Mid-week, Karen and I took ourselves out of town to the famous (read: rather touristy) Ha Long Bay. We had berths aboard the Emeraude, a classy replica Colonial paddle steamer. All brass, teak and Death on the Nile.
Accompanied by perhaps a dozen other tourist boats, we sailed into Ha Long Bay, home to thousands of dramatic limestone karsts, hundreds of fishing boats and even a few floating villages.
The weather was misty – extremely atmospheric and rather charming.
We stopped at a cheesy cavern then motored further out to a wonderful kayaking spot – launching from the back of the boat.
After getting hot on the water, we cooled off in the water.
After drying off, more cruising, past a series of gorgeous coves, beaches and headlands, with eagles flying overhead. Very pretty!
In the evening, we dined on fresh shrimp bought from the nearest floating village and watched ‘Indochine’, a French epic set in 1950s Vietnam (and Ha Long Bay), starring Catherine Deneuve. Classy.
The next day, more sailing, then back to Hanoi.
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