Stunning limestone islands and islets rising up like green towers from the deep emerald waters… An Avatar like natural wonder of 1500 sq km in the Gulf of Tonkin, “Halong” means “descending dragon” in Vietnamese. The kind of place I would cross the world to see. And so I did, but…

171 km from Hanoi only. Done. The plan was perfect: a day tour by boat. But I wanted more: the view from Bai Tho Mountain (Poem Mountain). Thanks to that view I heard about Halong Bay in the first place, on Instagram, where else?! So my improved plan was to pay for the tour from Hanoi, but arrive in Halong Bay earlier, by a local transport, so I can do the hike and join the tour after.

I still have in my phone the photo I took at 5am, on the empty and wet streets of Hanoi. The meeting point was close to St. Joseph’s Cathedral. I waited and waited and nothing for more than 40min. I was already thinking about going back to bed but I just stayed longer to contemplate about not seeing Halong Bay that day. I couldn’t believe my eyes when a van stopped on the dark alley. So I was finally off to Halong Bay, where I arrived around 8:30.

It was a cloudy day. I still had time, since I planned an hour for the hike to the viewpoint on top of Bai Tho Mountain and about 30 min to get back to the port for the tour. A lady was selling flowers on an improvised stall on her bike. I had a delicious bun cha at a small local restaurant on the back alley where the entrance to the starting point of the hike was. I had all the necessary information: about how the access was forbidden since it was considered unsafe, about the iron gate that was built to prevent the entrance and how that looked, about the lady living there that could help in exchange of a fee, I even knew the most recent price. So let’s say I did my homework well. But the Vietnamese rain started.

I ordered a tea and waited a bit more, hoping for better weather. Usually rain was in short episodes. This time it looked bad…

I got my so wished break and went to look for the entrance door towards my so wanted viewpoint. A local helped me find it. I entered, went up some dark stairs and knocked on a door. A dog was barking. A lady opened the door looking as if she was just out of bed. She saw me and knew why I was there. She asked twice the money I knew others before me had paid. I said no. We had the deal.

From all the information I gathered online, I missed the details of the access spot. When she showed me a huge rock that I needed to climb to get to a whole under the iron fence where the iron bars had been bended…

• Ohh no, I can’t do this…
• Noo, easy, easy, come.

With her pushing my but up and me grabbing and climbing the wet sharp edges of that cliff, getting to the fence and sneaking through the small whole. I was up, muddy but up.

The hike started. I prayed for the mist to disappear and allow me to, at least, get a glimpse of that gorgeous view towards the bay that I was so long dreaming about.

Suddenly I heard something. I wasn’t alone anymore! Someone was approaching…. Huh, I was relived to see a small dog running to catch me. I was happy to see him since I was starting to feel a bit weird there by myself, hiking in a place I didn’t know. Unfortunately someone else had joined us soon: the rain, again! I continued on the trail, still hoping for a weather miracle. But was actually getting worse, it even started pouring and I was getting drenched. Luckily, I found a shelter under a deserted construction.

Minutes later the rain stopped again but all around became even more misty like I was in a cloud. I got close to the top but only to realize that all this was in vain. The view was completely covered in a white thick mist. I was all wet and disappointed in spite of all efforts. It was getting late, so I really couldn’t wait any longer. It was time to start my way back.

As I and my dog buddy were approaching the roofs, signaling the end of the trail was close, I saw in a yard three pit bulls sleeping. Between me and them was no fence, just a few meters distance. I swallowed my fear and hurried back to the green fence entrance. Once there I realized going up was piece of cake compared to going down. The dog started crying, looking at me, adding more panic. It was late, three pit bulls were free somewhere behind me, it was raining again so fear was no option. I dragged myself down the muddy cliff, back into the lady’s yard. I wished I could kiss in the end that amazing dog, my only huge support there.

I ran back to the main street, in the rain. I was so muddy and embarrassed to be so dirty. I found a store and bought a pair of pants. For the tshirt I could only hope it was going to get dry, at some point, that day.

If before, while I drank the tea looking at that street, it was filled with taxis, now there was none. I was in the rain, waiting, hoping to get one.

Finally a taxi stopped and a very cheerful guy said hello. Every minute was like an hour, it was getting very late for my tour. We arrived in the port. I was relieved for a second only to panic again when I realized he had no idea where to go and kept stopping to ask for directions. I wanted to kill him as if all that was his fault. Even if it wasn’t.

My phone rang in my hand. The guy from the tour announced me that the boat had to leave, they can’t wait for me any longer. Great!

So I finally arrived in the port, where the boats for the bay were starting the tours, 10 minutes after my boat has left. At the end of all that had happened by then, a wide smile from the taxi driver was all I didn’t want to see. I was rude to him, handed the money and left closing the door. This was a moment I still regret very much, after I digested all that has happened that day out of my bad planning only.

I went inside the waiting room. I felt cold, the God damn rain was continuing outside, my t-shirt was wet and my mood was on the brink of starting crying out loud. I just stayed there thinking how bad it all turned out. I didn’t want to see any Halong Bay and I hated that rain, blaming it for ruining my day.

I made peace with all that happened and went outside. The sky was clearing up and I was able to see the green cliffs rising up the calm waters. How I wanted to see this place and how I screwed it up!

I rushed back to the ticket offices area to ask for a boat, maybe there was still something, maybe a shorter tour. The one I had paid for was going to an island on top of which there was a great view to the bay. But since I was running for two rabbits, I ended up catch no view.

I found something, a short tour and I bought a ticket. Soon the boat left the port but my mood was terrible. I was so upset that I didn’t event want to leave the boat to visit a cave, a first stop. The guys in the crew looked at me as if I was nuts. I stayed on the boat, watching the horizon, all that way through Halong Bay that I didn’t saw that day.

We sailed deeper into the bay, passing by Hon Ga Choi Island  – Fighting Cocks Island and a few more islands covered in green vegetation. What a beautiful place this Halong Bay can be! In the end, surrounded by all that pure beauty, I refund peace. I was glad I took a glimpse of it, at least, instead of nothing, after that long serie of mistakes I did that day.

Late in the afternoon, back in the port, I finally joined the tour I was supposed to be in and went back together to Hanoi.

That day of May 2019 in Vietnam was a good lesson.

Looking back, after many more other lessons that followed that moment and, for sure, before many other lessons that are waiting, I am smiling. I was taught with time that not all wishes are meant to happen as we plan. Some not at all, some in a different way. We can’t control the day, nor the weather or the luck, good or bad. We never know what will happen once we go out of the door in our home. So how can we know what will happen when we find ourselves on the other side of the world.

PS: During the trip to Vietnam I met many others that went, like me, to see Ha Long Bay. Some for one day, some for more days. I had one question for all: how was the weather. I always got one answer: bad.