Two days later, we were booked on an overnight boat tour of Halong Bay. We had the option of being dropped off on Cat Ba Island and we took it. I mean, who's really going to say no to being dropped off on an island?! Not I!
Like most things in Vietnam, empty promises were made and upon our arrival at Cat Ba there was a lot of confusion. We were told someone would be waiting at the pier to take us into the small town. The tour guide on the boat had a piece of paper showing we were to return to Hanoi. Mom wanted to take the boat back but I opted to stay on that island. There was a fast ferry to the mainland so there were other options. Mom was a bit unsure, but I told her not to worry!
The 40-minute drive through this rustic island was amazing. A stop highly recommended if one makes their way to Vietnam. One night turned into two which turned into three which turned into four. It seemed my persistence paid off! It was a quiet place with some great beaches and our room was only $6US a night.
We booked another day trip touring a different part of Halong Bay. We saw more caves and Monkey Island where we were lucky enough to see some monkeys. We stopped for lunch in the bay and jumped in for a swim after we ate. The water was fantastic!
We made our way back to Hanoi on Friday as it was going to take the full day to get there. Our boat did pick us up and it was smooth sailing after that. We had all of Saturday to shop, shop, shop! Sunday was for packing up and saying our goodbyes. I was making my way back to Taiwan, Mom was heading back to Canada.
Mom, I'm very thankful this was an experience we were able to share together! And I'm glad you have a better understanding of what it is that I'm doing over here in the fantastic world of Asia!
2 comments :
very cool. i really hope to visit vietnam someday!
Excellent photos as always, particularly the one just above.
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