I’ve walked the streets of the big northern city and drove a motorbike down the snakelike roads of the eastern loop in Ha Giang. Although all of that was great; I was excited to get away and enjoy the ocean. It was time to visit a world heritage sight- Ha Long Bay. Well, sort of.
I withheld from staying near the Ha Long Bay area. It’s vastly over crowded with tour companies. So instead I sought after something more interactive and authentic. Cuong, from Positive tours, recommended I book a tour through Asia Outdoors in the Cat Bah area. It was a great suggestion and it was the perfect amount of time to stay in the Cat Bah area to explore Lan Ha Bay, which is a more quiet version of Ha long bay. Overall, despite the flourishing tourism industry, I was pleasantly surprised by the authentic feeling of Lan Ha Bay.
I stayed at Lepont Hostel on Cat Bah Island, which is fantastic. The deluxe bungalow room was a private getaway from the hostels I’ve been staying in. Watching the sun set and rise over the ocean horizon from inside my bungalow was a thing of beauty. I would recommend this establishment to anyone looking for an affordable stay on the island.
For your edification, Cat Bah, translates to Sandy Sisters in Vietnamese. There is a historical context as to the name, which google can most likely explain better than I can. Cat Bah reminded me of the islands in the recent King Kong film with their almost primordial feel. The limestone pillars off the coast of Cat Bah were jetting out of the ocean and green foliage covered each little protrusion of rock. You can hear waves crashing and bellowing echoes of water pushing the air out of the caves at each pillar. You’re reminded of the harshness that is nature meanwhile the genuine gentleness of its natural beauty.
Cat Bah island is a giant nature reserve so construction is bare minimum outside of the bay area. You can hear birds chirping and eagles screeching in the distance. The smell of salt air fills the air and you’re occasionally met with a cool ocean air breeze. The island seems like an adventurers getaway paradise. I was fortunately able to rent a motorbike and drive from one end of the island and back in a little under four hours. I stopped by a few famous caves, such as the hospital cave, where Vietnamese soldiers were cared for during the bomb raids by the Americans in the Vietnam War. The hospital was pretty bland, but offered some insight to the claustrophobic lifestyle that the wounded soldiers and medical staff would have endured. To escape the bareness of the cave I stopped at a secluded beach. There were no people for quite some time until a few clam farmers arrived. As they raked for clams I couldn’t help, but stare into the distance as the sun set over the horizon. There were little crabs crawling everywhere I stepped. Overall, the quiet island was a pleasant getaway and helped recharged my inconsistent introvert like batteries.
When it came time for Asia Outdoors, I was ready for a bit of adventuring. A group of us were picked up and brought to a ferry where a live-abroad was waiting. We left the port and navigated the labyrinth of islands. It’s easy to see how early settlers may have gotten lost on foggy nights with just lanterns as their source of hope through the maze of limestone pillars. Each island looks as dangerously beautiful as the next one. The aquamarine water is tantalizingly stunning as if your eyes were perceiving everything as photoshopped color manipulation that we are all accustomed too on social media. The reflection of light from the sun gives a glimmer that makes your heart feel full as you gaze over the horizon. The combination of great weather, natural authenticity, and visual beauty confirmed that I made the right choice by visiting this area.
Although the views were fantastic, the people I met were quite special. I’ve been extremely fortunate to be a part of tours where everyone is friendly and engaging- this group at Cat Bah was no different. Along the way I met a brother and sister on vacation, Joseph and Theresa. They are Vietnamese descent, but their family moved to Canada before the siblings were born. Each of them speak English, French, and Vietnamese. Their ability to speak English and Vietnamese proved invaluable on multiple occasion on this trip. Joseph and Theresa are outgoing and charismatic. They are the epitome of classic brother and sister interactions consisting of challenging one another, but also supporting each other when the time comes. Then, there is Bob, Sydney, and Claudia. All are from North Carolina and they each have the spunk to prove it. Bob is a 68 year old military veteran who epitomizes your classic American father (he reminded me of my father instantly). Bob traveled across the world to visit his daughter, Sydney. Bob is as sharp as they come and makes you laugh by his actions every step of the way. Sydney and Claudia are both well educated and adventurous friends that are quick witted as they come. Sydney is a beautiful southern gal who has the spunky spirit that could go toe to toe with a bear. Her independence, warm heart, and fighter spirit are all characteristics that embody the quintessential southern belle. Claudia is a quick witted and energetic ball of fun that could pull off spectacular rock climbing maneuvers. She never missed a beat on any occasion and if you slipped up she was there for the punchline. With all that being said, she is inherently sweet and has an enormously large heart. I was fortunate enough to spend some time with each of these wonderful people. It could be playing cards, kayaking, rock climbing, or eating- I had fun every step of the way. Over the course of two days I was in a constant state of laughter when I was these five wonderful people. They are all true gems of the human spirit and each radiate what you want in another person- compassion, fun, laughter, and social and mental intelligence.
