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00:00On the Bay of Ha Long in Vietnam's north, the idea was to glide gracefully across the water.
00:11Oops.
00:14I suffered no injury, except perhaps to my dignity.
00:20But undeterred, I sailed out across the misty majesty of Ha Long Bay.
00:30Vietnam, of course it's a place of tea plantations, traffic, temples, but then it's something else entirely.
00:45Come with me on an unusual, unfiltered, unforgettable adventure.
00:54Give me five.
00:56My mind's off on a whole bunch of other tangents.
00:59I'm thinking about a sandwich I had in 1982.
01:02As this nation commemorates 50 years since the end of the war.
01:06So it's safe, right?
01:07I'll explore this fertile land, ask the big questions.
01:11Am I in the right place?
01:13Embrace new experiences, even my own future.
01:16The problem, you are smart and testing.
01:19Is there any, you know, good news?
01:22Navigate tight spaces.
01:25I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to get out.
01:27Make some new friends.
01:29Separated at birth.
01:31This is a voyage of discovery.
01:33Of strange encounters.
01:34This is your whole life in a plant.
01:36And kindred spirits.
01:39An enchanted stroll to one of the most fascinating places on earth.
01:43Welcome to Bill Bailey's Vietnam adventure.
01:46Home.
02:07Ha Long Bay.
02:09The breathtaking natural wonder of North Vietnam.
02:13This extraordinary archipelago of nearly 2,000 limestone casts spreads out over an area of 130 miles of ocean.
02:26And it is genuinely awe inspiring.
02:30And very beautiful.
02:32And it's also been the cradle of civilization in this part of Vietnam.
02:38There's archaeological evidence that points to fishing settlements that go back 18,000 years.
02:45And after that it became a natural stronghold.
02:49A strategic naval base.
02:53A place to repel invaders.
02:55It's also a place of real Vietnamese identity.
02:59It's threaded through the cultural memory of Vietnam.
03:02It's in the poetry.
03:04The songs.
03:05Even in the royal records of ancient dynasties.
03:09So when you sail through these islands.
03:12You're not just sailing through this beautiful, awe-inspiring landscape.
03:18You're sailing through a place of myths and legend.
03:21Any online search for Vietnam will throw up a picture of Ha Long Bay.
03:30It's so popular, so known around the world, that I want to see if it lives up to all the hype.
03:36Millions of years in the making, this mystical aquatic enclave forms part of the coastline of northern Vietnam.
03:42And, as you've seen, I'm going to immerse myself in it.
03:47As I embark on an exploration of the emerald green waters around Ha Long Bay.
03:54I've boarded a junk boat, with Happy as my guide.
03:58You grew up in Ha Long?
03:59Yeah.
04:00I grew up in the Lan Ha Bay.
04:02Yeah.
04:03And before the tour guide, I was a fishing boy.
04:05Oh.
04:06Yeah.
04:07So you're really born and bred here then?
04:09Mm-hmm.
04:10Well, good. I'm looking forward to it.
04:11Because I'm interested in all sorts of things.
04:13Birds, wildlife.
04:15Do we think we might see something like that?
04:17Yeah.
04:18On these islands?
04:19The monkey or the seahawk.
04:20Seahawk?
04:21Yeah.
04:22The bird flies over there, looking for the fish under the water.
04:24We go with the seahawk.
04:25Seahawk, right.
04:26Yeah.
04:27But the fishermen, we don't know them.
04:29We don't like them.
04:30Sometimes they try stolen my feet.
04:32They steal your fish, right.
04:33Yeah.
04:35Birds of prey are not the only airborne creatures that tell the story of this region.
04:44So the legend of the creation of Ha Long Bay is very much tied up with the dragon,
04:49which is a symbol of power and prosperity in Vietnam.
04:54A long time ago, when Vietnam was just a young country, it was in danger of naval invasion.
05:00So the Jade Emperor in the skies sent down a family of dragons to protect the country.
05:06And they descended from the heavens, casting out their jewels, their emeralds and pearls,
05:13creating this natural fortress to protect Vietnam.
05:17When it was done, the mother dragon was so enamored of the place, she decided to stay,
05:23giving it the name Ha Long, descending dragon.
05:26And actually, if you look at the landscape, it does kind of resemble a submerged dragon's back.
05:37Cruising these glassy waters can be extraordinarily peaceful.
