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Postcards from:
Big
Bear Lake California
Kuta Bali Indonesia
Surabaya Indonesia
Yogyakarta Indonesia
Jakarta Indonesia
Kuching Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Yangon Myanmar
Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Phnom Penh Cambodia
Angkor Wat Cambodia
Phnom Penh Cambodia
Chau Doc Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam
Nha Trang Vietnam
Ha Noi Vietnam
Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Medan Indonesia
Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Bangkok Thailand
Melaka Malaysia
Penang Malaysia
Hat Yai Thailand
Surat Thani Thailand
Hua Hin Thailand
Bangkok Thailand
Ayutthaya Thailand
Chiang Mai Thailand
Luang Prabang Laos
Phonsavan Laos
Vientiane Laos
Khon Kaen Thailand
Nang Rong Thailand
Bangkok Thailand
Hat Yai Thailand
Yala Thailand
Kota Bharu Malaysia
Sungai Ko-Lok Thailand
Trang Thailand
Krabi Thailand
Phang-Nga Thailand
Bangkok Thailand
Big Bear Lake California
Hanoi Vietnam: A traveling green grocer walking the
streets near the lake.
Hanoi Vietnam: Foreign tourists seem to be the principle customers for these
Pedi cabs.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: These islands are pocked
with caves; some natural, some man-made. During the past wars soldiers often
used them as hiding places.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: The stairs leading up to the entrance to the cave used
by Viet Cong during the wars.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Inside the cave.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Another of the many tour boats on the bay.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Our tour boat waiting for our return from the cave
visit.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: One is tempted to say "when you've seen one, you've
seen them all." But, here in this place that is far from the truth. Every
new bump is a surprise.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Floating docks.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Sometimes it seemed like a traffic jam there were so
many boats moving around.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: The house boats which seemed to be in use by people who
live here.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: This seemed to be a floating gas station.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Entrance-exit at the secret cove.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Entrance-exit at the secret cove. inside looking out.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Another view of the entrance-exit at the secret cove.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Entrance-exit at the secret cove.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Some of the boats stay on station for long periods of
time to serve the needs of tourists and tour boat operators.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Strange shaped outcroppings, unique and bizarre.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Ideal abode for a nautical hermit.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: The jungle marches right down to the water's edge in
some places. |
  15-21
November 2002
Hello from Ha Noi Vietnam,
Ha Noi & Halong Bay
When my flight from Nha Trang landed at Hanoi Airport I grabbed the city bus heading into town and rode it to within about a kilometer of the city center. Located around the south and west of a lake, the central business district has plenty of hotels, all of which were fully booked the day I arrived. In desperation after three hours of searching I took the first rat-trap with an available room and continued searching for something better for the next day.
The $25 Prince Hotel, while not terrible certainly would not do
for the full six days I'd be in the city. The
Golden Key at $45 turned out to be about the best I could do without breaking the bank.
The highlight of my stay in Hanoi has to be the day trip over to
Halong Bay. Looking back I wish I had spent more time there. Our boat wandered around
a bay full of strange limestone outcroppings, magical. This is one place I definitely would like to revisit someday. The shoreline around the bay is crowded with hotels. Rates at an excellent one I checked ran about forty dollars per day, but I'm sure cheaper places are available.
I remember taking many photographs while walking the city of Ha Noi, but
the album disappeared from the ofoto collection and they can't recover
the lost collection. It's a puzzlement.
Peace
Fred L
Bellomy
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Photo taken
from the small boat we boarded to enter the "secret" harbor through a
natural bridge shown here.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: So many boats, so little sound.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: We follow a caravan of boats around and among the
waterway canyons.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Bizarre bumps jump out of the bay on every side
making it a great place to play hide and seek.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Floating dock where we boarded small boats to
explore some of the arches and caves.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: The "houseboat" may have been a gas station. Here
one of several kids plays on the boats.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Strange formation framing the natural bridge
entrance to the "secret cove" at one of the islands.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Entrance-exit at the secret cove.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Entrance-exit to the cove is wide enough for many
boats side by side.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: It appeared that people were living out here in the
bay on some of these house boats.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: A small cluster of houseboats.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: A lone sentinel.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Rope on the deck...
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Solitary tower.
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Halong Bay Viet Nam: At the departure docks.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Looking over the bow of our tour boat.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Another of the tour boats plying the waters of Halong
Bay.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Strange, odd shapes crop out of the waters.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Everything is covered in mist the day I toured the bay.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: More fog.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: A cargo boat works the water front.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Strange islands in the fog.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Weird outcroppings shrouded by haze.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: A cluster of tour boats moored near one of the islands.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Some of the passengers outside on the deck wear
raincoats to protect against the fog and spray.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: A house boat that seemed to be going nowhere.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Now that is what I call a real house boat.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Our crew stays busy while we explore the formations.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Strange formation framing the natural bridge entrance
to the "secret cove" at one of the islands.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Boats drifting in the still water within the secret
cove.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Boats drifting in the sheltered calm water inside the
cove.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Entrance-exit at the secret cove.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Another view of the remarkable marine formations.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: One of the small boats heading for the arched entrance
to the secret cove.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: One of the small boats heading for the arched entrance
to the secret cove.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: This one looks like it is about to fall over.
Halong Bay Viet Nam: Wonder if people name some of these formations? This
group could be called "Triple Peaks." |
Reference photo:
author