At 7:30 we were ready for our pick up. Then we waited for about an hour before the shuttle bus finally arrived at our hotel. We spent the better part of the next hour going around Hanoi Old Quarter picking up extra passengers before going on the free way spending the next 4½ hours heading towards Ha Long Bay and our cruise ship. Just one stop on the road - a gigantic souvenir supermarket. Just like the ones we hate.
Once at the docks there was the usual logistical misunderstandings before a small boat took us to our cruise ship which to our surprise was big and really nice - almost luxurious. We had the keys for our cabin - also really nice - and then lunch managing to get a table in the sun outside. So while we slowly made our way through parts of Ha Long Bay and the impressive limestone islands we enjoyed a really nice lunch as well. Doesn't get much better than that on a Monday afternoon. After a couple of hours of slow-boating past the islands we dropped the anchor and then there was the option to go on shore for a visit to a cave.
We declined and stayed back on the boat as the only passengers, resting on a sun chair and having a few cold beers. The sun finally broke through the layer of clouds and the rest of the afternoon was just nice, sitting on the deck, the rest of the passengers returning from the island with some fairly average ratings of the cave visit. We were happy to have stayed on the boat. Then it was just a matter of relaxing some more, having a great dinner later in the evening and after dinner Malene stayed with some of the other guys for drinks and Karaoke. A great start to our three day trip to Ha Long Bay.
Once at the docks there was the usual logistical misunderstandings before a small boat took us to our cruise ship which to our surprise was big and really nice - almost luxurious. We had the keys for our cabin - also really nice - and then lunch managing to get a table in the sun outside. So while we slowly made our way through parts of Ha Long Bay and the impressive limestone islands we enjoyed a really nice lunch as well. Doesn't get much better than that on a Monday afternoon. After a couple of hours of slow-boating past the islands we dropped the anchor and then there was the option to go on shore for a visit to a cave.
We declined and stayed back on the boat as the only passengers, resting on a sun chair and having a few cold beers. The sun finally broke through the layer of clouds and the rest of the afternoon was just nice, sitting on the deck, the rest of the passengers returning from the island with some fairly average ratings of the cave visit. We were happy to have stayed on the boat. Then it was just a matter of relaxing some more, having a great dinner later in the evening and after dinner Malene stayed with some of the other guys for drinks and Karaoke. A great start to our three day trip to Ha Long Bay.
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| All packed and ready to leave |
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| Tourist souvenir supermarket. Yuck. |
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| Malene checking in to our room |
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| Halong bay in the distance |
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| Nice food |
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| Impressive views |
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| Having lunch - really nice lunch |
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| Afternoon break with everybody else going for the cave on the island |
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| Entertained by a Chinese couple |
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| More monday's should be like this |
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| Afternoon drinks on the deck |
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| Dinner.... |
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| ...and Karaoke |
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