Homing Pigeons from Nantes

After a long silence on this blog due to too much outdoor activities during the enjoyable season (that is winter time) we're back again with new pictures to share with you along with a little insight into our last trip: Vietnam! We've mostly been in Hanoi and Ha Long bay. That was the first time for the three of us: Fanch, our friend Renukaa and me. We can't wait to go back to visit the central and southern parts of the country...
This post is dedicated to my uncle Chu Hung. Thanks for following us through our blog!

On the day we arrived in Hanoi we booked a tour to go to Ha Long Bay (literaly 'Bay of Descending Dragons'), since it was a location we didn't want to miss. (We were lucky we did it early as a few days later we heard that the weather was so bad that it wasn't possible to go there...).
On top of the spectacular seascape our tour guide named Tony was great. He gave our trip a twist of fun.
Yes, it was quite cold, misty and windy.
It was as if the boats were going to the nothingness.
But then the iconic limestone rocks appeared from the mist.
Here is the "sun deck" of the boat we took.


We've just entered the area of the limestone islands. They are supposed to be more than 2,000!

A few more pictures on my 30th birthday...

Our boat was also flanked by a smaller boat used to come alongside the floating houses (such as the one you can see on the background) or the islands.
Look, a cave!
The boat highway.
We stopped and went to an island where we visited the "amazing cave".








Then Fanch headed to the canoe activity while I bravely stayed with Renukaa who doesn't know how to swim. We stayed on a small boat and went to a floating house where the driver bought some farmed fish.




Ok, I have to admit that I was somewhat tired at the end of the afternoon.
Nothing like a Vietnamese seafood dinner to get some energy. Among our group we met a French couple (Muriel and David). David was from Vietnamese extraction and could speak a little Vietnamese.
Fanch found a Vietnamese specialty that he enjoyed a lot.

We had a crazy karaoke night after dinner. Since the pictures are a bit blurry I let your imagination go as wild as Fanch when he sings
What's best at night than lying on a transat and looking at the stars on a calm bay?! (Answer: Taking pictures in this situation with a blinding flash)

After a night on the boat we enjoy looking at the beautiful seascapes and the fishermen.










These rocks are the symbols of the bay.
And finally a ray of light!

To Fanch this seemed to be like the Normandy landings in terms of numbers of boats.
Almost back on solid ground.