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We got up early today to be picked up and taken to Halong Bay. Nowhere was open for breakfast except for one restaurant that looked like it was only for locals. A miserable looking lady came over to us as we walked in. With a grunt she pointed at the drinks menu. We politely asked for the food menu but she just frowned and grunted again. She obviously didn't want us in there so we left.
Then we came across the Backpacker Hostel, they were very busy inside! We didn't have much time left so quickly ordered two big fry ups and sat down.
We noticed tea, coffee and fresh fruit was free for guests staying at the hostel. They didn't realise we were from outside so we helped ourselves to what we could lol.
Time was ticking and we only had five minutes left! Chris went and asked where our breakfast was then they brought it over. We ate so fast I felt like I was in an eating competition! Chris won of course. We hurried back to our hotel expecting the bus to be there, it turned up half hour later.
The journey to Halong Bay took three and a half hours. We passed lots of green countryside and small villages. The weather appeared to be getting more misty the closer we got to Halong Bay. We were beginning to think we wouldn't see much at all.
When we arrived at the port we were asked to wait while our guide bought everyone's tickets. It was very chilly and the mist was so thick over the water we could barely see the boats! It didn't help that most of them had been painted white! They were brown in the brochures.
Our guide returned telling us we were lucky to be going out today, that the weather was so bad yesterday they had to turn tourists away!
We asked him why the boats were painted white instead of brown. They look so much better brown, now they look like dirty trawler boats. He told us that the companies had no choice but to paint them white, that it was the government who wanted them all white. He didn't know the reason why and told us the companies had to pay to paint the boats themselves.
We boarded a small boat that took us over to Cristina. Like many of the others our boat was white. We climbed on and walked inside. The inside was still brown and looked a lot nicer than the outside. The tables laid out were covered in white sheets with lace bows tied on them and there was a small bar in the corner. Our guide asked us all to sit down while he gave a speech. He was very friendly and cared about the service we received.
After a hot cup of tea we were given the key to our cabin. Our room was very nice inside and bigger than we expected! We didn't have long to rest, lunch was about to be served so we went back up. We sat with the two German guys, their names were Helmit aka Hamed and Werner aka Vienna. At first no one really spoke to each other, then they started joking about being on honeymoon together. They were very loud and had a great sense of humour.
When lunch was served we were surprised at the amount of food that was brought out. The staff kept bringing more and more plates of sea food, there was more than enough for everyone!
We kept looking outside the window as we ate, the mist and clouds were not clearing. We didn't mind too much though, it still looked pretty cool.
The boat stopped at an island so we could explore a really big cave. The view from the top was nice and the cave was ok. We were bored after ten minutes. Our guide kept pointing out rock formations that looked similar to animals, oh, and a really big cock!
After the cave we went kayaking, we couldn't go too far because the mist was still thick and we could have got lost. To be honest it was a bit boring too. After fifteen minutes we stopped paddling and just floated in the same spot until we had to go back to the boat lol. It was nice at first but then lots of rubbish and oil slicks drifted towards us. They never show you that in the photos, our guide said it drifts down from the rivers but we think its from the floating villages and fisherman. It must be hard for them though, they probably don't have a regular rubbish collection, if at all!
When we got back on the boat, Chris wanted to jump into the water. I did at first but then I saw loads of rubbish floating towards the boat. Chris had the hump with me because I wouldn't get in. He still jumped in though, and lasted about two minutes! He came out covered in goosebumps and ran to the top deck to jump off the boat like a child! I'm glad I didn't go in, he looked freezing lol.
Chris had a shower to warm up then we got ready and went for dinner with the rest of the group. We could hear loud music playing on the deck from inside our cabin, it sounded lively! When we went up, only Helmit and Werner were at the bar drinking a few beers! We thought maybe everyone else was still getting ready so we went to wait on top deck. That's where we found everyone, sleeping! Suddenly the music was switched off and the staff started watching telly. I don't blame them...
When we were called down for dinner we sat with Helmit and Werner again. Like lunch we were served a really nice dinner, they kept bringing more and more food out and the seafood was very fresh. We only bought a couple of beers, the prices were very expensive, $2 for a can of beer and $5 for a rum and coke! We had a few giggles with the two guys and got to know them some more, they were both extraordinary people, we loved listening to their stories.
The time flew by and everyone else went to bed. The four of us stayed up until midnight, the poor barman looked exhorted! Helmit and Werner were very kind to pay for all our drinks! I finished off the rum on the boat and the boys got through at least thirty cans of beer, it was a great evening. We knew we would have to be up early for breakfast so we drank plenty of water before bed. We're staying on Cat Ba Island tomorrow. Not sure what to expect, hopefully the weather will be better in the morning.
Charlotte & Chris
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