Pro Rock Climber

So we just got back from beautiful-yet cloudy-Halong Bay. We headed down there and jumped on the boat that we spent the night on the first night. We then headed out for a lil kayak session. There were all these fishing villages, just floating in the middle of the water-very cool. There is something like 1169 islands there. It was peaceful and well needed from being in the honking madness of Hanoi. So we cruised around checked out some little caves, had a few kayak pile ups and drank some nice cold beers. I guess Dan had too many of the frosty bevey's, and had to use one of the empty cans to pee in. Talk about talent. He peed in a can in the pack of a kayak. I almost had to go myself from laughing so much! Nothing like being surrounded by beauty and hearing gentle tinkeling sounds behind you! So after that back to the boat for some jumping off the deck into the lovely warm water and swimming. The night continued with dinner, many a beer, some vodka, and dance party of the deck. We meet a girl-Miz-who back at home does a lil Tai Kwon Doe, and lets just say Dan was determined to beat her in a sparing match, and failed 3 times :) I had originally signed up to do kayaking the second day, and in my beer haze, decided that I could tottaly handle do rock climbing. It cost like $30 more, but hey, how often do you get to climb for your first time in Vietnam? So I woke up the next morning, regretting all then drinking and what I signed up for. But the boat captain said no changing my mind, and I would have a great time-so off we went to climb some rocks. We took a smaller boat to the nice little beach where the ropes were set up. Umm, yeah the instructor guy-freakin hottie. Tim from Idaho, with arms and legs of steal. So we all got geared up and started in. I was really nervous, but everyone started and I waited my turn. The girl Miz was scared as well, she had done it before-so I went after she did it. Its pretty crazy climbing up a pretty much flat surface with just a rope and little Vietnamese holding the rope. I did the first one, very quickly-faster you go up quckier you can come down. The next one was a lot harder, but i pulled off like a champ. The last looked easier than the second, but I was wrong. About half way up I started to get a lil nervous, missed my grip and fell off. But luckily the hottie has the rope all strapped to you so I just grabbed a hold of the rock took a breather, and with his coaching and the encouragement off the others headed to the top. I really think the repelling down is the best part, just jumpin down like a lil spider. Luke has done it at home and truely was like a spider going up-pretty impressive I must say. And being his first time, Dan kicked some major ass as well! So after that a lil lunchy and off to do some more climbs. Hottie man climbed the rocks to set up the ropes-just climbed right up, no big deal-did I mention his legs and arms of steal?:) The second group of climbs was a bit harder, and from my slip I was a little banged up and decided to sit the second round out. Everyone else did it and did an awesome job. Back on the boat to head to land to spend the night in a hotel-more drunken shenanigans. We had a lot of fun to say the least. I spent most of the day today resting and nursing my lovely hangover. Im no longer going to head out by myself, so we are heading south to Hue manana. Vietnam is getting much better-still missing and loving you all :)-m