Halong Bay

I spent last night on a junk boat on Halong Bay. It was a really good experience and some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen. All throughout the bay are hundreds of limestone formations and the water is emerald green. The Vietnamese are actually campaigning to get it officially classified as one of the Wonders of the World. And I agree - it's quite a place! It's one of the main reasons I wanted to travel to Vietnam. I remember seeing pictures on the internet and thinking....WOW! The tour I signed up for included transportation from Hanoi (about a 3-4 hour drive), one night on a "junk" boat and food for two days. There were only 10 of us in the group so it made for a really nice night. There was also another solo American girl on the boat. She ended up being my roommate. It was quite funny because everyone else on the boat automatically assumed we were on the trip together. It was super nice having another American to talk to! The rest of the group were all native English speakers (Aussies, English and New Zealanders) but the humor (particularly sarcasm) and common experiences are just not the same. Because of her, I ended up laughing a lot on the trip. I had a great time. I'm spending my last few hours in Hanoi tomorrow with her. We are going to do some last minute shopping!

Tonight is my last night in Vietnam. I can't believe it!