3 May 2011

Halong Bay Tour – Day 4
Cat Ba Island to Hanoi

I am starting to feel a mild sense of panic rising.  I usually don’t feel this way on boats but then I’m not typically on boats that are continuing to take on passengers even though there are obviously no seats left.

No seats left means there are no life vests left.  And it’s a blustery day, the seas not nearly as calm as I’d like them to be on this overloaded boat.  I want to yell at someone to please stop letting these people on, can’t you see that the boat is full, are you completely mad, but even if I did I don’t think they would understand me.  This is a local boat leaving a local island for a local town, few Westerners besides us onboard.

Now with at least 25 people too many parked on folding chairs on the stern, we depart the pier directly into a series of large rolling waves.  Oh, this really won’t be good.  Gina is already holding her forehead, eyes closed tight, and one of the crew is walking the aisles handing out plastic barf bags.  There are now two things I am praying for: that not only this boat stay upright but that no one lose their lunch, particularly me should an upchucking chain reaction be triggered.  This fearful rolling and crinkling of bags goes on for 30 minutes or so before we thankfully hit a stretch of calmer water.  Gina’s still got hand attached to forehead but at least we will soon be back on land and loaded into our Handspan mini bus where there are more seats than people and where she can resume said position for the two hour drive back to Hanoi.  These transfer days can be trying.