Halong Bay, cruise, 23.2. until 24.2.

We leave for Halong at 7:30 a.m. Shortly before arrival we take a break at a cultured pearl factory. There the individual steps of cultured pearl extraction are explained to us. Result: we never want to buy pearls again.

Our 2 day cruise begins today. After a less beautiful boat transfer we come to the Orchid Cruise. The ship is very beautiful, the cabin is very luxurious. And there are just now
40 people on board. I treat myself to a relaxing bath with a view. We actually enjoy the view all afternoon, even though the weather isn't that exciting.
The ship offers a lot of program, we only take advantage of the cooking course, we make spring rolls. In the evening there is a gala dinner... very, very nice.
We left the balcony door open all night and slept excellently.

At 6:15 in the morning we start with Tai Chi on the upper deck. Afterwards we go kayaking to take a closer look at the rocks. We even spotted a family of goats on one of the rocks. It was really fun. Finally, we enjoy brunch on the upper deck.

Back in the harbor, Mr. Wing is already waiting for us to take us to the airport. After a short flight (70 minutes) we arrive in Hue, where our new tour guide welcomes us. Her name is Hoa, a tough and great woman. We will spend the next few days with her.