Happy Water and Halong Bay
From Hanoi, we planned two excursions. One was to the hills and tea farms of Mai Chau Valley for some trekking and the other was to the biggest tourist attraction in Vietnam, Halong Bay.
In order to free up their hands for fishing and other uses, people in remote Vietnam paddle boats with their feet.
We were optimistic about the trekking, ready to get out of the city, away from the crowds and into fresh air to sweat off some noodles. Most people head to Sapa for trekking, but we had concerns about over-tourism and ethical treatment of the hill tribe guides and home stays. Our travel agent suggested the less-visited Mai Chau as a good alternative for us, promising fewer tourists and more authentic home stays. And, they were right. We didn't see a single other tourist outside of our group the entire three days we were in Mai Chau and the home stays were a highlight.
Vietnam war vet and jubilant home stay father, Mr. Sow decided it would be fun to stand across the room and look at each other through Binoculars.
We ended up doing more eating and drinking than trekking, but I guess that fits into the "authenticity" of the experience since that is what the locals like to do most. Mr. Sow, the patriarch of our second home stay, introduced us to the local rice wine, also known as "happy water". It must be aptly named because Mr. Sow drinks his share and is quite possibly the happiest man on earth. He is entertained by everything, smiles constantly and force feeds the happy water to guests with enthusiasm that cannot be denied. We shared our toys with him, and in return, he offered his to us (although Brendan was the only one brave enough to accept). Sitting around, laughing and taking shots of homemade happiness while Mr. Sow and Brendan smoked tobacco out of a huge, handmade water pipe in the middle of the stilted bamboo hut is a memory I will not soon forget. Mr. Sow made us remember to appreciate the small stuff - a good meal, some drink, a nice smoke and friendly company. And then he promptly helped us forget everything else.
A few days later we headed from the hills to the sea for a two-night expedition to Bai Tu Long Bay and the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Halong Bay. Our day at Bai Tu Long was quiet. The ocean was so still it looked like a lake and the fog hung low over the water. Brendan and I spent most of the four-hour boat ride on the bow, listening to music and taking it all in. It was eerily beautiful, like the opening scene in a mystery novel. And it was a great companion for some quiet reflection. We stayed on a small military island for the night, woke up for sunrise and the fish market the next morning and headed back to shore after a quick bike ride to a rainy beach. It rained the whole way back, and our hopes of having a nice day at Halong were dimmed. But luckily, Halong surprised us... In more ways than one.
Floating Villages of Halong Bay
We had booked an overnight stay on a traditional "junk", basically a modern version of an ancient Chinese sailing ship with sleeper cabins (probably sounds cooler than it is). You can go extreme budget or five-star and, true to our trip style, we landed somewhere in the middle. The sun came out as we were leaving the harbor and by some miracle, our captain pointed us away from the hundreds of boats already making their way out to the bay. The draw of Halong is the dramatic rock formations protruding from the sea in every direction. The drawback is that it's extremely over-touristed - more than 500 boats leave everyday from just one of the four harbors. But, our operator somehow managed to find a quiet route, allowing us to enjoy the truly magnificent spectacle in relative peace. It's a quick trip - out in the afternoon, anchored at night, and back the next morning, but it's one worth doing. Halong is beautiful and best experienced, if possible, away from the crowds and disco cruises. And, if you happen to find yourself in the masses or on a bad weather day, make sure you have some happy water handy.