Ha Long - Day Three (sewerage pearl necklace anybody?)

It was mostly a wasted day in terms of the tour sadly, no real activities and I stayed on the boat while the others went to the Pearl Farm - which I had already seen. Most of my stuff was repeated so I took advantage and just rested a lot.




At one stage while we were parked up among other boats at the Oyster Pearl Farm, I heard a huge noise outside my cabin. I rushed outside to see a huge plume of sewerage being pumped out into the sea. I could not believe it so I rush to grab my camera and took a couple of photos.
Its unbelievable that a World Heritage site, can have so much paper, crap and plastic in the water.
I just could not believe it.

Appalling !

Soon the group I had started out with returned (Group one), so it was good to catch up with new/old friends. We soon say and had lunch together as the boat ambled through the sewerage soaked bay with a misty backdrop of awesome limestone cliffs back to the harbour.

About this time, I managed (with Sharon's help ... she rocks btw!) to nail down my return trip (due back midday 28th Jan). So my return to Aussie is imminent. I am really missing everybody back home, it\s been an amazing trip, but the time has come to start thinking about my return.

One the way back we were delayed by a crash and at one point passed by some odd form of presidential motorcade. Probably just some important person out to buy donuts or something.

We got back quite late in the day.

We all went out for dinner  as a group ... Ross (UK), Maria (UK), Steve (UK), Andrew and Giah (both from Tassie). We had a great night, and like all the people I've met this far, very nice people (apart from the aggressive Argentinian prick that took a go at Andrew for very little reason at all)

My plans tomorrow are to go with Andrew and his daughter Giah to see the Le Mat Snake Village.
Two of the backpackers I met when I arrived here in Hanoi have done their trip to Ha Long and Nimh Binh also, and are due back. We may all travel together tot he winter heights of Sa Pa. Will see how the timing works out.