I have a reproduction of a Ted Harrison painting at home with the following caption: "The Land Here is Greater Even Than its Legend." With its contrast of reds and yellows and blues and a trail that stretches on to the sun, the painting makes the natural world seem bigger, too big to capture or overcome.
It came to mind when I visited Ha Long Bay. Everyone said that I couldn't miss this piece of coastline east of Hanoi, so once over my cold, I booked a cruise through my hostel and went.
The journey to the coast, down highways that ran past a Red River made taller by rain, had all the banter typical of a group of people who were only a group because they were on the same tour. The boys at the back of the bus tried to one-up each other with horror stories from the road; I shocked them with my experience of Chinese toilet etiquette.
"So this little girl steps off the bus, rips down her pants and lets fly right there at the steps!"
"Awwwwwww!"
Later, everyone sang along to Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. A mass of people crammed together on a bus to start, we were now a group of friends ready for anything.
Except that we weren't. Drifting beyond the other boats - a virtue of being on more than a day cruise - the landscape took over. Rocks that stood over us, rose out of nothing but water, great angular things, silent and hard, dotted the water.
There was silence, but for the click and flash of cameras.
After kayaking and swimming, the party began. We backpackers, the young and invincible, played drinking games. We sang to Oasis' Don't Look Back in Anger: Stand up beside the fireplace / Take that look from off your face / 'Cause you ain't ever gonna burn my heart out. We laughed and danced surrounded by stones, imposing shadows in the night, on still water, under light rain.
A kayaking injury forced me to take it easy the next day - a blessing in good weather and beautiful scenery. I baked in the sun and swam. I loafed on the beach. I took pictures that would never do justice to the rocks that rest, straight and thick and full, perfect pieces against an empty blue sky.
We ended our tour the following day. As we entered the city-limits, I was disappointed by the closed-in feel of Hanoi and wondered if the stories, the legends of Ha Long Bay could ever possibly live up to its land.
It came to mind when I visited Ha Long Bay. Everyone said that I couldn't miss this piece of coastline east of Hanoi, so once over my cold, I booked a cruise through my hostel and went.
The journey to the coast, down highways that ran past a Red River made taller by rain, had all the banter typical of a group of people who were only a group because they were on the same tour. The boys at the back of the bus tried to one-up each other with horror stories from the road; I shocked them with my experience of Chinese toilet etiquette."So this little girl steps off the bus, rips down her pants and lets fly right there at the steps!"
"Awwwwwww!"
Later, everyone sang along to Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody. A mass of people crammed together on a bus to start, we were now a group of friends ready for anything.
Except that we weren't. Drifting beyond the other boats - a virtue of being on more than a day cruise - the landscape took over. Rocks that stood over us, rose out of nothing but water, great angular things, silent and hard, dotted the water.
There was silence, but for the click and flash of cameras.
After kayaking and swimming, the party began. We backpackers, the young and invincible, played drinking games. We sang to Oasis' Don't Look Back in Anger: Stand up beside the fireplace / Take that look from off your face / 'Cause you ain't ever gonna burn my heart out. We laughed and danced surrounded by stones, imposing shadows in the night, on still water, under light rain.
A kayaking injury forced me to take it easy the next day - a blessing in good weather and beautiful scenery. I baked in the sun and swam. I loafed on the beach. I took pictures that would never do justice to the rocks that rest, straight and thick and full, perfect pieces against an empty blue sky.
We ended our tour the following day. As we entered the city-limits, I was disappointed by the closed-in feel of Hanoi and wondered if the stories, the legends of Ha Long Bay could ever possibly live up to its land.
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