And the Beat Goes On

There are 1,969 rocks in Ha Long Bay that tower above the green waters like skyscrapers. Hundreds of houseboats glide across its waters as divers, dancers, and drinkers take in the experience from the top deck. Hungry for the all-inclusive adventure that I had been told so much about, we set off in a group of 24 for three days of exploration. Sun-beaten and slightly hungover, we docked at a small private island on the second morning and spent the early part of the day playing volleyball and swimming. In the mid afternoon, a friend and I made use of a tandem kayak and explored the bay. We paddled about a kilometer away and were amazed to find a floating village anchored to the adjacent rock faces complete with homes, fish farms, and a market.
There’s something to be said for following the popular tourist routes. I’ve climbed the Eiffel Tower, looked in awe at La Sagrada Familia, and slinked my way across the Great Wall. Those are memories that I’ll cherish forever, but they aren’t the moments that inspire me, they aren’t stories. It’s searching for Eiffel’s clandestine apartment or getting lost in Barcelona’s labyrinthine streets that leads to unexpected discoveries.
We glided across the water toward the market but were denied the opportunity to look inside because we had no money. We turned to head back when we were summoned by three men on their floating front porch. Undeterred by their barking dogs, we tied our kayak to their fishnets and climbed aboard. They welcomed us with local tea, a smoking pipe, and more food than either of us could eat. Though we spoke no Vietnamese, the communication went on into the night. Far too long, we soon realized.
Bioluminescent blue plankton illuminated our paddles as we frantically rowed back underneath the light of a crescent moon. Time had escaped us but we were buzzing with the excitement of our encounter. A rescue boat spotted us and led us home to hugs of relief and questions. We’d been gone for six hours without the ability to contact anyone and the rest of the group had waited for us along the shore. We’d missed the scheduled activities of cliff diving and a cooking class but we’d created an experience that was uniquely ours just by looking around the corner. We sat down at the table and watched as everyone stuffed themselves. They looked at our empty plates and asked why we weren’t eating but it was simple; we weren’t hungry anymore.