Every country has theirs. The sights that are a part of nearly every travel itinerary, from package tourists to shoestring backpackers. For Vietnam, UNESCO listed Ha Long Bay is, in all likelihood, the biggest tourists draw for the country. You know the images: Ships anchored in a bay of huge limestone karsts as far as the eye can see, a maze of rock formations that would take years to explore each one. Kayaks floating through caves and remote fishing villages so very far removed from modern society (besides those pesky tourists).
Options for visiting Ha Long Bay run the gamut, from booze cruise to luxury. I went with a slightly upper class tour, as I’d hear one too many stories of rats on board to cave in to the budget options. Turns out I was a little more than slightly overcharged, but this I’ve come to expect in Vietnam. Having done my share of cruises and boat tours on this trip, I tempered my expectations a bit, but also put myself in just the right frame of mind to be spending a couple days out on the water amidst striking scenery. After a few photos, I found a perch at the front of the boat to soak in everything around me. The limestone formations are familiar now, but the sheer endlessness of it all really stuck with me this time around. Every few minutes, new shapes appeared, constantly changing with my perspective as we sailed through and around. I wondered what it all might look like from the top of a peak, before remembering just how comfortable I was lounging on the deck. As the sun began to set, the silhouettes of ships found anchor for the evening as fisherman were just beginning their night’s work. They crossed paths as dusk, a contrast as stark as any, the tiny boats and their occupants doing their very best to make a life, while those on massive ships struggled to escape theirs.
The thing I enjoy most about sailing, surprisingly, is that you’re stuck. There is no option to get off, to explore, to find something new. You must take the world as it comes to you, and enjoy it for what it is. Gone are the what-ifs and the desire to find some sight or place that might be better than where you currently sit. Anxiety fades to contentment, because what else is there, really? It’s in these moments that I appreciate, I reflect, and I daydream. I dream of being an explorer, of discovering such beauty someday, somewhere. Alas, Ha Long Bay has long been discovered, as evidenced by the hordes of boats and tourists vying for their own piece of paradise.
Thankfully, there’s plenty to go around.