The Best of Vietnam
Hi Sophie,
I'm writing this email from Hanoi, the bustling capital of Vietnam. Tomorrow I'm going to travel by hydrofoil to Cat Ba Island. From there, I'm going to take a cruise on a junk boat to Ha Long Bay. The bay is one of Southeast Asia's most magnificent natural splendors.
Ha Long Bay lies in the northeastern part of the country and is 100 miles (165 kilometers) from Hanoi. It is one of Vietnam's main attractions. The bay has an incredible number of islands: 1,969 islands over an area of 600 square miles (1,553 square kilometers). More than seven hundred of these islands are included in the list of UNESCO's World Heritage sites becaue of their cultural, aesthetic, biogeological, and economic value.
On the bay's calm waters, thousands of limestone formations rise from the sea. People say they look mystical and surrealistic--like something from another planet. The shapaes of these formations are varied and bizarre. Some seem to resemble people or animals. The local people give each of them a name--many of which are based on the shape of the formation, such as Con Voi (the elephant).
Ha Long Bay's beauty comes not only from the clear blue sky, the calm sea, and the islands, but also from its many caves. Dau Go cave is the most famous--and the largest. It is so big that it can hold three to four thousand people.
I'm going to rent a kayak to explore the baby and even visit the floating fishing villages. At night, I'm going to enjoy a delicious nine-course seafood dinner and have an amazing swim in the moonlight. Can you imagine yourself in this amazing paradise?