Lemonade and Luxury

You know those moments in life where things don’t go the way you expected but also end up going in ways that are so much more than you could have imagined? Most of you know that I’ve been looking forward to flying in a seaplane over to Ha Long Bay, as I have over the Gulf Islands for most of my life. So you can imagine how it felt to be standing at the check-in counter being told it wasn’t going to happen AND that if I didn’t pay their driver a steep fee, I would also now miss my cruise because the timing was too short. That’s a whole lot of lemons, to be honest. William to the rescue from behind his tourism desk at Crossing Vietnam(take note, he’s a legend who went above and beyond repeatedly)- he stepped in to help me out, got me in a sweet ride for 2/3 what the airline was trying to charge, and I got to the marina before the tour bus did. To be honest, I had a moment of being grumbly about the extra cost, but pretty quickly got to thinking how nice it was to be in a new air conditioned SUV. Also, I got to thinking how in my youth, I had been in a foreign country and so poor that I would have not been able to absorb and afford the extra cost, and would therefore have also missed out on the cruise. Having known the extremes of working for my next meal(yes, I know what it is to sing for my supper), and sleeping on the streets in order to get to the next stage of my journey, having this luxury reminded me loudly that the kind of lemonade we can make out of lemons we get really is resource dependent. Such a blatantly obvious statement, of course. However, to live the experience felt deeply healing, like a loop was completed.

The cruise though. Oh my. In addition to our fantastic surroundings and amenities, our activities of visiting a floating home and swimming in beautiful jade green waters as the massive vibrant butterflies, hawks and eagles flew overhead pulled me back closer to what I love…being in my body in communion with nature. It was the first time I have been able to swim for a very long time and being in that water, having amazing chit chats with soon to be friends as we all floated around looking like talking heads above the waterline was surreal and delightful. I keep referencing how the 4 years ago version of me would have thought it cruel for someone to suggest this was in my future.

But about today…to be honest, it was so epic that any words won’t fully get it. My longest adventure day yet, and full of unexpected experiences and kindness. Awaking to practice a version of Tai Chi at 0545 on the top deck, my new friends Kala, Seema, Travis and I enjoyed the morning views until we had a quick breakfast and a jaunt out in bamboo boats to visit overhang caves. The cicadas were so loud, it felt like a new kind of white noise that was instantly soothing. The beauty of the islands, thousands of green jewels sitting in green glass, set against a bright blue sky was so much for the senses that I felt entranced, pulled into the present moment, just drinking it in. I so yearned to swim again, trailing my fingers through the water, the sun on my skin…but we had to head back. As the cruise meandered back through the islands to the marina, I lounged in solitude on the top deck and absorbed all that I could…so wild that I had the space to myself and that this was the environment I was in.

Soooooo…..remember when I said in my last post that I couldn’t and wouldn’t get on the scooters? At some point while swimming, I resolved to put that story to the test, and arranged with my pal William to get a private tour of Hanoi on the back of the slowest scooter he had and the most capable driver he had(Eric). Travis joined me and was an absolute gem in making sure I was cared for and that together, we had a wildly epic experience through Hanoi with our guides Eric and Tyler, also from Crossing Vietnam.

To be completely honest, we put so much into the rest of the day, I’m going to need a few days to process. But, before I head out to Hoi An tomorrow, I thought to capture our time with just brief words…..

Freedom in being able to balance and enjoy the ride despite really questioning my life choices before we all started ~ I felt like I was flying, I never thought I could get back on a bike again but here it was, heart bursting happiness ~ temples, ancient pagodas, the offspring of the original Bodhi tree where we were able to pray, lakes and rivers inside the city, the Old Quarter, the French Quarter, the wall still showing cannon cratering, Vietnamese coconut coffee, Anthony Bourdain style vegan pho in a tiny little place on a side street, pulling up in a little city park area to drink sugar cane juice and chewing sugar cane for the 1st time while watching the sun filter in golden hour light through ancient tree foliage, being on a scooter in Hanoi rush hour traffic over the bridge and through the city, place to place watching the sun setting light change the city until night fell…watching the city turn neon as we travelled, people setting up cafe tables on the sidewalk, fairy lights strung through many of the trees that have seen so much war, night time real conversations in train track cafes and turning to hug the wall as the train passes by (so incredibly crazy). The humidity in the air, the constant cacophony of scooter horns intermingled with people joking around and kids playing, the easy laughter with strangers and the glad feeling for new friends. Like living a full chapter from a great novel all in a day.

***Now, I am compelled to be honest about the water in Ha Long Bay..while we swam in a great section, much of the bay is littered with plastic refuse washed down the rivers into the ocean. There are clean up efforts, but it was jarring at times to see such a beautiful place in such a state. More clear reminders of our need to keep plastics out wherever possible.***