DAY 6
BINH DUOAN (Vietnam) to BAI CHAY (Vietnam)
Monday April 11th, 2011
TODAYS MILEAGE – 92 miles or 148 kilometres
TRIP MILEAGE – 6210 miles or 9994 kilometres
Can someone find this former desert rat a boat??? 
At the recommendation of our Hanoi hotel, we settled on Halong Phoenic Cruiser for our overnight stay on Ha Long Bay.
Nothing really quite prepares you for the seething mass of humanity as you enter the Bai Chai Tourist Wharf. With over 500 boats plying their trade, in enticing fellow travellers out on to the bay, it was easy to become somewhat overwhelmed with all the people, hawkers, boats and the sights & sounds of shifting so many people.
It took about an hour, of waiting around to collect our tickets, before we climbed aboard our tender and headed out to our vessel, that would accomodate us overnight. Another hour was spent waiting for someone from the Port Authority to check the vessel and then sign the paperwork to allow us to get under way.
These checks were a relativly new activity, brought about by the tragic sinking of one of the vessels, sadly claiming 12 lives, earlier in the year. It was only due to the economic impact of all the bad press and publicity, that the Vietnames goverment started the inspections.
As we got up a head of steam, lunch was provided as we settled in to take in the sights of the bay as we made our way to Hang Sung Sot, a good couple of hours away.