The group of us and our guide, Ray (#rayofsunshine- inside joke), ventured out on the kayaks for the day. We paddled passed fishing villages, fish farms, barnacle covered rocks, limestone pillars, and the paradise like lagoons. Ray covered the Lan Ha Bay geological context of the limestone erosion and also historical context. He mentioned that according to legends, the pillars represent dragon spines that once created these lands. Must have been some big dragons…
The kayaks were two seaters. I was looking around and mentally partnering everyone together. I realized I was an odd man out and so was Bob. I had a feeling Sydney would want to kayak with her friend so I prepped for Kayaking with Bob. Let me just start off by saying, I haven’t laughed that hard in quite some time. Bob was as charismatic as ever on that kayak trip and his euphemisms and sly comments gave me a good chuckle every few minutes. His paddling (or lack thereof) made for a great trip. The adult beverages helped for sure, but Bob is your classic hysterical and stereotypical American father that we all can relate to in one way or another. Kayaking through the beautiful waters of La Han Bay and the lagoons was both mesmerizing and unforgettable. Mainly because I heard Bob’s underlying comments about the experience. Best of all, Sydney would give Bob some southern sass and the two of them would go back and forth. I naturally had to add my own comments in, such as: “Is that your side or her mothers?” Which was followed by “well golly gee, that’s mine for sure. Jeez. Man boy, you a mess you know that”. There was a lot of character on that little kayak between the two seaman.
As Bob and I (mainly me) paddled our way through the bay we were given a tour of the farm villages. Dead fish were floating in the bay and bits of garbage can be seen every so often. Unfortunately, these are a result of the fish farms and 4000 people living in the area which sadly, the fish farms are needed to sustain the populations of people here. Although fish farms are incredibly harmful to the environment, the people have overfished the area, so other means of sustaining life are present. That’s a talk for another day.
Ray told the group that the dogs are used to protect the fish from aerial predators, such as gulls, crows, and hawks. Not two seconds after he said that, Bob started laughing at a dog on the dock that was positioned on one of the fish farms. It was standing watch and two crows were standing behind the dog. The dog turned and looked at the birds- no reaction. The quartermaster of the kayak, better known as Bob, and I let out a bellowing chuckle at the dogs emotionless guardian instincts. Clearly it was the dogs break time.
Ray explained to us that the people view nature a different way than westerner, which explains the ever-present pollution issue. Westerners separate themselves from nature whereas Eastern Asian individuals consider themselves a part of the system. Being a part of nature just makes it an extension of your home whereas westerners naturally separate the two. The self inclusion means nature is a part of the individual, so therefore the world is their home. That may seem overly simple, but at the core it makes sense for peoples behaviors.
At one point of the day kayaking, we made it to this massive lagoon. It was beautiful. A giant bowl in the earth that is lined with vegetation and beautiful white sand as if the location came from a travel pamphlet. Everyone was silent and just soaking it in. It turns out the government actually leases the land in Vietnam (communist regime). Well, the government sold the land rights of Lan Ha Bay to a big corporate conglomerate. There is rumor of sticking a football stadium in the lagoon. However, that is just a rumor- for now.
