Up early and a 10 minute drive to the boat, then out to sea. The Bay is an area of approximately 1600 square kilometers, and contains about 2000 islands. Each island is steep walled, and some are hollow, housing huge cave systems. These Limestone monoliths can reach1000 meters in height (3000 ft) from their base, and some of the monoliths actually have lakes inside of them.

Ha Long Bay from our hotel roof

This is a very special place, very glad iI got to see it now, because it is obvious this area is developing and will be a major tourist destination in a few years. We spent 5 hours cruising around this part of the bay,

then visited the Dao Go cave system.  i have been to many caves, but this one is really interesting and well presented

This afternoon, a long drive into Hanoi, seems like 100kl of town to get there, the terrain is flat flat flat, and nothing but little houses and rice paddies. For some reason, the Viet build tall skinny house, about 15 ft wide and three or four stories high. Apparently that is because land is so valuable. The families own one piece of land and try and get the whole family to build on that single peice, so they have to build skinny.

Hanoi, this place is crazy busy, and there obviously in NO law against sounding you horn, in fact, i think it is encouraged to wire your horn directly to the ignition.
Glad I used to race bikes, because here you have to use the same technique as when passing someone, be predictable, if you Dodge and jump around whilste crossing the road here, someone is going to get run over by a moped, or ten,,,,or twenty.

notice the barbers working away, using tge government building walls as a hairdressing salon.

Had a great supper, good wine, and now bed. Tomorrow I will see the city