19. Mystical

I open my eyes to a serene scene that’s unfolding on the water.  The floor-to-ceiling windows in the cabin of this houseboat allow me to get a glimpse of Ha Long Bay in the early morning light.  I get out of bed, wrap myself in a comfy blanket, and step out onto the private terrace outside of my cabin.  I breathe in the fresh ocean air and feel the moist chill on my face.  I pull the blanket a little tighter around me.  Across the smooth water through the foggy landscape, I see limestone shapes and contours that are starting to reveal themselves.  I stand still, simply admiring the peaceful beauty of this mystical place.  Yesterday the scene was quite different.  After boarding a boat and enjoying a short ride into the bay, I spent a few hours exploring some of the 3,000 limestone formations and isles that inhabit these waters off the coast of Vietnam.  I hiked the 427 steps to the top of Ti Top Island to get a 360-degree bird’s-eye view.  Then I took a small boat to an island with a huge cave in the middle of it and explored its stalactites and stalagmites.  But I appreciate this view the most.  This is more “me”.  It’s softer than some of the textured and rough edges that I photographed yesterday, though those were unique and interesting too.  The feeling that surrounds me this morning bodes well.  I go inside to get my camera and then step back onto the terrace.  I take a few images and then sit in one of the two chairs out here.  I wish someone were here to share this incredibly beautiful sight with me.  I let out a sigh and try not to think about that.  I shift my attention to the Asian music that is drifting from the deck above mine.  I remember that there is a Tai Chi class at 6:30 a.m., and I’d entertained the thought of attending it when I saw it on the schedule.  But that seems too far-fetched for me now since I’m so content.  I like watching as the light and fog slowly shift and the formations get closer as our boat gently travels through the water and creates ripples on the clear surface.  The awakening of this new day on this small boat offers me peace and comfort.  I know that my trip here, after 19 days of shooting in Myanmar and Cambodia, is just what I need before I fly back to the United States.