Almost all 19 June in the past went by like another ordinary day, although they were in a way, anyway. But the one in 2009 was very memorable to me because I get to spent it with my good friends in one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

The gracious Ha woke up early to buy bread for us that morning because we hadn’t much time left to go out for breakfast. Once ready, we walked up to the junction of the street to catch a cab and we were lucky to get one in the morning rush hour without having to wait. At the travel agency, we settled our bill for the trip and waited for bus to Ha Long Bay. When it finally arrived, we thanked Ha and she wished us an enjoyable trip and reminded us to take loads of picture.

Remember to get the receipt upon payment as proof because few minutes into the journey, the guide asked for the ticket. Luckily we hadn’t driven very far, so we rushed back to the agency to get the confusion settled or otherwise we would have to pay another 3 million VND. All was done without considerable delay and off we went, stopping once for a short break at a big souvenir shop. At the harbour, we were brought into a (taxi) boat that will ferry us to our own boat. As we docked out, the view looked like a scene from the movie Red Cliff – plenty of traditional junk in all directions, some approaching the harbour and some, including ours, set sail towards the limestone cliffs at the far horizon.

When we arrived at our own boat, we were given a wet towel to freshen up as the weather was hot and humid.  Aboard our 3-star junk, there were a group of Vietnamese family including two cute children, a couple from London, Tom and Kim, two lone travellers – a Canadian and a Russian, a doctor, both women, the tour guide, captain and crew, and there was us, from Malaysia. Really, it wasn’t a big group which made it all the more interesting and easier to handle for the guide. As we moved closer and closer into the formation, the view was getting more breath taking. The water was green, sparkling under the strong sunlight.

After checking into our rooms (lower deck), we got back on the mid-deck for lunch. The lunch was okay but being Malaysians, we wanted more of everything – the rice and the dishes too but we dared not demand more. We looked around and most table couldn’t fisnih the food on the table and we were like “ohh… what a waste” and wished we could have their portion. Our table was wiped clean. One more thing we were short of was drinking water as they are not provided. We should have brought along more but we didn’t and we had to conserve them (something Kelvin was weak at) or buy, which was expensive – the lowest was RM3 per 1.5L bottle. The more experienced Vietnamese family brought a lot of things with them including like unlimited amount of liquids comprises of juice, tea, water and liquor, and also tidbits and fruits. Anyways, all was not too bad. It was still a wonderful cruise altogether.

Our first destination was the cave that felt cool from the undercurrent. Well, we saw things that could be expected from a cave such as stalactite, stalagmite, formation resemblance of things and everything else. The tour inside was only slightly more than 35 minutes or so and we exited at the top to a splendid overview of the bay. We boarded back on a boat, not ours, and together with other tourists, headed for kayaking – the perfect activity for us to sweat since we hadn’t been exercising. It was really nice to kayak in the calm waters with views around so remarkable, especially more under the sun set. Everyone was given 45 minutes but personally I felt it wasn’t enough although quite tiring. Chunaki and I were lousy at first, banging to every obstacle there was, no matter how we tried to avoid them. But after getting the hang of it, it was great, rowing around amidst other kayakers and boats.

When time’s up, we got back to the jetty, and waited for our group to be whole. Our junk anchored at a spot, so as many other boats. It was time for swimming and half of our group jumped into the water, some as high as from the third deck. We wanted also to dip in, but decided not to after spotting jelly fish in the waters. So we just relaxed, mingled around a bit while enjoying the sun set. It was actually quite romantic not just that moment but true for the entire journey in Ha Long Bay. Quite recommended for couples. If you’re in Vietnam, be sure to visit Ha Long Bay. A day trip would be enough too see the scenery and kayak. For us, we had the 2-day cruise, which means we get to stay a night on the junk. There was also a 3-day cruise that comprises a trip to an island where you’ll stay for the second night, and trekking up the mountain in the national park.

Dinner was served at 8 something, and it was not bad, but something odd happened. Perhaps it was my lucky day that we were blessed with extra plate of beef and fish on top of ours and we had more than enough rice to go with. Don’t know here the extra dishes came from – maybe from the kind Vietnamese family or maybe from the kitchen, we never really quite sure but thanks! To show our appreciation, we finished almost everything given. Later that night, we just relaxed and chatted. It was a nice, peaceful birthday for me.