It's SAT (not sure the date, 23rd?) MARCH and HAPPY to report I survived ANOTHER Flip Flop event!!!! The Willis family and us boarded our PRIVATE JUNK (*Boat*) around 8am this AM to tour the infamous Ha Long Bay!!!! It was a very foggy AM but well worth bundling up for as the cool breeze whisked through our hair!!! I was waiting for "Puff the Magic Dragon" to appear as we approached the Mtn. tops & a floating FISHING House Boat.
We got off our boat to tour the FISHING HOUSE BOAT where more than the entertainment of seeing the crab, fish, eel, octopus, squid & shrimp nestled in their nets obvilious they may be purchased for the "next meal" was watching HEATHER get SOOOOO EXCITED about SEEING THESE ANIMALS!!!! I wish I had a VIDEO of HER!!!! She was halarious and we got a speedy science lesson on octupus changing colors, their large brains, etc...THEN there was the ONE FISH that I cannot even remember the name (kind of squid - Chamber Nautilus?) & Heather exclaimed it by NAME and was the one she had ONLY seen in books was NOW in REAL LIFE for her to see with her very own eyes...it was a PRECIOUS moment~!!! We have really enjoyed traveling with them and boy does ROCCO like Mr. Don. Thankfully he can relieve his parents & take flight in Don's arms since Maile will NOT let Daddy hold her (still).
So, the pinnacle of this amazing 4 hrs. journey would be when our delightful tour guide (VERY sweet young guy) said there is a TOURIST CAVE for us to walk through, but there is 70 STEPS to climb up to before entering the cave...was I up for it??? With MAILE on my HIP b/c having Daddy was NOT an option, but here we go again with the FLIP FLOP issue (as you may remember me TRYING to run in the airport in flip flops to catch our connecting flight from Seoul to Saigon, VN). Well, OF COURSE, I could NOT pass up the opportunity to tour this amazing cave and just SIT on the boat and WAIT (those who know me, know I do NOT like to sit around...let alone when there is something exciting to do.) So, off we are...with Maile on my hip and I can testify it was WELL OVER 70 STEPS UPWARD to the entrance of the cave!!!! Suddenly I was climbing what felt like Mt. Everest and about 2 years PREGNANT with a 20# baby in FLIP FLOPS!!!!! I am fortunate, I did NOT FLIP FLOP down the mega steps...I was dripping wet when we finally boarded the boat, the HARDEST work out I have had since arriving in VIETNAM!!!!
The cave was quite a sight to see, with stalagmites and stalagtites all over the place and discovered by a man who came in through the TOP Of a hole abt. 40 YEARS AGO!!!!! I think Heather said there was over 350 steps (& thankfully 1/2 of them were in the NEATLY organized cave steps). The reward for our HARD WORK was the delicious seafood lunch awaiting us about surving the million steps tour. We had FRESH crab, shrimp & fish (just like the critters we had seen earlier in the nets on the floating FISH house boat.) With spring rolls, french friesk, rice, cabbage & dragon fruit...we were sad to have the boat tour end!!! THE HIGHLIGHT was AGAIN WATCH Heather laugh with glee as she got so easily amused & tickled by 3 littl' words, "Sweet Baby Lou..." We were all laughing WITH Heather!!!!
We had a delightful time & all happy to take a 2 hour nap at our hotel rooms!!!! Now, onto getting some supper & shopping at the NIGHT MARKET. We may need to buy another suitcase as we are certainly bringing back MORE then we came with...the BEST Souvenir of all of course is the sweet, litt' busy body who has come out of her shell but still will NOT let Daddy hold her, Maile Noel Thuy Trang... We LOVE to hear her sweet soft voice sing & talk in Vietnamese!!!! I wish she could translate for me as we walk on the streets and peddlers yap at us....
Time to sign off until we get to Hanoi, PLEASE SOMEONE call my mom and the boys & tell them how much WE LOVE & MISS THEM...CANNOT wait to see them & other family/ friends on USA soil in just 4.5 days!!!!!!!!Thank you for your prayers, we still need them...LOVE & MISS YOU...
Signing off for now, Ms. Saigon
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