Halong Bay

Kathmandu, Nepal
Posting re: Halong Bay and final day in Hanoi

Leaving from Hanoi on an early bus, we pulled up to the ocean around noon with a great preview of the massive limestone formations littering the water.  We hopped on a boat for a private cruise around the islands, with a neverending meal on board.

On an island open for exploration, cavernous karsts with stalagmites and stalactites are lit up for display in bright colours.  It was humid and ringing with echoes.  The whole area felt similar to the Bruce Peninsula with the large grottos, and I reminisced about exploring there last summer.

We cruised around the islands some more and took a kayaking excursion to get up close with some of the rocks and caves.  Having the whole group on the water was a great experience, well captured by Rosie's GoPro.  

My favourite shot of the trip so far! 

In the evening, we went for hot pot, and I was glad not to eat it when the meal came with a whole raw chicken, head and all, and a plate of beef that looked like it had been there a while.  My friends boiled the hell out of it, but no one was interested in nibbling on the feet.  I bet Matt two bucks to eat a questionable purple circle, thinking it was maybe an organ.  He gagged, then declared it wasn't bad, but possibly a fig, which disgusted him more than the organ.  It was Lachlan's birthday, so we celebrated with cake and a round of handwritten Cards Against Humanity, painstakingly transcribed by Jareth, eager to play.

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