Ha Long Long Ha Bays

Ha Long Bay. I first read about this area a limestone karsts almost thirty years ago. Sea Kayak magazine ran a trip repo on the place. It was relatively empty then, it's pretty much packed now. Manh from Vietnam Real Tours booked us a trip to the lesser traveled Long Ha bay.

This was the first cruise that Nancy and I had ever been on and I have to admit it was pretty plush. We participated in most of the activities. Kayaking, bicycling, swimming, and a cooking class. We skipped sunrise yoga in favor of staying in bed.

We cycled to a small village on Cat Ba island for a wine tasting. Cat Ba translates to 'Women's Island' and is about 100x larger than nearby 'Man's Island'. The rice wine tasting was special in that it took several forms based on whatever was being pickled in the wine. Most of the concoctions were brewed with plants and herbs to be beneficial to women's health. Vitality, cancer prevention, smooth skin, youthful appearance. The men's concoctions were brewed with scorpion and snake and dedicated to stamina and fertility.

Don and I took part in a cooking class/competition. Things were fine until he brought in a ringer from the audience to coach him on the finer points. Despite the shenanigans it all turned out to be delicious.Read more