The Niteo team is traveling throughout Vietnam this month finalizing a tour package that has been in the works for months. Along the way, they are sampling foods, hotels, venues, and guides. This is the first entry in a series of journal entries about what they are discovering while they explore this beautiful and vibrant country.
Vietnam – Journal Entry 1
Halong Bay was one of our first destinations and this was the view from the veranda of our ship this morning.
Beautiful, isn’t it? Thousands of islands poked their faces out from the vast salty Halong Bay. Halong, which means “dragon underneath,” refers to the legend that a dragon has settled in the bay. Rocky sculptures that jut up from the waters are spikes of the dragon who lies just underneath the deep green surface.
Of course every panorama is made up of intricate details, so early afternoon we kayaked out into the bay to explore things more closely.
Paddling close to the rocky outcrops, we saw black crabs scampering up the shores and mollusks clinging to limestone rocks. An observant egret peered down from overhead, I think finding us and our bright-colored life jackets as much of a novelty as we found it.
Everywhere was a myriad of small caves, where we later learned fishermen used to shelter from storms, taking advantage of the fresh pools of waters inside.
Surrounded by all that quiet and solemnly majestic display, I couldn’t help but think that this “Dragon Bay” beauty is yet one more testimony to the variety of beauty the world holds. There seems to be no end to the way God expresses his greatness. And from what I’ve seen so far in Vietnam, I’m in for quite a show of God’s mastery.
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. Psalm 24:1, 2
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Great blog post, Kjell. Looking forward to your next one and getting in on a bit of your trip to Veitnam!
Thanks! It really is beautiful here.