Halong Bay means 'Descending Dragon bay'. Legend has it that a dragon flew over Vietnam and protected its people from foreign invaders. It spread thousands of jewels into the bay which formed thousands of islets and islands.
I took some photos of the rock formations during the first light of dawn.There was a short tai chi class up on the sun deck which I was unable to participate in because I didn't know when it actually started. We were served a light breakfast before we headed out for the last activity aboard the Victory Star.
Thien Cung Dau Go Cave
We had to board another boat to get int the cave and the lagoon surrounded by towering rock formations.
It was only a short ride through the small cave.
There were a lot of towering rock formations surrounding the entrance to the small cave. After just a few minutes of sightseeing, we went back to the ship for a buffet brunch.
Halong Bay Rock Formations
While eating brunch, we were treated to several astounding rock formations along the bay.
This particular rock formation looked like a duck to me.
The rock formation on the right looked like a giant turtle sticking its head out.
This one looked like a bell.
The two pictures above show the features of a human head. The human head rock formation is one of the most popular rock formations on the bay.
There were several other rock formations along the bay, just use your imagination and the rocks will take the shape you want.
It was hard to say goodbye to Halong Bay. The stunning rock formations, exquisite meals, itinerary, and superb service aboard the Victory Star all made the experience worthwhile.
The Journey Back to Hanoi City
The four hour ride back to the city gave me insight as to how Vietnam was. The countryside reminded me of the provinces back in the Philippines. Many Vietnamese worked the fields and sold crops. The primary industry in Vietnam is still agriculture. There were a lot of small and medium enterprises developing in the provinces.
Back in Hanoi
I got back to Hanoi in Little Hanoi Hostel by around 4 PM, so I had a lot of time to kill.
Hoan Kiem Lake
I decided to spend some time walking around Old Quarter and Hoan Kiem Lake, and get tickets for the water puppet show in Thang Long Water Puppet Theater.Water Puppet Show
There were four shows throughout the day at four different times. I got to see the 6:30PM show, the ticket costs 100,000 VND ($5USD).
The water puppet show depicted the folklore of Vietnam and their daily life. The show was entertaining and perfect for kids. There was a screen that showed a translation of what the narrator was saying so that people who don't understand Vietnamese know what is happening.
The traditional music played during the show was good. I liked the traditional instruments used during the show it gave it a unique feel.