This morning our bus picked us up 8:00am, armed with all our luggage we could've just taken a weekend bag, we're only gone for one night! We didn't realise though :(
The minivan drove straight onto the freeway once everyone had been picked up, I thought it was odd as the coach station is in the opposite direction! Then I realised it was a stupid minivan all the way there! For the 4 hours that it takes to get to Halong city! For the first two hours I was able to keep slightly nodding off getting a little sleep, then we stopped at a service station! It was random it sold more souvineers and statues than it did drink and food, I don't think there was any petrol? Maybe it was a garden centre!
The guy who runs the bus company asked us what we were doing in Halong, and if we wanted to book our tour with him! We ended up agreeing to paying $45 for a boat there and back to Halong bay, meals and a nights stay in a hotel on Catba island :) plus seen as we where weary of him, he mentioned free kayaking? Done!
We arrived in Halong city at 12:30 and had to wait over an hour for another boat to come back for us! The pier was crazy as all the tours have been cancelled for the last two days because of the freaky storm! As ever, no organisation whatsoever, we're used to if now though... We see other travellers getting upset and restless waiting around for people but we now just accept it as part of Asain life, everything is two hours behind!
We got on our boat and went out to sea, once we were out they realised they'd put us on the wrong boat! Another, pulled up next to us and me and annie both had to walk the plank, onto another boat, on the middle of the ocean! Not scary at all when two yachts full of people are staring at you!
We left our luggage on the original boat as Ken, (as in Barlow) ;) our guide told us we were getting back on that boat! We were just boat hopping for our lunch! He promised us the boat was staying there until we were finished eating but, as soon as we stepped onto the other one, ken drove off! Wave bye bye to all our possessions!
The lunch on the boat was beaut, as we were the last ones on, the seats were all taken and we got split up! Great, I've left my possessions on another boat, lost my flip flops and now i'm being parted from Annie!
I was the lucky one who got sat on a broken plastic foot stool around a table of 6 other travellers! #handmeagun
Dinner was sticky rice, fried spring vegetable rolls, eggs, clams, spinach and fish! Yummee! I love eating food sooo much! God knows why I'm not a beach whale by now I think I went back for thirds and fourths, forget seconds!
When we finished lunch we stayed on the boat until we made it to Halong Cave! This was a stop off at a huge grotto on the way to Halong Bay! Walking up the stairs on the outside of the cave looks lush, clear water, islands and mainland not too far in the distance! Lots of greenery!
Inside of the grotto is quite creepy at first, theirs lots of water dripping form overhead! I'm not insured if I fall and break my neck! :/ plus, it's making my hair frizzy? Totes jokes, gave up on my hair 3 months ago!
The cave is lit up all different bright colours! Not sure wether this is very good and dreamlike or just a little tacky? They should light it up just green for me! As I carried on walking around I realised how massive this Pebble really is?! There's an opening in the tip of the grotto where there tiniest spread of daylight creeps in and shines across the beautiful markings and depressions in the rock! There's hundreds of limestone icicles too! There's probably a proper word for these icicles but I know it's limestone and they look like icicles so there :p
People used to inhabit this grotto tens of thousands of years ago! My eyes were watching out for any crazy, hungry cavemen that may still be left and on the prowl for foooood!
Once we walked all around the grotto, we got back onto our original boat and were reunited with our luggage! We then arrived in Halong Bay! It looks even more amazing! It's nestled In between rock formations completely hidden until you enter, and there's a floating village! Some of the boats here are made from brick! Now that's robust!
We pulled into dock and then everyone else had to pay to either catch a boat to another cave or pay to kayak! We got a kayak for free, but weren't allowed to tell anyone though, he must have like us! :) as usually Annie's rowing skills resembled a small dog drowning in a lake! So only a few if my photos turned out, it's hard to take a photo while we're still moving and any clear ones I did get, Annie was sticking her Ore in! Literally ;) we kayaked around for 40 minutes and then got back on our boat!
Then moved, yet again to another boat with all our luggage! See how well organised it all is?!
This boat then took us to Cat Ba island where we would stay the night! Waited 40 minutes for another bus from the Pier then got to our hotel at 6:30! Dinner was at 7:00pm where we didn't hold back yet again, maybe we've done too much travelling? Basically the same as lunch, rice, noodle soup, spring rolls, prawn stir fry, fish and cabbage! We literally went back for 14'ths!!! And stole every last spring roll, you snooze you loose which Annie learnt early sat next to Gillian Mckeith!
We went to buy m+m's after tea too! You can't feel guilty eating chocolate in Asia because you'll sweat it out in an hour! We showered and went to bed, had an amazing nights sleep, only woke up once, this is a record!