Okay, the water’s not blue but this is still lovely:
Tad afraid of heights? Then hang on tight…
Poor, regal beasts:
Go deep into Vietnam, Hang Sung Sot cave, Halong Bay
Arrive at the limestone caves:
Tour caves so vast even the slightly claustrophobic are comfortable:
Learn the difference between stalactites (the mineral drippings suspended from the ceiling):
And stalagmites (deposits rising off the floor, built up from ceiling drips):
Tour guides delight in showing things like this stalagmite (not what they call it) to tourists, shining lights on it to be sure no one can miss the reference:
Now see them everywhere:
Soldiers hiding here left their mark:
Emerge back into the sunlight high above Halong Bay with all the tourist boats and some locals’ homes:
Walk “home” to your boat:
Soar through the sky and absorb tranquility in Dalat Vietnam
Arriving at the gondola, is this for real?
Apparently, yes:
What an amazing way to see the rich agricultural environment:
And the rich spiritual environment at the Zen temple on the other side:
Observe a little detail:
Admire the flowers:
Marvel at a perpetually spinning ball:
What if Halong Bay were your living room? Vietnam
That would be great unless the government won’t let you live anywhere else because doing so would wreck the charm for tourists.
Hello, mysterious place,
Good morning, interesting people,
Goodbye, beautiful jail,
Hello, open water.
Delight? Yes! Dalat, Vietnam
A moment out of time, a French legacy, The Dalat Palace:
When you first arrive, after a long day of travel, you are seated here and served champagne:
before being given the (giant) key to your room:
At the breakfast buffet, you can build your own Pho (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pho):
Or build a delicate omelet on a baguette:
From your balcony, the grounds and lake beckon:
And so you take the stairs to enjoy a cool and unique day in Dalat:
Nicci Carrera 