Halong Bay

Have you ever been to a place that is so magical you're almost convinced that you are just on a movie set and your life is secretly like The Truman Show? 

Halong Bay, Vietnam is like that. There is just so much eerie magic going on. There is about 2000-3000 limestone islands dotting this bay. There are people who live in floating fishing villages who are very poor but live in a gorgeous place. 

We decided to spend a night on a boat to float around this natural wonder. For the price that we were paying, I was expecting a small, unpleasant room but I was surprised and happy to find that it was comfortable and beautiful!

Our boat puttered slowly among these islands. I sat on the top deck just staring in wonder. The view never once got boring. 

We were lucky enough to stop by one of the fishing villages and kayak around the cliffs and caves. We had never done that before and after we figured out how to work together to turn it was a grand adventure!

Our tour included all the meals and they were amazing. Perhaps this was because the seafood was very fresh. Small boats would pull up next to us and the chefs would purchase the catch of the day. 

There were also people trying to sell anything that a tourist might need. 

We learned how to make spring rolls, fished unsuccessfully for squid, made new friends and learned a new Italian card game called Sculpa! 

We visited the Amazing Caves (our guide called it the Oh My Buddha cave) with extremely suggestive rock formations. It would appear that stone willies are funny in every language. 

If we had known we would have booked at least one more night on the bay. It was truly one of the most amazing and magical places. It's hard to capture the immensity of the cliffs and the way the mists hangs mysteriously over the teal water... Photos don't do it justice but if you want to see more pop on over to Mind the Ramp. 

Today I am thankful for quiet moments to watch the natural world go by. There are some beautiful things here and I want to appreciate everything.