Day 23: Emerald Dragons of Halong and Night Fishing 🇻🇳🐉 March 14, 2026 In the morning, we left bustling Hanoi and headed to the coast to see one of Asia's main natural wonders. Halong Bay is a place where reality smoothly flows into ancient myth. According to local legend, these thousands of picturesque karst islands, whimsically sticking out of the emerald water, were created by dragons descending from the heavens. We boarded a traditional wooden junk with spreading rusty-red sails. All day, our ship glided leisurely across the bay's surface, weaving between sheer cliffs covered in lush greenery. The silence here is incredible, broken only by the rhythmic lapping of water and the cries of seabirds. During the day, we sailed past amazing floating villages — entire settlements on pontoons where people literally are born, live, and work on the water, rarely setting foot on solid ground. But the most memorable adventure awaited me after sunset. When the thick, velvety southern night descended upon the bay, the ship's crew offered everyone a chance to try traditional squid fishing right from the stern. We were given simple gear — bamboo fishing rods with a cluster of hooks and powerful flashlights, the light of which is supposed to lure prey from the dark depths. I stood on the deck side by side with a young sailor named Tuan. Seeing my not-quite-confident attempts, he enthusiastically set out to help me. We communicated in a funny mix of basic English words and active pantomime. He showed me how often to twitch the line and nodded happily when I did it right. And you know what? About forty minutes later, I pulled out my first, albeit small, squid! Tuan's joy knew no bounds — it seemed he was prouder of my catch than I was. The catch was immediately and ceremoniously taken to the galley, where the cook quickly grilled it. It was an incredibly soulful and delicious end to the day in one of the most beautiful places on the planet.