After a HARD nights sleep on the train back to Hanoi we hopped on the bus and boat to Cat Ba, an island which borders Halong Bay. We had an easy afternoon before getting up early the next day to board our junk boat and cruise the waters of Halong.
There were a few mixed emotions as we and the Italian girls we had booked with weren't quite sure if we were getting what we had paid Mr Phong for. But by the end of the trip we were over awed by the views, the experiences and the $5 refund helped.
We cruised around the limestone karsts which jut out of the water, with kayaks in tow. Every now and then we stopped and kayaked to have a closer look at the emerald waters - We jumped straight in but after observing the numerous jellyfish from the kayak we were more careful about getting out!
After a tiring day lying aboard the ship, having lunch and dinner cooked for us, we anchored surrounded by the karsts to watch the sunset. We were lulled to sleep by the gentle rocking of the boat and awoken early by........ to my surprise - Charlie, eager to make a move and get out in the kayaks! It was raining in the morning but that only added to the atmosphere.
Mr Phong had saved the best till last. The boat took us to a spot where they put us in kayaks and pointed us towards a dark cave. As we went deeper into the cave I got a little scared and thought about suggesting we turn around, but before I could I saw light at the other end. It was not a cave but a long tunnel to a secret lagoon. There were more to come, with three consecutive lagoons, some of the entrances less obvious than the others. It was awesome - we felt like adventurers.
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