Halong Bay

While in Vietnam, I took a side trip to Halong Bay, located just west of Hanoi. It included a seaside lunch and 5-hour boat ride throughout the bay, an area surrounded by beautiful granite and limestone rock formations. There are even floating markets where you can purchase fresh seafood or other goods. The trip also included a tour of the Royal Palace caves, which is full of neat, jagged rocks. Some of these rocks tell ancient stories of Vietnam’s historic origins.

I met two Swedish boys on my trip to Halong and they are doing something similar to me -- backpacking throughout Asia and Europe but for 5 months. They started in Russia and hoped abroad the Trans Siberian Railway for a 7-day showerless trip to Beijing. Now that sounds like fun! NOT!