How Do You Know When It’s Time to Go Home? (Ha Long Bay, Penultimate Day)

On the drive to Ha Long Bay yesterday Rosie talked about the farms along the way. I never catch it all. Farming bores me. Rosie drones on, “Farmers pump…They wear rubbers…At 5-6 inches it’s ready.” At my home we call this Farm Porn and The Husband is there for it. 

Ha Long Bay is a postcard. Giant limestone mounds, known as karsts, split the sea and rise upwards. There are boats all around. The sea air is overtaken by the smell of boat diesel. The bay waters are a deep emerald green.  

We could only pack an overnight bag.  At this point in the trip we are tired of unpacking and repacking. We are starting to wear the same thing as yesterday and the same thing as each other. 

Our first shore excursion is to take a smaller boat to one of the karsts and once there you are to swim in the South China Sea or climb 26 flights of stairs. Goat, Mikey, Kristal and Dirk all climb the narrow switch backs for an eagle’s eye view of the bay. 

The South China Sea! I put on my bathing suit and…stay on our ship. Hap, The Husband and I think about playing a dice game but this would require that we wake Tank from his lawn chair so we decide to just sit and stare at that karst and beach from afar. 

That afternoon we take a row boat ride through a portal between the karsts. Inside we are enveloped by limestone walls. When we are ready to go back to the ship Rosie says, “Di Di—that’s how you say ‘let’s go!’”

We were headed to bed last night when the ship entertainer started singing Sweet Caroline. I was swept back to that moment at the beginning of the trip when we toured a children’s school and were prompted to sing Sweet Caroline, which we did, poorly, but with enthusiasm. 

As Sweet Caroline was booming down to our stateroom last night I just said, “Oh, my f**ing Buddha”. Because Sweet Caroline can only be followed by YMCA, then Twist and Shout and I’m just so tired. I wish for my own bed and my own pillow. 

Today, as we pass vast farms on the bus ride back to Hanoi, The Husband is playing solitaire on his phone. 

✔️tired of packing and unpacking

✔️wishing for my own pillow

✔️memorize how to say Let’s Go in another language

✔️excursions become work

✔️The Husband passes on Farm Porn

And finally…

✔️ Sweet Caroline makes you say anything other than “So good, so good, so good.”

That’s how you know it’s time to go home.

Photos from our final excursion to a cave in Ha Long Bay