Around the world: The journey nears its end

Published on Wednesday 17 June 2009 16:18

As we left Hoi An I found myself entering into the land of 'lasts'. We boarded our last overnight bus, in Halong bay we went on our last boat trip, I enjoyed the last bit of sunshine and had one last bowl of my beloved pho ga (chicken noodle soup).

The flight back to the UK was looming over me like a dark cloud. Worrying about my return was exhausting so I resolved to live for the present and enjoy my final few days in Asia.

We arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam's capital city and stayed long enough to have a fried egg sandwich before catching another bus to Halong City, the gateway to Halong Bay. The bay is Vietnam's most famous natural attraction, the seascape of limestone pillars seem to impress greatly upon those who visit. We booked ourselves a daytrip for the following morning and explored the city.

I had heard that Halong City was not a terribly worthwhile stop. I was pleasantly surprised to find a plethora of seafood restaurants and a pretty shoreline from which the mystical Halong bay could easily be viewed. Most people bypass the city and make straight for the bay and we noticed the deficit in the usual backpacking population. The locals seemed bemused by our presence and approached us with enthusiasm, proudly offering their fresh, local beer. We accepted gratefully.

The morning of our trip we were escorted to the port. Docked here were hundreds of beautiful wooden boats. Their yellow sails lined up like an infinite golden wave. As we headed out towards the bay the limestone karsts came into focus. Shrouded in morning mist the karsts and islands rise out of the water with an air of magic. As the boat sailed between the mighty stone cliffs the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

We paused for lunch at one of the floating fishing villages. The bay has a community of over 1,000 people who live in homes nestled amongst the islands. From one of these buoyant businesses we were given kayaks and set free into the water without instruction. We reacted to our new found independence with vigor and paddled towards what appeared to be a small cave. As we reached the mouth of the cave we realised that we could go right through.

We emerged into a lake, almost completely enclosed apart from our clandestine entrance. Our mouths dropped open as we took in our surroundings. Eagles swooped around the top of the formidable cliffs that encircled us and the foliage around us buzzed with the life that it protected. For a few moments we had found our own magical place within the bay and it felt amazing.

As we returned to Halong City that evening the magic began to slip away. Within a few days I would be home. Returning after a year of globe-trotting carries mixed emotions. The excitement at seeing loved ones battles with the desire to keep travelling. I went for one final meal with my companions in Hanoi. I had my last cup of tea in Vietnam and as I lifted it up to take a sip I wrinkled my nose in disgust to find they'd used condensed milk, again.

Unable to drink my caramel tea I pondered on whether it was good that this would be my last sweet tea. Perhaps going home for a while wasn't so scary. So I said goodbye to Vietnam, to my new pals and to my travels with nothing on my mind but family, friends and a decent cup of tea. Home at last.

Gabriella Griffith is a journalist documenting her global adventure exclusively for Scotsman.com