05:40Other times, though, not so much.
05:43Hello!
05:47I'm going to have a word with the local council.
05:49I mean, that's just outrageous.
05:50It's just, there's no need for it.
05:54This is more of a sedate paste.
05:56Look at this fella here.
05:57That's how, that's how fast you should be going.
05:59Just gently pootling along, not sending a wash.
06:08I mean, there's erosion here, enough as it is.
06:12Hello!
06:14There you go, you see, that's more like it.
06:17Captain Bailey bossing about these hooligans on the high seas.
06:21Ah, you...
06:24If I had a tiny stall now, I'd throw it at them.
06:28Hold steam ahead!
06:30The old wooden junk boats in this bay are a living link to the past,
06:35with a long history of use for fishing and trading in Southeast Asia.
06:39But if you want to get right into the landscape, like I'm keen to do,
06:43this is your best bet.
06:45Well, I mean, you've seen my attempt earlier on, on the stand-up paddleboard,
06:49so I'm proud to reveal I can do it,
06:52but I recommend a lower centre of gravity at this stage.
06:55This place is just stunningly impressive.
07:00Somewhere that I've wanted to see for years.
07:04And the photos that appear in brochures online,
07:10and of course in a million Instagram feeds,
07:14just don't do it justice.
07:15You can't really capture the scale of it in a photo.
07:20You have to see it for yourself.
07:22I mean, it's immense.
07:24These huge towers just rising out of an emerald sea.
07:29I mean, it's, it's like a, it is like another world.
07:35And also the forces at work that created this.
07:38It's just monumental.
07:40Rising up in the middle of nowhere are these casts, or limestone pillars.
07:44And if you're on a small vessel like this, you can come ashore.
07:49So you really get a sense of how these casts are formed when you get really up close to it.
07:57Something like between 400 and 250 million years ago, marine life settled to the bottom of the sea.
08:07Remains of shellfish, shells, the remains of dead marine life.
08:13And it would just settle to the bottom of the sea, accumulate over eons of time,
08:20eventually forming a solid slab of rock, limestone.
08:25And something like 100 million years ago, just a mere hop and a skip in geological terms,
08:31huge powers were brought to bear.
08:34Tectonic uplift.
08:36And these slabs of rock were forced up.
08:39Sea level changed and they created these towers or casts.
08:47You see them all over the world.
08:49Limestone forests on land.
08:52You don't often see them in the sea.
08:54These are called drown casts.
08:56And what makes Ha Long Bay unique is the sheer scale of them.
09:01I mean, this is absolutely vast.
09:04And the limestone is gradually being dissolved.
09:07As you can see it, it's like a sort of, you know, like teeth that have been gradually decayed over time.
09:15And that will continue over the next, however, millions of years.
09:19And to see these forces at work, I want to visit one of the many caves in the area.
09:23I'm upgrading from the kneeling board to a little boat and a proper seat.
09:28With my guide happy and a fine oarsman to power us along.
09:32Thanks, mate.
09:34Step by step.
09:35The key is to have a vessel that sits low enough so you can access the caves.
09:40All right, here we go.
09:42Here we go.
09:43That's not very.
09:44That's better.
09:46Oh, beautiful.
09:48Yeah, beautiful.
09:49This is the way to travel.
09:51Yeah.
09:53So we go to one of the most beautiful caves in Vietnam.
09:56Right.
09:57Which calls the name Bright Cave.
09:58We are headed to Bright Cave, also called Light and Dark Cave.
10:03And with extreme tidal changes every day, you need to have your wits about you.
10:08It's very dark inside and it's very dangerous with the tour.
10:11You know, the important thing when you come into the cave with the low tide,
10:15when the water going up and the current very strong.
10:19When you're tired, you cannot go back and the water put you more nip.
10:24You're stuck inside.
10:25You're stuck there, yeah.
10:26Maybe one half day, when the water going down, you go outside, maybe forever.
10:30Wow.
10:32Well, I'm glad you're here then.
10:34Yeah, that's why it's really important for the tour.
10:36So when there's people going in there in kayaks, you have to tell them,
10:41this can be quite treacherous.
10:43Yeah, yeah.
10:45Light Cave is a classic frogmouth-shaped cave,
10:49with its floor underwater and ceiling above sea level.
10:51If you were in here and the tide went up, it would be, the roof would be very low, wouldn't it?
