Halong Bay

                This last weekend was truly amazing. It was a milestone for me personally, as I celebrated the beginning of another year of my life. Never did I ever expect to spend my 23rd birthday in Vietnam, but I wouldn't change it for the world.

This weekend a group from Volunteers for Peace Vietnam (VPV) traveled to Halong Bay. Hạlong Bay, which literally means Descending Dragon Bay, is one of the seven natural wonders of the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located in Quảng Ninh province,

It took us three hours by bus to get to the bay, where we were picked up by a small boat that took us to a much larger ship where we were to spend the evening. The Vietnamese people believe that during the Chinese invasion of Vietnam thousands of years ago, dragons came to the aid of the people and dropped rubies from the sky onto the Chinese boats, destroying them and turning them into over 2,000 mountainous karst that rise up out of the water.

During the afternoon we went for a Kayaking trip through these karst observing the splendor of Halong Bay. A karst is like a mountain of limestone sticking up from the sea. We followed our guide through the waters and stopped at a cave in one of the karst, called Thien Canh Son.  We made our way though the cave until we saw daylight that opened up into a large circular oasis in the middle of the karst. There was a small pond filled with fish that were jumping all around us as we waded out into the water. After taking time to explore the cave’s corridors, we made our way out and back into the Kayaks. As we paddled our boats, weaving in and out between the huge karst, the sun was setting. We were exhausted, yet amazed by what we had seen.

After dinner, we spent the evening making friends with different people from all over the world. It was a great chance to meet new people and learn about other cultures. It was also rewarding to see how easily we all got along, even though we were from different places around the world.        

The next day we went to Cast Away Island. Here we spent the afternoon swimming and exploring the area with Kayaks. Across from the island, there was a floating village. It was shocking to learn that many of the people living in the floating villages never leave them from birth until death. They spend their entire lives fishing and working in these villages. During the day we also got the chance to go out on a boat for wake boarding and tubing.

We spent a second evening under a huge hut where we dined and continued getting to know our new friends. After a while we decided that it would be fun to go swimming. I was surprised to find that when I moved my hands through the water it looked as if I  had parted a mass of diamonds that sparkled with the movement.

After a swim, we settled into A-frame huts made of straw and bamboo that sat about three feet above the ground. After climbing under a mosquito net and squeezing in beside Matthew Stewart, I quickly fell asleep.

The next morning the group woke up and boarded our boat back to the mainland. It was a birthday that I will never forget! I have never seen such beautiful place.

 - Keegan Bailey