Kayaking through the karsts
A more relaxed start to the day. This was welcomed by everyone as we attacked breakfast. A short e-cart ride away to the port, where we joined a traditional boat. This took us through Lan Ha Bay, with magnificent limestone Karsts. Lan Ha Bay is adjacent to Ha Long Bay and has a similar topography. A cry of ‘Wow’ was heard on each corner turned. We arrived at a beach only accessible by boat. Here we had a kayak adventure. The kayaking was supported by local guides and the ALIVE educators guiding the way around the Karsts. It was a challenge to slow down some of our keen kayakers! After an hour or so on the water, it was a surprise to arrive back at the beach from the same direction as we had left. After a sumptuous local meal on the boat, including local fish steaks and oysters, we headed back to the beach for some afternoon games. Whilst some enjoyed the beach volleyball, others painted, played foot badminton, or bobbed up and down in the sea (under lifeguard supervision).
All too soon, it was time to pack up and take the slow boat back to Cat Ba port. A contrast to the speedboat on the way out, this gave us more time to look at the scenery, which included the local floating village near the port. We also saw the Cat Ba Langur Monkeys. These are very endangered (only about 80 in existence), and we saw 6 of them! All were in awe of their rock climbing ability. Take note for tomorrow! Our journey concluded with ice-creams – some with familiar, others with non-familiar flavours.
On return to the eco-lodge, and after a welcoming shower and food, the girls needed very little encouragement for karaoke and songs old and new were sung for the pleasure of all.
STUDENT VOICE
Over the past few days in Vietnam, we have realized that slow but certain progress leads us to our goals. During this trip, we have noticed how supportive and positive our trip mates are, and we were engaged and encouraged by each other. For instance, hiking Navy Peak was challenging for sure, but we tried to be positive, saying, “You’ve got this!” and “Almost there!” For hiking, we were determined to make it to the summit, and for kayaking, it was to develop communication and teamwork because it was much easier if we worked together and paddled in synch. The slow and certain process and how to accomplish our goals will help us through the rest of the trip and back at home as well.