11:01Yeah, yeah.
11:02It would be difficult to negotiate your way up.
11:04And your head will hit the rock.
11:06Yeah.
11:08For example, this one.
11:09Yeah.
11:10When the water's going up.
11:12That one goes under the water.
11:13Yeah, when you see that, yeah.
11:14If I'm tired, it'll be submerged.
11:16Yeah.
11:18The Light Cave opens up to a tranquil lagoon, where you can hear a pin drop.
11:24Is that quiet?
11:25It's quiet.
11:26Only hear the sound of the boat singing.
11:29Yeah.
11:32Just a bird song.
11:33So peaceful, except for the sound of...
11:40A British bloke trying to make contact with the local wildlife.
11:59To give my sea legs a breather, I'm taking off for a day trip to the secluded Viet Hai village on Khat Ba Island, hidden deep in the national park.
12:08It's very peaceful here.
12:10You know, the...
12:11Obviously, the way that the formations are forms this sort of natural harbour.
12:16So, you get these anchorages in some of the inlets, which are extremely calm.
12:24It's just like a mirror here today.
12:27But yeah, I mean, these islands, they vary hugely in size.
12:32From, you know, just a single tower to this particular island, Viet Hai, which is actually much bigger and can sustain a village.
12:43And a road, brilliantly, so...
12:47It's good to be on dry land for a bit.
12:49Accessible only by boat, this remote village is tucked away from the main attraction of Harlong Bay.
12:55And en route, something has caught my eye.
13:00It's what I love about the tropics, is that even the common butterflies are extraordinarily beautiful.
13:07You know, this one's just a common swallowtail, but it's got these gossamer wings and beautiful markings on the lower wings and these sort of teardrop-like swallowtails.
13:21And this bright red abdomen as well.
13:24It's just a variety of colour.
13:28And these are everywhere. They've been following me the whole way.
13:31Joining me is another human resident of the island who's going to show me around the village.
13:39Hello.
13:40Hello, hi, Bill.
13:41Hey.
13:42How are you?
13:43How are you doing?
13:44Yeah.
13:45All right, just part in the bike.
13:46Hey, I'm Bill.
13:47What's your name?
13:48My name is Tang.
13:49Tang?
13:50Yeah.
13:51Good to meet you.
13:5234-year-old Tang has seen a lot of change in Viet Hai over the years.
13:55How long has there been a village here?
13:58Uh, like, really long time ago, but start from, like, 100 years ago.
14:04The story goes that Tang's ancestors were fishermen who encountered a big storm, so they took refuge and settled on Cat Bar Island.
14:13The Vietnam War interrupted things, but they've retained the traditional way of life ever since.
14:18Oh, look, there we go.
14:21The village has adopted a tourist attraction, which, at the very least, keeps the fish entertained.
14:27We're about to experience a fish massage, which involves reacquainting myself with what has become an old friend in Vietnam.
14:35Oh, look, a tiny stool.
14:39My favourite.
14:40If I'm doing this, so is my guide, Tang.
14:42The tiny, nibbling therapists await, ready to exfoliate my feet in a mildly alarming manner.
14:50And they're extra famished.
14:52We don't give them too much food.
14:54Right.
14:55So they're hungry.
14:56So then when the foot goes in, they're straight over.
15:00Oh, I see.
15:02They're hungry.
15:04Tang leaves the way.
15:05He's keeping me company in this tickle torture.
15:09Oh, yeah.
15:10Right.
15:11I'm going in.
15:12One, two, three.
15:13Full foot immersion.
15:14Gah!
15:15Dig it!
15:16Woo-hoo!
15:17Yee-haha!
15:18Get it!
15:23It's why I said, like, they cannot keep, like, for the long times.
15:26Oh.
15:27No.
15:28They're so hungry.
15:30Oh!
15:31Oh!
15:32Don't!
15:34There's someone that can, like, swimming in here.
15:37Really?
15:38Yeah.
15:39They've got their whole body in.
15:40Oh.
15:41Oh.
15:42I don't know.
15:43I don't know about that.
15:44Ten seconds is about enough.
15:45That's all I can stand.
15:46Oh!
15:47Fill your boots, lads.
15:49Oh!
15:52It tickles.
15:53It tickles!
