HALONG BAY

Four hour drive each way.  Bad roads, very bumpy, very dusty.

"Pee" stop....  at a site that has clean toilets. Yeah!!    
                                               
                                             and

MANY   MANY  things to sell and MANY sales girls, eager to tempt to buy. There are many beautiful things to buy:
Marble statues and small pieces,   embroidered pictures,        silk material,    jewelry,     purses,     and more.
We bought.   But on the return from Halong Bay instead of walking through the building we walked around it.
(Cheaper  pee)

This is a place where you see disabled children, boys and girls,  doing intricate embroidery.  Most are the progeny of agent orange infected grandparents. The government contributes help for these kids. Sales from this site also are of help.         
 
********************************************
Ah........ the bay....Unesco World Heritage Site...
          Even more awesome than we imagined
There was a haze, making it look like a Chinese print.

We boarded our luxury Chinese  junk.  About 10 berths.
 Ours had a private balcony.  
       We slept with the door open ..................................       .............beauty of the night     reflections.
                 moon and pleasant cool evening breeze.
Awoke just before dawn and sat on the balcony in robes       ...................Dawn broke changing the magic 
                           into more magic, pink hues
       Later SUN             How lucky
The week before voyages had to be cancelled.