Ha Long Bay

Ha Long Bay and its port, Cai Lan, is about 2-1/2 hours from Hanoi.  Going to Hanoi seemed a bit much to us, but we weren't about to miss a view of the amazing monoliths.  The tours use the very common Vietnamese Junk boat.  The Junks are outfitted mostly for monolith cruises, though some are quite a bit larger and have overnight accommodations.  Our guide told us that to see the entire bay, one needs to spend about three days on the water.

Most photos of Ha Long Bay will show the rock islands in the mist.  This, we learned, is because they usually are in the mist.  Our visit was no different.  Here we go.  First, a tour boat:

And here are some of the famous monoliths:

 When the junks leave the dock on the tours, smaller, faster boats come along side and locals try to sell fruit to the passengers through the windows.  When the first one came at us, Pati just about had a heart attack...it looked like they were going to ram us!  But at the last second, they turn and drop in right next to the junk.  Here's a fruit seller along side our boat:

The floating fish market:

A monolith, up close:

Many of the islands have names that reflect their appearance.  Here's Dog Island:

And the symbol of Ha Long Bay, Cocks Fighting Island:

All told, a great day!  The ship stayed overnight at Cai Lan.  There's not a lot in the little port town, so we stayed on board and took it easy.