A Slice of Paradise - Ha Long Bay, Vietnam - July 20, 2013

Many times the claims of travel writers never seem to measure up to reality, but I can say without any exaggeration that Ha Long Bay is stunning. It's one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.

The bay is surrounded by jagged, limestone cliffs rising hundreds of feet into the air. That's impressive enough, but even within the water itself, limestone islands jut up from the depths, towering overhead. Sailing through the bay is like navigating a rocky obstacle course.

It's so beautiful that it's easier to overlook some of the plastic and other garbage floating in the water. The ecology movement apparently has not yet arrived in Vietnam. It's too bad. Hey, I try to write the truth.

I visited the UNESCO Word Heritage Site on a three-day, two night, all inclusive tour. Normally, that's not my style; however, my time in Southeast Asia is growing short and it seemed to be the best way to get there. I must admit it was relaxing having someone handle all the logistics.

The first day 16 of us from seven different countries boarded a junk boat, a wooden vessel popular throughout China and Vietnam, a boat you've probably seen in the movies. Initially, we sailed to a cave, which obviously made me happy. Afterward, we kayaked and finished off the day swimming alongside the boat. That night, we slept aboard the craft. It wasn't the Ritz but quite comfortable.

The next day our group went ashore to Cat Ba Island, where we toured a national park and hiked up a mountain to take in the view. That afternoon we checked into a hotel, and I spent the rest of the day checking out three beaches with my new French friends - Thierry, an environmentalist; Julie, a fair trade worker; and Matthieu, a physics/math teacher.  We bonded immediately. As I've said before, I normally don't feel lonely on the road, especially with such fascinating people backpacking around the world.

The tour was definitely one of the highlights of my seven weeks here.

On the way back, I got some more insights into the perceptions of some tourists about Vietnam. During the bus trip to Hanoi, a young German guy turned around and said he felt that Vietnamese people were unfriendly.

Normally, I would have let it slide, but I feel just the opposite after having spent two weeks here and wanted to delve into his comment. I began by respectfully asking if he'd ever visited a market to buy fruit or try a meal......"No," he responded. Then, I asked him if he'd tried to reach out and communicate with anyone he'd passed. Again, "no," he said. At this point I said, "Maybe, that's your problem."

I'm sad he'll go home feeling Vietnamese are unfriendly. For the next few minutes, Matthieu and I discussed how much we'd enjoyed meeting the Vietnamese, hoping the German guy was listening. Actually, the experience made me reflect on how many times I've had a negative perception of strangers, probably because of what I brought to the interaction.

I'm now back in Hanoi and have run out of real estate. China lies less than 200 miles to the north. The Gulf of Tonkin is to the east, and Laos borders Vietnam to the west.  I've got two choices - take a 40-hour bus ride across Vietnam and Laos back to Bangkok or take a two-hour flight. Really, I've got one option. There's no way I'm spending that much time on a bus, especially after having already done an overnight train and three overnight buses.

So, tomorrow, I'm flying to Bangkok and the next day home. Throughout my trip, I've been pushing forward, trusting that everything would work out. I assumed I'd find an inexpensive flight back to Bangkok. A few days ago, I searched on the internet and went to a few travel agents.

Everyone kept pushing Vietnam Air, but I knew I could find something better. Finally, an agent said she could get me a good deal on an airline she'd never heard of before. It turned out to be Qatar, a middle-eastern carrier known as one of the best in the world for customer service. I smiled and told her I'd go ahead and take a chance on the cheap one. If it's anything like Etihad, I'm in for a great experience.

So, tomorrow, I'm flying to Bangkok and the next day coming home. It's hard to believe my journey is coming to an end. I've had a terrific time, but as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Plus, I'm looking forward to seeing everyone.

That's it from Hanoi. I'm tired and have a long day ahead of me. As always, I'll be in touch, but it might be a couple of days.