Ha Long - So Long

I made myself take a tour of Ha Long Bay, a famous World Heritage site - a bay filled with over 3000 islands. I was actually surprised by 2 things here; the first, and I couldn't get over this, was the butterflies! How does a butterfly survive on the water here - maybe on the boats, I am not sure, but there were so many butterflies flying over the water.

The other thing was the floating village on the water. This is a traditional village built of houses that float on what look like tubs or kegs. The people in this village have lived here for hundreds of years and continue to live here, partly tradition, partly not knowing another way of life. This photo is of the school and a couple of houses. We stopped at one to purchase some seafood - of course it was alive and in caged areas, then the local people here prepared it. Notice, they even have television antennae (you have to look closely). This is a close-up of one of the houses.

Imagine living in a village with only water, no grass to run around on. The children here do not go to school outside the area until they reach the third grade! No soccer - no frisby golf - nothing on land, not even a lawn - until age 9. Just imagine it!

Visiting Ha Long Bay from Hanoi takes all day. It is about a 3 hour drive, then you have to take the boat out on the bay. We also visited the caves inside the large stone areas. I am glad I went, it gave me another new appreciation of some of the Vietnamese cultures that live within this amazing country.