Workers sewing artwork at rest stop
On our second day in Vietnam, we headed to Halong Bay for a two day/one night cruise aboard the Au Co. We took a shuttle from Hanoi about three and a half hours northwest to Halong City, the site of the cruise port.
Along the way to Halong City, we made a rest stop at a big arts center. We had a chance to see workers sewing tapestries and clothing. The center showcased many different types of artwork, including beautiful lacquered woodwork, silk garments such as ties and scarves, and jewelry. It was sensory overload!
We then hopped back in the van and after the long journey, we finally arrived at Halong City port and waited to board our ship. While we waited, Joe and I had a comical experience in the bathroom. The public restrooms were pitch black and some people told us that the power was out. People used flashlights and cell phones to see what they were doing. Joe had to come into a stall with me and use his iPad to provide light. As we left the bathroom, an employee at the port looked at everyone with a confused expression on his face. He reached into the bathroom and flipped the light switch on! It turns out that the powers wasn't out after all... someone just failed to turn on the lights!
Along the way to Halong City, we made a rest stop at a big arts center. We had a chance to see workers sewing tapestries and clothing. The center showcased many different types of artwork, including beautiful lacquered woodwork, silk garments such as ties and scarves, and jewelry. It was sensory overload!
We then hopped back in the van and after the long journey, we finally arrived at Halong City port and waited to board our ship. While we waited, Joe and I had a comical experience in the bathroom. The public restrooms were pitch black and some people told us that the power was out. People used flashlights and cell phones to see what they were doing. Joe had to come into a stall with me and use his iPad to provide light. As we left the bathroom, an employee at the port looked at everyone with a confused expression on his face. He reached into the bathroom and flipped the light switch on! It turns out that the powers wasn't out after all... someone just failed to turn on the lights!
An artist sewing
| 
Port waiting area
| 
Halong Bay port
|
Our cruise ship, the Au Co
We boarded a ferry that took us to the Au Co, our cruise ship. I highly recommend the five-star ship. It was extremely comfortable and modern, with four decks and adorable cabins. Immediately after boarding, we had lunch in the dining room. Meals on the ship were five-course culinary delights... a fusion of Vietnamese and western cuisine. Our first meal included shrimp and pomelo salad, fried spring rolls, miso and mussel soup, fish and beef, and a custard.
After lunch, Joe and I enjoyed the scenery of Halong Bay from the sun deck. There are about 2,000 limestone islets in the bay and they were an amazing sight to see as we cruised in between them. All of the islets have lush greenery and some of them have small beaches. Joe and I marveled at the fact that each one is the tip of a mountain range covered by the ocean. The only downfall of the experience is that the weather was dreary throughout our trip... I could have used a little more sunlight!
After lunch, Joe and I enjoyed the scenery of Halong Bay from the sun deck. There are about 2,000 limestone islets in the bay and they were an amazing sight to see as we cruised in between them. All of the islets have lush greenery and some of them have small beaches. Joe and I marveled at the fact that each one is the tip of a mountain range covered by the ocean. The only downfall of the experience is that the weather was dreary throughout our trip... I could have used a little more sunlight!
Our cabin
| 
The ship's dining room
| 
View from the sun deck
|
Joe and I on our kayak
Our first excursion aboard the Au Co was ocean kayaking (no worries... the water was very calm so Joe didn't get seasick this time!). We followed a tour guide as he led us around the bay. We visited a part of the bay that is uninhabited, which was an incredible and serene experience. We were surrounded by the limestone giants and the sounds of nature. I could have laid back and taken a nap on the kayak... that's how relaxing it was!
Our tour guide took us to Dark and Bright Cave, a small cave through which we kayaked to reach a little cove. The cave was narrow and we had to paddle through it one by one. Luckily, we didn't encounter any bats! Once in the cove, Joe and I skimmed the edges to look for wildlife and saw fish as well as crabs. Kayaking for about an hour and a half provided some great exploration as well as exercise.
PS - We took our kayaking photos with a disposable waterproof camera, so they look a bit 70's-ish! And unfortunately, most of the photos turned out really really dark.
Our tour guide took us to Dark and Bright Cave, a small cave through which we kayaked to reach a little cove. The cave was narrow and we had to paddle through it one by one. Luckily, we didn't encounter any bats! Once in the cove, Joe and I skimmed the edges to look for wildlife and saw fish as well as crabs. Kayaking for about an hour and a half provided some great exploration as well as exercise.
PS - We took our kayaking photos with a disposable waterproof camera, so they look a bit 70's-ish! And unfortunately, most of the photos turned out really really dark.
A peaceful cove
| 
Heading under an overpass
| 
Say cheese!
|
Our view at dusk
After kayaking, we relaxed on one of the ship's balconies before dinner. The weather was nice and cool... a great break from Singapore's hot and steamy "winter." It felt nice to cozy up in a sweater for the first time in months. And as the sun set, it was neat to watch the limestone giants become shadows at dusk and then disappear into the night.
Before dinner, we had the chance to participate in a Vietnamese tea tasting. We sampled lot of exotic and expensive teas, which turned out to be really strong and quite bitter. Our first sample was of lotus green tea. The way this is grown is quite interesting. Workers grow the tea leaves and then wake up in the middle of the night to catch the opening of lotus flowers... it turns out they only open up at 3 a.m. Once opened, workers place the tea leaves in the flower, which then closes up. The tea stays in for 24 hours, soaking up the flower's taste and fragrance. Then, the next day at 3 a.m., workers go back to the flowers to collect the leaves. Thanks to this process, I believe our cruise manager said the lotus tea is about $200 per kilogram. We also got to sample pomelo green tea, which, if I remember correctly, is a little more expensive than the lotus variety. Although this was a neat experience, Joe and I didn't really like the teas we sampled. I guess we'll stick to Twinings and Lipton!
Next came dinner, which was a gluttonous affair. The menu included vermicelli noodles and pork, deconstructed spring rolls which we got to wrap ourselves, pumpkin soup, fried shrimp and chicken with white and black rice, and mango tiramisu. Yum!
Before dinner, we had the chance to participate in a Vietnamese tea tasting. We sampled lot of exotic and expensive teas, which turned out to be really strong and quite bitter. Our first sample was of lotus green tea. The way this is grown is quite interesting. Workers grow the tea leaves and then wake up in the middle of the night to catch the opening of lotus flowers... it turns out they only open up at 3 a.m. Once opened, workers place the tea leaves in the flower, which then closes up. The tea stays in for 24 hours, soaking up the flower's taste and fragrance. Then, the next day at 3 a.m., workers go back to the flowers to collect the leaves. Thanks to this process, I believe our cruise manager said the lotus tea is about $200 per kilogram. We also got to sample pomelo green tea, which, if I remember correctly, is a little more expensive than the lotus variety. Although this was a neat experience, Joe and I didn't really like the teas we sampled. I guess we'll stick to Twinings and Lipton!
Next came dinner, which was a gluttonous affair. The menu included vermicelli noodles and pork, deconstructed spring rolls which we got to wrap ourselves, pumpkin soup, fried shrimp and chicken with white and black rice, and mango tiramisu. Yum!
Deconstructed spring rolls
| 
Pumpkin soup
| 
Fried shrimp and chicken with white and black rice... I forgot to take a photo before I dug in so the presentation isn't pretty!
|
RSS Feed