfer junk cruise ends at Cat Ba Island where we check into the Sunrise Resort. Once again, we are more than pleasantly surprised at our accommodations. I think SpiceRoads could learn a thing or two from these Handspan people. There is a deck with a view, a pool, a beach, and best of all, a beachside bar where a cold bottle of beer costs a buck. Welcome to Cat Ba Island!
