17th January 2010
Ha Long Bay Photos
My blogs are a little back to front right now as this set of photos were taken on our first weekend in Ha Noi and I am about to step into my fourth but I am sure you will enjoy the photos despite that.
Ok, so we are in Ha Noi for a week and three of us are eager to go and visit Ha Long Bay. Before I move us to Ha Long, let me explian a little. Five of us arrived on the same day. Three of us from the UK, one from the US and one from India. All new recruits bright eyed and bushy tailed ready for the joys and tribulations of Viet Nam.
We had a great first week (despite the quirkiness of the language and the challenge of learning a language that has 6 potential meanings for a word all depending on whether the intonation goes up or down.....more on that another time). Two of us were keen to go exploring to this place that we had heard about and a third member of the group was more than eager to join in with the fun. The remaining two were very focused on trying to find somewhere to live and, happily, their quest was very successful and they did find an apartment in the exact area that they wanted to be. Anyway, back to Ha Long........
A three hour bus journey took us to the coast and to a truly amazing place. The photos just do not do justice to this place. It is quite mystical. You find yourself whispering at times as it just feels like it is a place with secrets that may be best left undisturbed. Legend has it that it is the place where the dragons decended to heaven and, in truth, if one surfaced, you'd probably simply take a photograph just as we would a dolphin or a whale.
We arrived around lunchtime and were taken to our boat. The first part of the journey is good...its always good to be on the water. Then the boat goes into the area of huge rocks that shoot up out of the water. They form some weird sort of fairy circle but designed for dragons rather than fairies. It's certainly an area to put on the list of must do's before you travel to the city in the sky.
We stayed overnight on the boat and were delighted to enjoy a perfect sunset and a clear starry sky. Sunday was spent meandoring through the bay and heading back to shore, lunch ashore and back to Ha Noi.
Lovely. Would do it again...and again. I just loved it.
2 comments:
Pat a few things:
Number one thing - the photos do justice, to this place. By that, I mean I want to visit after seeing your photographs. I ripped off two of them and just might post them. (I did tweak them a bit) See my blog. Don't mean to offend. (might take a day or so)
Number two thing - six meanings depending on the 'tone' damn girl, I could wind up in a fight and knot no why, and you would say 'well, the bloke's a southern American, what did you expect?'
Number three thing - I am pleased to hear you have two members, of the newbie troupe, that are thinking, clearly, about the need for a place, to come home too. (I would be on the boat)
Number four thing - see number one thing.
Number 5ive thing - Peace be with you and your associates. As I look at the photos you have posted and I think of my younger days and Vietnam and the memories of the friends I have, that toured Vietnam, (some went back for second helpings) and they all (by the grace of God) came back,(Whole, complete, with a mind that had changed) I say to myself, (please excuse my language, it's not the king's english) What the F*** was all that about!
It's a retorical question, Pat, don't even try to answer.
My prayer is for you, and people like you, to continue to heal a beautiful nation.
Belton
Hi
Just getting to grips with the wholeness of this programe and only just picked up your comments re Ha Long Bay. What a compliment that you liked my pictures. I am really enjoying taking photos and have lots to come. And, as ever, with practice, comes improvement. Anytime you want to bring yourself and your camera for a visit, you are most welcome. It is an amazing place here....full of contradictions on all levels.
I totatally agree with you about the war and the question you posed. My visit to the Hue in the centre re focuses on the question of WHY???
Hope life is treating you well. I am off this morning to try out a new meditation group that meets locally.....yeh!!!
Bye for now.
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