Luxury OR Not in Ha Long Bay - Day 21, Thursday May 9

Well we woke up with high expectations today, we have our luxury cruise on a 3star Junk to look forward to.  We head down the road from our great accommodation to a local street restaurant for breakfast - French bread stick and lovely mushroom omelette .... The day is off to a great start!  Bought sunnies to protect our eyes on the deck!

Get back to the hotel as instructed under blues skies at midday totally hyped and ready to go!

WHAT? There's a storm coming and the Junk Cruise is cancelled!  However tomorrow is looking good? No, can't be, we have to go today, we leave for Ha Noi tomorrow.

How about a 4 or 6 hour cruise with lunch says the tour guide?  We say, what about the STORM!  Oh that's later .... Right we say, give us our money back and well take the local ferry to Cat Ba Island.... No, no, no, the local ferry is cancelled because of the STORM!  Does he work for Tui's ..... Yeah right!

A very reluctant guy gives us back our US$90 each and nearly crumbles on the floor as we walk out.

Down to the ferry terminal and sure enough for VD200,000 ($12 NZ) we can catch the ferry to Cat Ba Island where we can get transport to the township ..... But wait there's a friendly local travel tout who can get us direct to Cat Ba township avoiding the local taxis at exorbitant prices and saving time and doing the Thien Cung Cave on the way all for the very reasonable price of VD280,000 and for a mere VD380,000 extra he'll get us back and even take us to Ha Noi the next day... Couldn't resist we're in!

Though rather disappointed to not be on the overnight cruise we feel like we've salvaged the day and have a reasonable Plan B.

Cruising through the Bay was worth every cent and the scenery was stunning!

         Floating villages amongst the Karst peaks

    Thein Cung Cave (also known as Heavenly Palace) 

Shaft of light looks like stairway to heaven in Thien Cung cave

     Brent in Thien Cung cave, would have rather not had the coloured lights but amazing cave.

Back on board the SLOW BOAT to Cat Ba township when one of the crew advised us we could sleep on board for only US$50 including dinner and breakfast hmmmmmm the storm seems to have disappeared? On further questioning we discover that we are not going to Cat Ba town.... Oh no the passengers are revolting!  The stories come out of over promising and under delivering!!!  A lot of unhappy people would have paid big money and not received what was promised..... We pulled up alongside the sister ship and the "tour guides" wisely swapped ships and sorted out each others problems....

Everyone settled down, we arrived at Cat Ba and were transported to the town.  Checked into hotel, well, the woman on the phone chucked a couple of keys to us and kept talking.  K and R happy with a room on the 2nd floor, B & L first room was "occupied".  Second try 6th floor, not bad except NO LIFT and stairs only as wide as a body.... poor Brent had to carry both bags up, up, up...... but we did have a fantastic view from the Penthouse balcony!!!!  dropped our bags off and set about enjoying our evening... A lesson well and truly learnt!