As the end of the day drew near, many of the people left. Our new guide, Ursula, aided in setting up beds on the boat for Joseph, Theresa, and I because we opted for an overnight stay on the bay. This gave us time to interact with the boat crew who were incredibly friendly and excellent galley cooks. Over the course of the night we ate and played a fun Vietnamese game, commonly known to westerners as 13. It turns out that Theresa is quite good at cards and swept the floor with us on multiple occasions. The crew even joined in. At one point, the captain walked away and spoke on the phone for quite some time. Theresa could hear that he was talking to his daughter and wishing her a happy birthday. It was sobering reminder that it’s not a vacation for all of us.
Once we were all exhausted we decided to sleep on the deck of the boat, which was a treat. Lying down and staring up in the dark sky you could see just clouds. Over the course of 20 minutes the sky opened up and the stars lit up the sky. I haven’t seen stars that bright since living back in New Hampshire. It wasn’t worth it for me to grab my camera because sometimes a picture just can’t do the scenery justice. I was also incredibly comfortable. The combination of cold brisk air and sleeping under the stars made for a great nights rest.
The following day the group rejoined and we were off to rock climb in the bay. I had never rock climbed in my life and sort of pictured myself as a confused grizzly bear trying to climb up a wall- not pretty. Meanwhile, it turns out that everyone (besides Bob who wanted to watch) turned out to be be part mountain goat and monkey in one. I watched as everyone scaled the climbs like acrobats. It was truly a spectacle. I made it pretty far on a few climbs and enjoyed the views of the bay from the top of the climb. A few cuts and bruises later I felt reasonably comfortable climbing. It also helps that Asia Outdoors staff were incredibly professional and helpful. Nonetheless, The views at the top of the climb were something to be marveled at. You couldn’t help, but look out on to the bay for a few moments and just enjoy nature in its semi-untouched platform.
Once rock climbing was finished a few of us decided to meet back up for our final night in Cat Bah after our ferry ride to port. I ended up saying goodbye to Theresa and Joseph. They are quite the dynamic sibling duo. In many ways, they reminded me of how my sister, Jenn and I interact- playful, competitive, and always laughing. Sydney, Claudia, and I decided to meet up at a rooftop bar over looking the bay. It was nice to play cards and enjoy one another’s company. There was a mix of laughter and mockery as we were competing for the winner poll. It’s all in good fun, but it was a good split of competition and fun, but Sydney and Claudia won’t admit that I won the most games!
Nevertheless, we eventually made our way to a place called Vietnamese Soul Food- a husband and wife restaurant that served us the top 5 best food I’ve eaten in Asia. Bob met us for dinner and you can imagine the ever present laughter that follows Bob every place he ventured too. Everyone ordered their own dish, but we ended up sharing everything. Each dish took quite a long time to arrive, but they were all hand crafted to excellence with flavors I couldn’t begin to describe. Everything the group ate was delicious and succulent. It was another moment of “this is the best food I’ve eaten in S.E. Asia.” I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting Cat Bah.
In addition, once dinner was over we decided to play 13. Bob even joined in on the fun, but preferred to watch. The couple that owned the restaurant accompanied us and played a few rounds. The husband was quite good and played with authority as he smacked the cards down on the table! It’s amazing that given the language barrier, we could communicate through cards similar to my Ha Giang experience. Sydney and Claudia both speak Vietnamese, but Sydney is humbly fluent. Claudia was no slouch either. Her ability to pick out words given her short time in Vietnam is commendable. It’s rather remarkable how well both of them can speak the language. Sydney was constantly talking to locals in Vietnamese and I was personally awestruck. Sydney’s ability to have a fluent conversation was something to be marveled at even if she has lived in the country for a few years. That is a talent I strive for in wherever I live. Burmese is a tough call for that due to its localization of use whereas languages such as Chinese, Spanish, French, or even Vietnamese have a more ubiquitous use.
The night drew to a close and each of us had to part our ways. The Vietnamese couple was extremely nice throughout the night and they really added that authentic local feel. The entire experience gave me an epiphany; the places aren’t what make for fond memories, it’s the people that inhabit those places or the ones you meet along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed networking with each individual and I’m glad I could share a few laughs with each of them.
Andrew
P.s. Bob- Thank you for teaching me what a “flat boy” and “fat boy” are in Carolina slang.
AndrewBosco 