Vietnam Trip: November 2010

My new Vietnamese friends

A little school in the floating fishing village deep in Halong Bay

Eddie

Halong Bay, what hasn't been shown

Snacks right on the freeway to Halong Bay.

Vietnamese cemetery right along the road to Halong Bay.

The largest caves in Halong Bay.

The Red River Delta, the place you drive through on your way to Halong Bay.

Between the Red River Delta (Halong Bay) and the Mekong Delta (around Saigon) Vietnam is the second largest exporter of rice in the world. Above you see a fresh crop of rice drying right on the sidewalk. I saw it spread right on the asphalt called the road to Halong Bay. That is why you need to check your rice for stones, rocks and worn asphalt.

Don't get scared, at 90 km/hr and 50 meters to go, you should be able to squeeze your tour bus on the right. Rear view mirrors cleared by at least one inch, more than enough.

Wonder why the air quality was bad in Hanoi? They were harvasting the rice field right around town and burning down the left over stock.

Village along the way.

Eddie

What is across the red bridge across the lake?

I feel bad for all the people that spent their Dong at Mrs. Huong and could no longer afford the 10,000 Dong to cross the red bridge on the lake to the island. So here you can see for free what was going on.

Eddie

Pearls in Vietnam

A pearl farm in Halong Bay creating a floating fishing village around it.

In order to grow a pearl, an artificial disturbance needs to be implanted in the Oyster. She performs the job with a smile.

Every oyster get an insert. Of all the oysters that get put back in the water only 30% grow a pearl. Of the 30% that grow a pearl, only 10% create a jewelry quality pearl. Depending on the desired pearl diameter, they need to grow for two to three years.

The Vietnamese English spelling.

EMBA3's emptying Mrs. Huong's new jewelry store.

Eddie

Halong Bay

Several EMBA3 students took a short cruise on Halong Bay after our residency week was over. Here are a few photos and thoughts on what I experienced:

This is a typical formation in the bay – huge limestone islands (officially limestone karsts – Geology 101 comes in handy) are spread over 1500 square kilometers off the northern coast of Vietnam. Halong means “descending dragon”, where the karsts resemble the pinnacles on the back of a dragon descending into the water.

We visited Hang Đầu Gỗ (Wooden stakes cave) – the largest of several caves in the area. We walked up steps carved into the side of the karst to the entrance, took this photo and then toured the cave. Very large and still active, with fresh water still making formations. Unfortunately, modern society has also left its scars in the form of graffiti and commercialization.

The weather has been fantastic since Wednesday, and it continued into Saturday with a clear night for stargazing and an opportunity to enjoy the sunset. The night on the junk was very nice – cool enough to open the windows and enjoy fresh air.

The road between Halong Bay and Hanoi is an adventure in itself – there are several stops to “rest and refresh” and also to buy souvenirs and art. Did I mention the road, and the tendency for tour bus drivers to take the path of least resistance – regardless of the road condition, traffic lanes and oncoming traffic? Riding and driving in Vietnam is one of those areas where you “roll with it” and hope that the Vietnamese keen sense of situational awareness is working well that day.

Halong Bay is a global treasure and should be experienced if you are in Vietnam. As in all things that are special in the world, there is a sense of exploitation, but we as a species are guilty of this (ever driven to Mount Rushmore and encountered the blizzard of signs for Wonderland Cave?). So, look for the stunning and uniqueness, and downplay the commercialism – enjoy the beauty of Halong Bay.

--Jeff