Ha Long Bay is a natural wonder consisting of hundreds of dramatic limestone peaks eroded into fantastic shapes. To the Vietnamese it looks like the back of a dragon descending into the ocean. To me it looks like so many gumdrops plopped onto a smooth green plate.

Naturally, the way to see such a sight is from a boat, which pleases me greatly as my love for boats grew in inverse proportion to my hatred for planes. We threaded between karsts (gumdrops), admired the views, played some cards and were trailed by hawkers on boats selling Oreos.

Unfortunately, the weather was a little too cold for comfort and too gray for photos. But it was beautiful and here are some pictures to prove it.