Bai tu long bay.....the land of the dragons

Introduction

Legends are born when nature cloaks herself in the morning mist of secrecy like the Veils of Isis, where unannouced dangers lurks around every corner, where the crimson red evening sky kisses the blue azure waters of the sea, where small green hillocks poke their head above the placid azure blue waters, where underground rivers gushes through dark caves, where men make love in the day and yet fight for greed at night, where man's imagination hushes up his logical mind, where nature fascinates human even today as it had done hundreds of year before! Welcome to Bai tu long bay!

The legend

Many many many years ago, when the blue sea kissed the plain lands of Vietnam,lived the happy peace loving Vietnamese people, simple farmers who toiled hard on their land,drank paddy wine and made love. It was a simple yet fulfilling life. But peace alas is like the rainbow. Suddenly pirates from the north ( probably Chinese) attacked the land. The simple people who did not know how to fight ,did what they could do-- they prayed to the Jade Emperor for help. Moved by their tears, Jade Emperor send the mother dragon and his children to protect the people. The Dragons breathed fire and their tears fell as giant emralds. The Invaders ships were burnt and crashed against these emralds. The enemy retreated and peace came back. The mother dragon and her children didn't return back to the Jade Emperor, instead they started living as fisherman in the bay. The emeralds over time became small islands,and the people called the place as Halong Bay ( bay of descending Mother dragon) and Bai tu long bay( bay of children dragon).

The present
We were raptly listening to the story, told by our manager cum bar tender cum Tai chi tutor Mark ( his original vietnamese name may be something difficult to pronounce,so everyone has an English name), as we set our foot on the golden sand of an unknown island,like pirates in search of a hidden treasure.Let me rewind a bit( 6hours back), when we were happily munching a mixture of Vietnamese and American breakfast,while discussing about South East Asian politics with two aid workers from Phillipines and Britain. As the Limousine halted at our hotel gates (Hotel Golden Sun Suites ), we two hopped in. We were joined by two British old ladies, a French woman,and a duo of British mother and daughter ( who incidentally lived in Pune). After a half an hour drive through the Vietnamese countryside, we went for a loo break in a Vietnamese art market ( the things were awesome,but our dollars were limited), and again drove on.

Beautiful to see,but heavy to the pocket!

When 4 people are stuck in a limousine for an hour,even the worst of enemies will talk! So,as the British Lady and my wife complained about the traffic and pollution in Pune, I was busy chatting with French damsel( in her 40s) about the difference between Vietnamese and Indian Cuisine. We were offboarded around noon at the Halong Bay Port, from where we were joined by others in a small boat to be ferried to our cruise, The Huong Hai Sea life cruise.( The Vietnamese takes safety seriously and all are given a life jacket to be manadatorily worn when on sea). We were welcomed on board by a traditional beating of drums, and as we made us comfortable with the drinks( non alcoholic) in the dining area ,we were given a brief introduction about the cruise, safety and dos and don't.

The cruise was two storeyed, with a spacious cabin,a minibar, a bathroom with bathtub and jaccuji and a small balcony to enjoy the view. ( You can also enjoy the view from the room through the large glass window). The most important aspect was the wide sundeck on the top floor,with sunbeds that gave a perfect spot to enjoy the panaromic view of Bai tu long bay ( I selected Bai tu long bay over Halong Bay,as it is less populated by ships than its sister,and more beautiful)!

Our  ship!

Our itinerary- looks like a pirates map!

The dining area cum ball room

The cabin with large glass windows to enjoy the view  and attached bath and balcony-quite romantic!

The afternoon lunch was an exotic one
 ( squids, fish, mollusc, octopus, poultry and different types of sweet dishes) and we were spoilt for choices. As we enjoyed our lunch, the ship glided along the azure blue calm waters of the bay, with the small islands and islets jutting out from the sea at each nook and corner. We skipped our afternoon siesta to watch the unrivaled beauty on the sun deck.

The Bai tu long bay

A junket!

We were broken from our stupor when the PA ( public annoucemt system) announced that it was time for some adventure. Like pirates of the Caribbean,we silently lurked forward to our secret island on our small boat. And our mission was to find the missing Mother and Children dragon of the legend in the Co caves of the Hon Co island( in which I failed miserably).

You have to ascend a little to The cave,from where you can find an amazing view of the bay. The cave is a small one,with some impressive stalacmites and stalaactites( one of them must be the Mother dragon), and the descent will bring you to a secret pristine white sand beach ( a scene straight from the movie Blue Lagoon) on the opposite side of island. The place is romantic, but be cautious of the stings of jelly fishes.

Blue Lagoon

With our Robinson Cruso moment over, we climbed back to our small boat to be back to our cruise. Some of the guests went for canoeing (free) while we others saw a magical sunset (the best of my life) in the Bai tu long bay. May be words are inadequate to describe it,and I am no poet. The golden sky, the ripples of the red on the blue waters,the Misty islands peeping their heads from the dark waters, the cacophony of the sea gulls returning to their nests breaking the eerie silence of nature---a moment you wished the time stood still, a time when you thought that maybe this is what that makes life worth living.

A hundred rebirths is less to fully capture the essence of that moment 

The beautiful moment was robbed from us by the dark blanket of mist and clouds,that suddenly engulfed the surrounding in a blanket of gloom,just like some demeantors of Harry Porter movie. The captain announced for a happy hours(30% of on an inflated drinks menu,) and some free squid fishing  and Vietnamese roll making cooking class to lift our spirits! But,tired we we're,I retired to my cabin to experience the jacuzzi.

Vietnamese spring roll

The dinner was a set menu,with some mouth watering signature dishes and an improptu dance performance by the crew. The mood of the evening was set with the dining area cleared for a dance ball, with the spirits of the happy hour doing the trick!

The next morning, we went to the sun deck to learn some Tai chi( a form of martial arts) while enjoying the sunrise (marred a little bit by the clouds)!

The clouds playing spoilsport!

Tai chi

A brief breakfast with Vietnam egg coffee(a signature dish of Hanoi,tastes like cappuccino) with some muffins, we were on to our next 'activity'- visiting the floating fishing villages. As our guide explained, govt has rehabitated most of the fishing people to the mainland,but a few returned ( maybe the lure of the sea is too strong!) With riding on oar boats as done 100years back, we sailed past some floating villages to an oasyter farm. Vietnam is one of the top exporters of pearl,and we were given a tour how it is manufactured.

Like pirates !

A Brunch( which might as well qualify as a lunch),and some thank you speeches, we left for the land,to be transferred back to Hanoi.

Quickfacts

• Best time: Sept to Feb
• Fly in: Hanoi
• Cruise : as per your budget, but you will come only once,so choose wisely- usually the mid category is luxary by Indian standards.
• There are 1day, 2d/1night and 3day/2night cruises, 1day (basically means half a day is too short to enjoy) ...best is 3day/2night but 2day/1night option is good.
• Food: inform beforehand about your allergies
• Pack: travel light,keep most of your luggage and cash in hotel
• See: Old quarters of Hanoi
• Get out- Sapa(paddy fields), Ninh Binh(Halong Bay on land)