Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

We spent two day exploring the famous limestone rocks of Ha Long Bay. Our boat navigated through what seemed like endless miniature islands jutting out of the ocean. We motored past floating fishing villages where we learned that the villagers only went to shore to sell their fish. Most of the children never go to school and instead learn their parents' trade. This didn't stop some of them from having satellite TV.

At one point our boat stopped and we all jumped off the top into the warm water and swam to a small beach. We loaded back onto the boat and made our way to our destination. Our tour group had a private bay with rooms on stilts over the water. We spent our time relaxing, playing volleyball, and swimming. However, when we got out of the water we had oil all over our bodies... gross! The last day we woke up and went for a pre-breakfast swim, then the group went kayaking around the giant cliffs. Soon after leaving, a torrential downpour started. It reminded me of the scene from Forest Gump where he said, "Sometimes it felt like it was raining up..." The beauty of those cliffs is something we will never forget.Read more