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