ROCKS RISING FROM THE SEA

In previous issues, we have shared our impressions from a trip to a wonderful South-East Asian country, Vietnam. But to spend a day in Vietnam's Halong Bay and not to write about it separately is tantamount to saying nothing about this country.

An opportunity to visit this fantastically beautiful corner of the globe was provided to us by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and NG Travel, a Vietnamese tour operator, within the framework of a media tour organized by Qatar Airways, with the support of the non-governmental organization Azerbaijan Journalists' Network.

...Where the dragon descended

The name of Halong Bay was frequently mentioned by local guides ever since the beginning of the media tour, when we were introduced to the indigenous tropical island of Phu Quoc. Later we became convinced that, while Phu Quoc can be referred to as the southern pearl of Vietnam, Halong has every right to be called the northern star.

Located within four hours' drive from Hanoi, in the Gulf of Tonkin, the South China Sea, the bay is very popular with tourists. The scenic beauty of the local nature is simply amazing, as about 3,000 large and small islands protrude, like icebergs, from the sea surface. An area of 1,500 sq km is dotted with small islets featuring mysterious caves and grottoes, bizarre cliffs and dense tropical vegetation. Almost every island has its own feature, and some of the islands bear unique names reflecting that feature, such as Shining Turtle, Sleeping Princess, Fighting Cock, Elephant, Eagle, Lizard, depending on associations brought up by the island thanks to its outlandish shape or resemblance to a particular animal. Apparently because of these and many other features, Halong Bay was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, and five years ago it was recognized as one of the seven wonders of nature.

And speaking about wonders, the Vietnamese, as we mentioned earlier, are pretty superstitious, hence their history is riddled with various myths and legends. According to one of the many local beliefs, a long time ago Heaven sent the Vietnamese a family of magical dragons to assist in the battle against the Chinese army. Instead of fire, the jaws of these dragons spitted out pearls which, after falling into the sea, turned into small islands barring the enemy's way.

After defeating the enemy, the dragons decided to stay in the bay, and the mother dragon descended to live in the most enchanting bay that was named Halong in her honour. "While the name of the Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, means the 'city of the ascending dragon', Halong denotes the 'place where the dragon descended'. According to legend, the dragon is still living on one of the bay's islets," said Nguyen Nu Tan, an NG Travel representative, who accompanied us.

Now the sails of a dozen tourist ships cruising between the rocks of the bay are decorated with "dragon wings".

The spirit of the cave

As part of the cruise travel program, you will surely be taken on a boat or kayak ride through tunnels formed under the rocks, shown the island of monkeys and guided on a tour to fairy caves. There are many of them in the bay, and each of them is associated with scores of legends and superstitions.

Halong caves are the whole world, underground kingdoms with their own history shrouded in mystery. Walking through the mysterious grottoes illuminated by coloured lights, one gets an impression of ending up in the Sesame cave from the film Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, and of being closely watched by the Spirit of the cave. Others may feel like participants in the Indiana Jones adventure, where you can expect some surprise every minute.

By the way, the cave to which we were taken was called the Cave of Surprises (Hang Sung Sot in Vietnamese). That is what our friend Tan meant when he told us at the beginning of the cruise that we were to meet with a "big surprise". According to him, this is the most popular cave in Halong Bay.

Walking up the stairs to a height of 25 metres above sea level, you will find yourself in a huge cave consisting of three grottoes, with stalactites of various sizes and bizarre shapes hanging down. Each stalactite figure has its own legend. One figure reminds of Saint Dong, who left here his horse and sword to frighten demons, another one resembles a fabulous creature. In short, the scene is mesmerizing, and if it were not for hurried tour guides, you would not like to leave the cave within the time allotted for sightseeing. But enough is enough, as the phrase goes. Therefore, tourists shoot everything that comes into view of their cameras, hoping not to miss the most interesting things. Still, however eagerly you press the "trigger" of your camera in the cave, you cannot get rid of a lingering feeling that you have probably missed the most important thing.

Scientists have found many signs of the presence of ancient people in the caves of Halong Bay, who lived on clams in prehistoric times, and later on fruit and root vegetables. Subsequently, the ancestors of the present-day Vietnamese mastered fishing.

A charge of emotions for the whole life

Halong Bay is also characterized by extremely rich flora and fauna. The climate of the bay is tropical, with two distinct seasons: hot and rainy summer, and dry and relatively cold winter. The best time for excursions is from late spring till early autumn.

Cruises to Halong Bay are included in almost all packages provided by Vietnamese tour operators. Typically, this is a day-long sea voyage on board cruise ships which, like hotels, are classified by the number of stars. A five-star hotel ship offers a full board, various entertainments, massages, cooking shows, morning Tai Chi exercises with an instructor and other services. And, of course, you will be introduced to the beauty of the local nature and the secrets of mysterious caves.

Here, you can buy local souvenirs, fish and seafood in kiosks on boats that sail up to each cruise ship, persistently offering their goods to foreigners. Moreover, boaters or rather shopkeepers of the floating villages enjoy tax privileges in exchange for cleaning debris from the sea surface, which they encounter on their way. In short, the wolves are fed and the sheep are safe. The resulting charge of emotions and energy will last for a long time, whereas the experience from a cruise across Halong Bay is unlikely to be erased from your memory until the end of your days.