10 Pictures From Halong Bay in July 2013

When I was visiting Vietnam two years ago I spent a few days in Hanoi. My time was limited but I squeezed in a day trip to beautiful Halong Bay. A bus picked me up a little after eight in the morning and three hours later we were at Bay Chai Wharf.

As we pulled out on the boat I was a bit bummed that it was a miserable rainy morning but in the hour that it took to get out to the islands the weather cleared a lot.

Our first stop was a small floating fishing village nestled in the water below towering limestone cliffs. It looked straight out of a picture book.

Floating Fishing Village in Halong Bay

As we got closer to the village we could see several traditional bamboo boats filled with produce for sale.

When the boat docked we had the option of renting a kayak or hiring someone to take us out to Luon Cave in a bamboo boat. I was traveling alone and was in the mood to relax so I chose to go out in a bamboo boat.

Me on Bamboo Boat on Halong Bay

Luon cave has a height of only 2.5 to 4 meters depending on the tidal level which necessitates using a small boat to see it. In the bottom right of the photo below you can see the entrance at the bottom of the cliffs.

Entrance to Luon Cave Through Limestone Mountains in Halong Bay

Approaching the cave it was much bigger than it first appeared at 4 meters wide and 60 long. It was so peaceful paddling through and listening to the soft echoes of the lapping water.

Paddling Through Luon Cave

Passing through Luon Cave was a lake enclosed by limestone mountains. The water was a beautiful emerald green and combined with the beautiful cliffs it was truly idyllic.

Woman Rowing Bamboo Boat on Lake Beyond Luon Cave

All too soon I was back at the dock and then back on board the boat setting off for other spots in Halong Bay.

Boat Among Limestone Cliffs in Halong Bay

We sailed past Ga Choi Islet (or Trong Mai Islet), the two white rocks in the bottom left in the picture below. The rocks take their name, either fighting cocks or kissing cocks, based on the fact that at a certain angle the two rocks look like birds leaning in to touch beaks.

Ga Choi Island (Fighting Cock Island) in Halong Bay

We next docked to visit Thien Cung Grotto (Heavenly Cave). After a bit of a climb we entered an amazing cave complex illuminated with different colored lights. My favorite part was a spot where there was an opening in the cave roof allowing natural sunlight to stream in.

Sunlight Streaming Through Thien Cung Grotto (Heavenly Cave)

From Thien Cung we headed back to Bai Chai Wharf arriving at dusk. It had been a lovely day and my only regret is that I didn't have more time to explore the islands of Halong Bay.

Boats docked at Bai Chay Wharf at Dusk

10 Pictures From Milwaukee in Summer 2013

This past summer I got to spend five days having a little reunion in Milwaukee with my friends, Trisha and Dani. We met when we were living in Japan and the last time all three of us got together was in New York four years ago. Dani, who is British, has spent the last year on a work assignment in Portland so we took advantage of her being state side to visit Trisha in Milwaukee.

We decided to go at the end of June/beginning of July so that we could go to Summerfest. With eleven stages and lasting for eleven days it is the world's largest music festival. We went every night while we were there seeing a crazy variety of acts including Pitbull, Cake, NKOTB, Far East Movement and Boys II Men. It was a great atmosphere and we had an awesome time dancing and enjoying the performances.

View of Summerfest from Marcus Ampitheater

We spent a great deal of time relaxing in restaurants and chatting. We made an art out of eating brunch as well as making frequent stops for afternoon appetizers. I definitely did not go hungry while we were there.

Bloody Mary Trio at The Comet Cafe

While we were in Milwaukee the three of us decided to go skydiving at Skydive Milwaukee. Trisha and her husband had done a Level 1 AFF jump recently and Trisha was excited to go again so Dani and I went with her to do tandem jumps while she did a Level 2 jump. I had never gone before and it was a really neat experience. I couldn't believe how beautiful it was to look over the landscape with an unobstructed view. It was very surreal.

Me Tandem Skydiving Over Milwaukee (picture from Skydive Milwaukee)

We stopped at the Milwaukee Public Market twice while we were in town. We headed there a for wine tasting at Thief Wine which was a lot of fun. We each got a different flight of red wines and tried each other's selections. While we were at the market for the wine tasting we saw the $13.95 lobster dinner special at St. Paul Fish Company so we decided to head back there for dinner a few days later. Delicious!

Milwaukee Public Market

Since Harley Davidson was founded in Milwaukee we had to stop at the Harley Davidson Museum while we were in town. Starting from the power cycle that William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson built in 1903 the museum traced the company's history through the decades. Not being a motorcycle rider I learned a lot of interesting things while I was there. One if the coolest unexpected things for me was that a lot of the very early motorcycles had white tires.

Dani, Me and Trisha at the Harley Davidson Museum

No visit to Milwaukee would be complete without taking a brewery tour so we headed to Lakefront Brewery. Started in 1987 by the Klisch brothers, the brewery has grown over the past twenty-five years reaching a production of over thirty three thousand barrels of beer last year. The tour was very relaxed and fun and we really enjoyed the beer as well.

Filling Kegs at the Lakefront Brewery

On not one, but two afternoons, we relaxed in the sun at Bradford Beach. The beach had a tiki hut with drinks and food and lots of volleyball courts as well. We rented chairs and a cabana and had a great time soaking up the beautiful weather, taking naps and reading. I wish Ann Arbor had a beach! (and a tiki hut!)

Bradford Beach on a Sunny Day

Trisha and I felt it was our duty to have Dani try some classic things that she as a Brit had never tried before like Wisconsin fried cheese curds and PBR. Isn't she lucky to have Trisha and I as friends?

PBR Tall Boys

One of our afternoon stops was to visit the Milwaukee Art Museum. We saw a great special exhibit, 30 Americans, which featured contemporary African American artists and then wandered around the permanent collection. My favorite thing was the Quadracci Pavilion itself. From the outside with its moveable, wing-like sunscreen to the inside with 90-foot-high glass ceilings and lovely views of the lake, it is really a stunning piece of architecture.

Quadracci Pavilion's Windhover Hall at the Milwaukee Art Museum

Although all the sights were awesome we really enjoyed the city itself. We walked all over the place clocking between six to nine miles each day. The Historic Third Ward was especially lovely with its beautiful brick buildings.

Mural on the Mercantile Building in the Historic Third Ward

All in all, the three of us had an awesome time together. It's no wonder that Trisha loves living in Milwaukee. Now we need to make some plans to visit Dani in Portland before she is done with her work assignment!