It was 6.00am, light was streaming into the cabin. The room, it was moving slightly, no? Ah yes, I am on a cruise ship on Halong Bay. I went up to the deck, with only a windbreaker to protect me from the morning chill. The light breeze refreshed my sleepy face, my eyes opened wide in amazement at the sight of limestone rock formations everywhere. Parallel lines criss-cross themselves on the ramrod straight, smooth rock walls. It was as if one day, a giant knife swooped from Heaven and cleanly cut the earth.
As the mist hung over Halong, clinging fiercely onto the rocks, a sense of peace and quiet slowly enveloped. It always happens to me when I’m surrounded by Nature and its little surprises: I get so overwhelmed with gratitude, I’m almost on the verge of tearing. These limestone caves, they’ve been around for millions of years. Water droplets eke their mark on the cave walls, slowly but surely imprinting their existence onto something seemingly permanent. I felt superbly insignificant, what was my horribly short mortal life compared to these caves?
At that moment, I was humbled. I bowed my head and let the tears flow.
Liyana Low
