The overnight train to Sapa was much easier in terms of transportation due to substantially reduced baggage which came from the stationery and books(all delivered to the intended schools) . This time round, the train ride was made considerably more comfortable as the train compartment was in a better condition then the previous train ride from Hanoi to Lao Cai. We reached Hanoi in the early morning hours at around 0530. It was still pitch dark at that time. We were then brought to the guesthouse in Hanoi, the same one we stayed in originally. Breakfast ensued as usual but many of us were not used to the blaring sound of the traffic which was absent in Sapa. We had a short break after breakfast before our bus ride to Halong bay.
It was a 3 our long bus ride to halong bay and most of us fell asleep, because of the fatigue that had built up from the overnight train ride from Lao Cai.We reached there by 0930. we were all surprised when we got onboard our very own junk boat in which we all did not need to share with any other tourists. The conditions exceeded our expectations, bettering those in Sapa and even Hanoi.
The scenary we saw was equally breath-taking. Furthermore, we made a stop at a fish farm where large species of different fishes and also the "predator" like horse-shoe crab could be seen. We decided to chip in money to buy extra seafood for dinner, mainly crabs and cray fish. By 1100, we had managed to start kayaking, around the many islands (2000 to be exact), though expectedly we did not manage to kayak to all. We went around into caves and lagoons in the area, and even had a short dip in the cool waters of the bay.Shortly after 2 hours, we were back on board. With spare time on our hands before dinner, we took a dive from the second tier of the junk boat into the cool water. It was a refreshing experience! All of us repeated the activity again and again. It was such a pity we did not have time to try for the third deck.
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