I don’t really have a bucket list, but if I did, I would
check one thing off today. We left Hanoi at 7:30 this morning with our guide,
Tung, and drove 4 ½ hours to one of the most beautiful places on Earth – Halong
Bay. We stopped half way for a break and walked around some shops – embroidery,
jewelry, silk, and snacks. I bought Grace a beautiful pair of pearl earrings
(her birthstone) for her 13th birthday, which is in June. We also
made another stop at a pearl farm and got to see the process from beginning to
end.
Once we arrived at Halong Bay, we boarded a small boat that took us to our private junk
(boat) and headed south across the bay. The scenery is amazingly beautiful. The
weather was perfect – sunny, with a light layer of fog in the distance, and a
great breeze. We crept along across the water, passing various kinds of boats
and the beautiful formations jutting out of the water. I didn’t see it for
myself, but the kids said the captain was steering the boat with his feet!
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| Fresh Grilled Shrimp |
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| Fresh Squid |
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| Fresh Clams |
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| Tung and Joanne |
After traveling for a few hours, we loaded into kayaks and a
bamboo boat and toured around a small village. We stopped and saw the
school, though the kids had already gone home for the day. We loaded back into
our boats and headed back. I rode in the bamboo boat which was paddled by a
very small Vietnamese woman who was so strong. She made it look effortless. The
kids enjoyed kayaking around and were able to burn off some energy. They’ve had
a bit of a hard time being off the grid – no Wi-Fi out here! It’s wonderful.
Back on the junk, we learned how to make fresh Vietnamese
spring rolls – my favorite. Then we were served another amazing meal of chicken
soup, fresh prawns, stuffed crab, fried spring rolls, fried corn, rice with
vegetables, water spinach, and a few dishes I didn’t even try. It was just so
much good food and there was just no more room!!
After dinner, the kids tried their luck at squid fishing and
contributed to tomorrow’s lunch. Grace got “inked” but I was able to wash it
out of her new swimsuit and got most of it off of her jacket. She thought that
was disgusting and was not happy with the spraying, inking squid!
It’s late now and my girl is all tucked in and sound asleep,
with another amazing day under her belt. I’m still awake and still pinching
myself. I can’t believe we’re here and that we still have so much ahead of us. I
could not be more blessed.
Thanks for reading.
Love,
Kathy
