Ha Long Bay

I don't know if Ha Long Bay is listed as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, but it should be. I spent three days and two nights in the bay, surrounded by thousands of karst islands rising up out of the sea. I booked throuigh a popular Hanoi hostel, so it was with an energetic group of 20-somethings backpackers from all over the world traveling on extended holiday. There had been a typhoon two days before, so the water was choppy and the skies were purple and gray on our first day out. The bay was eerie and beautiful. We jumped from the top of the cruise ship (the "Jolly Roger", seriously) and swam in warm water while it rained. Hung out on the upper deck, and slept in cozy cabins down below. The second day we made our way further into the bay, transferred to a smaller boat, and were carried to a small, secluded island. There we played sand volleyball, kayaked, swam, went on crazy fun (and hazardous!) banana boat rides (spent more time in the water than on the banana boat!), had a giant BBQ (chicken, pork, prawns, squid...), stayed up far too late again, swam in phosphorescent waters in the dark, and slept in bamboo bungalows under mosquito nets on the beach. The next day we cruised back through the bay under sunny skies and then took a bus back to Hanoi.