Halong Bay....along with 50 other boats

We could not skip out on the chance to visit Halong Bay in northern Viet Nam, one of those quintessential experiences. It is a beautiful bay dotted with limestone islands covered in lush vegetation. So, we had little choice but to join the masses on the typical 'junk' boat tour, enjoying three days in these beautiful environs. And while the caravan of boats and noisy generators on board only slightly hindered the beauty, nothing could damped the experience sailing through these islands that simply jut right out of the water....not even the raincloud that followed us! There are caves scattered among the islands, formed out of the limestone substrate. We toured one with gigantic chambers unlike any other cave I have ever explored. Swimming and kayaking lead to carefree days, where we resorted to autopilot and just waited for our guide's next instructions. A young Vietnamese family was on our boat, and we shared all of our meals with them. Although unable to communicate, they became our friends during the journey. But, truly it was all about the scenery, so the pictures tell the story better than I can!