30 April 2011

Halong Bay Tour – Day 1
Hanoi to Halong Bay

Sometimes not getting what you were originally sold works out for the best, even in Vietnam.  That luxurious junk boat we’re being ferried over to here on Halong Bay looks like it’s going to count as one of those Sometimes.  We’d signed up for a 4 day, 3 night package to Halong Bay before departing Sydney, wanting to ensure that we went with a reputable company who was going to give us what we registered for and have a safety record suggestive of no tragic sinkings like that from just a few months ago.  Handspan promised us a few days of kayaking from a small boat with no more than 20 people – just what we were looking for.  But out there on the water in front of us was no small boat.  In fact, it turns out the Victory Star, our accommodation for the evening, is the largest luxury junk boat on the bay.  Yes, luxury.  Not what we paid for but what we are getting.  Can you say Serious Upgrade?

There’s not much on our agenda today.  The mini-bus ride from Hanoi to here took a full 4.5 hours thanks to holiday traffic, which frankly, doesn’t look much different to me from the non-holiday traffic.  And now we’re out here on this luxury junk that has starting motoring its way past the striking limestone karsts of this UNESCO World Heritage site.  There’s some confusion over our trip agenda – the one for the boat has cooking demonstrations, squid fishing and morning tai chi, while our Handspan agenda had us out paddling – but Gina and I are still so dumbstruck by how nice our room is that we could practically care less who’s agenda we’re on.  After two weeks of “local” accommodation – communist block quarters with not enough hot water to go around – we can hardly believe our luck.  Okay, so we’ll leave long enough for our multi-course meals and the rowboat trip through the floating village, but beyond that, let me just fluff my pillow a titch more and sit back and enjoy the view.