January 31, 2025

First pic of the day from our stateroom.

We carbed up before meeting Le and Mr. D at 10 am. 10 am is the earliest that we ever want to begin a tour. #sleepinginisagift

First stop …an oyster pearl farm.

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Upon arrival, Le handed us over to Wendy. Wendy guided us through the pearl making process.

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Here we learned about grafting…a critical and delicate procedure. It involves surgically implanting a nucleus along with a piece of tissue from a donor oyster into the host oyster.

The implanted nucleus serves as the core around which the oyster secretes layers of nacre, eventually forming the pearl.

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It can take from 18 months to 4 years for the pearl to form.

Lunar New Year decorations

The final step in the process…Artisans creating jewelry with the pearls.

We spent about 45 minutes at the farm, then waited on a bench while Le fetched Mr. D to take us to a marina.

A prominent family owns this home.

The marina also serves as a ferry terminal.

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We passed several ferries as we walked to our boat.

I’m not sure what we were expecting…it certainly wasn’t this huge boat…all to ourselves!

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Wooden boats like this are offered for private charter.

We were asked to sit inside as the captain navigated us out into the bay.

Green tea and snacks to welcome us.

Our hosts were so sweet and kind.

I couldn’t wait to clamber up top 😊

Timmy made it too.

Le popped up to check on us.

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Although mostly cloudy and misty, the temperature was very comfortable at 68 degrees.

As we sailed through the karsts, we were struck by the silence. If you know me, you know that I prize peace and calm. Sailing through the bay was beyond peaceful.

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Sadly the clarity of the water doesn’t translate in these photos. It’s pristine.

After about 30 minutes of sailing we reached Dau Go Cave…a World Heritage site.

73 years old and we’ve never stepped foot in a cave…our boat sails right up to the steps…the Captain somehow steadies the vessel and without anyone on the steps to assist…I gamely hop off and Timmy follows.

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Timmy takes one look at the ascent and decides to …

…park himself on a bench.

I’m about half way up …I pause to catch my breath and catch Tim taking a video of me.

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At what point do I say “I’m too old for this?”…

…not today baby, not today.

Because that climb was so very worth it.

Like really, really worth it.

The inside was so magical and so beautiful …

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Some walls were wet and slimy…but in a good way.

Around every turn we found something extraordinary

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I remember learning about stalactites and stalagmites in school…reading about them is one thing…

…experiencing them…something else.

We emerged from the cave even higher than we entered…and on the other side of the mountain. Our boat was waiting for us, but without Tim! He’d been left on the bench… the boat crew had no way of knowing that he hadn’t entered the cave with us. Whatever.

Our descent was even steeper than our ascent. Like really steep. And slippery. And steep.

So yes, that’s the Cave, and yes I really and truly did traverse its entirety.

Back on the boat, we explained that we needed to retrieve Timmy. I tried to call him…but no cell service. Go figure.

I was relieved to spot his aqua shirt as we approached the other side of the cave..

…he seemed equally happy to see us…

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Always an adventure within an adventure with us ♥️

Back on board we had a choice…

…and went with the Chilean Sauvignon Blanc…

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Back up top we relaxed some more.

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Beyond peaceful…

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We sailed along, marveling at the scenery, encountering the random tourist boat…even those boats were quiet…respecting nature’s majesty.

Eventually we found ourselves at a tiny little dock… the day before, Le had asked us if we wanted to kayak in a cave. I was game, but Timmy adamantly declined…can you blame him? (See Kayaking in Iceland, 2021). Anyway, he surprised us with the opportunity to hop on a row boat and paddle through Luon Cave.

We were hesitant, until we realized that someone else would be rowing.

This guy was sleeping in the life vest bin. He popped his head up as we approached. I kid you not.

His colleagues got a chuckle at our surprise.

I have no clue why we had the only unpainted one.

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We set off through the karsts for the cave.

One of the joys of travel is that you just never know what’s going to happen next

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I wish I had written down our oarsman’s name, I can’t for the life of me remember it. And that’s such a shame because he was the sweetest person ever. He didn’t say much, he just rowed and rowed, smiling and stopping periodically to offer to take our photo.

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The approach to the cave was scary and exciting …

…and really beautiful

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The water was so clear and so cold

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Of course we took a selfie.

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Eventually we looked up and discovered eagles…so freaking lucky.

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From a distance, you say to yourself…”no way we’re going in there”…

…and then you do…

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The smile of a man who never doubted …

At one point I asked if I could row…based on this pic, you’d never know that it didn’t go well. Not disastrous like Iceland…but not a shining moment. Whatever.

Here we are leaving the cave.

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Back out in Ha Long Bay.

Just us, not another soul anywhere nearby.

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Look closely and you will see the high tide mark

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Back on the dock, Le’s waiting for us.

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Back on board lunch was wonderful…

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So was the scenery …

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The freshest shrimp

Spring rolls and French fries

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Stuffed crab shells

Calamari in the yummiest batter

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Red snapper and rice complete the feast

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Tummies full we could barely make our way back up to enjoy the rest of the afternoon.

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Lulled by the boats motor, I might have closed my eyes for a minute …

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The absolute beauty just kept unfolding.

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On the way into the marina, we spotted more eagles.

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First time we’ve ever had a red carpet unrolled for us.

These two were so solicitous and helpful.

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We hated to say goodbye.

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Back in the terminal, Le had us rub the Buddhas’ belly for luck

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I honestly don’t know how I could possibly be any more lucky…but I rubbed the belly just the same.

New Year decorations

On our way back to Symphony the streets were empty.

One person lives here…just one person.

We said our goodbyes to Mr D and Le…

…and stopped at the Bistro…

Sailaway was so delightful as the sun was setting…

…we enjoyed some time on the balcony

I still can’t believe that we were able to experience such a magical place.

Those karsts though.

Pre dinner in the Cove with Anya. Did I mention how beautifully she plays and that you can actually have a conversation…even if you sit right in front of her?

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We dined pretty late…and lingered over coffee and tea, with Ramazan bringing us cookies because he couldn’t believe that we weren’t ordering dessert. 😊

Every day on this voyage has been a gift. This day was extra.
Thanks for following along 🩵