Lost in Halong Bay, watercolor and ink. Erin Lau © 2009
Aboard a Chinese Junk, the four of us plied the emerald waters of Halong Bay, skirting the Karst outcroppings, stopping to kayak, swim to secluded beaches, feast on fresh seafood, and sleep under the stars on the deck (by our request). In the middle of the night I crept downstairs to splash and oar through the magical phosphorescent water, and though tempted to swim, decided to let my half-asleep body go back to star gazing.
View from Hotel on Cat Ba Island Erin Lau © 2009
Cat Ba Island was our launching point into Halong Bay, as I watched the sunset from the balcony of my hotel room (an $8 room) fishing boats were returning for the night, and fishermen began their nightly consumption of “happy water”.
Fishing Shack and Junk, Halong Bay Erin Lau © 2009
This is where we docked to eat dinner on our boat. Later we joined the crewmembers of two other boats to dine from a Hot Pot dinner (“Lau” in vietnamese) All day we had heard them saying “hot pot, hot pot” (in vietnamese) to other people on boats, and finally we realized that they had been inviting their friends to a monthly dinner. They also passed around the Vietnamese “Happy Water”, which tasted oddly like rice wine.
Travel Drawn 