Halong

Halong Bay (link, enlace, lien)

The name Hạ Long is derived from the Sino-Vietnamese 下 龍, meaning "descending dragon" it is a UNESCO world Heritage site. The bay features thousands of limestone karst and isles in various sizes and shapes. Hạ Long Bay has an area of around 1,553 km2, including 1,960–2,000 islets. According to local legend, when Vietnam had just started to develop into a country, they had to fight against invaders.

To assist the Vietnamese in defending their country, the gods sent a family of dragons as protectors. This family of dragons began spitting out jewels and jade. These jewels turned into the islands and islets dotting the bay, linking together to form a great wall against the invaders. No doubt that we enjoyed our short cruise across those islets and the one night spent on board. Unfortunately at night the bay converts into a huge parking space for the cruise boats.

Halong Bay (link, enlace, lien)