Beautiful Halong Bay

We woke up with sore heads after yesterday's night out. We had to get up early to pack our bags and be down at Hanspan by 8:30 AM, where we would catch a bus to Halong Bay. Our group was about 10 people, all set to go on a boat trip together. It was clear that this company had a better standard, so we didn’t regret spending a bit more on the tour. At noon, we arrived in Halong City for lunch. Our group was served a bunch of plates filled with different dishes. Everything tasted amazing, and we got to try some new Vietnamese foods. At 1 PM, our boat trip began. We were assigned cabins and told that we could grab drinks whenever we wanted; we just had to remember to jot it down in the book with our names, and it would all be settled at the end of the trip. We all headed up to the boat's rooftop, soaking up the sun while enjoying the view of the sea dotted with limestone islands. After a few hours of sailing, the ship docked so we could go ashore and explore some caves. Our guide spoke great English and shared a lot about the history of the caves. Our overnight spot was absolutely perfect. We anchored in a small bay where we were completely alone. Surrounded by mountains and cliffs, it was stunning. It was time for a swim, so many of us jumped off the roof of the boat into the water. The water wasn’t the turquoise color you find in Thailand; it was more greenish due to different algae. Dinner was served at 7 PM in the lounge area. Again, a feast of plates was laid out on the table, looking delicious. We had fish, shrimp, spring rolls, seafood, rice, and fries. In the evening, many of us sat up on the roof gazing at the stars and shooting stars. The guide joined us up there, and we bombarded her with questions. She talked about Vietnamese traffic rules, which are quite different. Helmets aren’t mandatory in cities anymore. A few years back, the government introduced a law requiring helmets both in and out of the city, but it led to more accidents because the helmets created blind spots for drivers. Now, helmets are only required outside the city. Side mirrors have only made their way to Vietnam in recent years. There’s also a three-strike rule: three strikes on your license, and it’s taken from the driver. When we went to bed, we encountered a huge cockroach in our room that had taken a little trip into my toiletry bag. We really didn’t want to wake up with a cockroach in our bed, so we decided to sleep up on the roof under the stars instead.