15:54While the practice of having fish nibble away at your dead skin isn't a cultural tradition,
15:58the doctor fish, or garrarufa fish, are supposed to make you feel refreshed and rejuvenated.
16:04We will eat them later.
16:06Yeah.
16:08They taste a bit of feet, though, that's the other thing.
16:10Mm-hm.
16:11It's like being attacked by a gang of aquatic dentists, oddly therapeutic.
16:15Count us down from ten.
16:16Ten.
16:17Ten.
16:18Nine.
16:19Eight.
16:20Seven.
16:21Three.
16:22Two.
16:23One.
16:24Two, one.
16:25Three, two, one.
16:26Go.
16:27Oh.
16:28Oh, I'm not sure about that.
16:30But, I mean, my feet do feel a lot cleaner, I've got to say.
16:33Mm-hm.
16:34So, I suppose there is some benefit.
16:41After getting close and personal with these tiny nibblers, I felt it was only fair that
16:46I meet their larger cousins, who sustain more than a few softest tourists.
16:53My guide, Happy, is taking me to a floating fishing village out on Harlong Bay.
16:58And, Bill.
16:59Ah, good to meet you.
17:01Yeah.
17:02Good to meet you.
17:03And have a little look around.
17:04Villagers like Mr Tum mainly earn their living by fishing.
17:07It's a tough life.
17:09The stories of typhoons and a life lived entirely at the mercy of the elements.
17:16The first, the fishermen, they kept the fish on the sea and lived on the ocean.
17:21But when the ocean is very dangerous, when the storm and typhoon.
17:23Right.
17:24They come here, you see, around is a mountain.
17:27It's a cover for them.
17:28Right.
17:29And they live here with a family.
17:31So, they actually live out here?
17:33Yeah.
17:34On the platform?
17:35Yeah.
17:36So, do they have electricity that comes here?
17:39Yes.
17:40In the past, they used electricity by the battery.
17:43But after the storm, the edge drop is broken.
17:46Now they use the solar panel.
17:49Proof that even here, the modern world is catching up with this ancient tradition.
17:54So, we have a house over there.
17:55The bedroom, everything.
17:56The house over there.
17:57The food.
17:58The children, they live here.
17:59And they go to school by taxi boat.
18:00They go to school.
18:01Yeah.
18:02Yeah.
18:03Look like this.
18:04A school by taxi boat?
18:05Taxi boat like this.
18:06This one, the maximum 10 people.
18:07Right.
18:08The children go to school every day.
18:09And the school's on the, in the island.
18:10In the cat bar.
18:11Yeah.
18:12No school here.
18:13Yeah.
18:14The morning, the taxi boat takes the children from here to the pier.
18:16And then from the pier, go to school by taxi motorbike.
18:17By my boat and bike.
18:18Right, motorbike.
18:19Yeah.
18:20Taxi boat and then taxi motorbike.
18:21That is a, that is a fun way.
18:22Yeah.
18:23For being a kid, that's fun.
18:24Getting on a boat and a motorbike every morning.
18:25Yeah.
18:26Mr. Tam has lived a long life on the floating village.
18:28What age is he going to retire, do you think?
18:29How many years ago?
18:30I was born.
18:31I was born.
18:32I was born.
18:33I was born.
18:34I was born.
18:35I was born.
18:36I was born.
18:37I was born.
18:38I was born.
18:39I was born.
18:40I was born.
18:41I was born.
18:42I was born.
18:43I was born.
18:44I was born.
18:45I was born.
18:46I was born.
18:47I was born.
18:48He want to retire at 60 years old.
18:5260, that's it.
18:53Yeah.
18:54But now he's 63.
18:56Yeah.
18:57He's working until he feels tired.
19:00Yeah.
19:01Yeah.
19:02Now he's strong.
19:03Good health.
19:04That's it.
19:05You look strong.
19:06Yeah.
19:07He looks good.
19:08He told me he retired when he's tired.
19:10But he's no strong.
19:11Now he's strong and working for more money.
19:13Look at his face.
19:14Wow.
19:15He looks all right.
19:16No need to retire yet.
19:18Yeah.
19:19He's strong.
19:20He's strong.
19:21Oh, yeah.
19:22No hair, though.
19:23No hair.
19:24It's similar.
19:25Yeah.
19:26Same with me.
19:27Yeah.
19:28Same with me.
19:29Yeah.
19:30All right.
19:31See you later.
19:32In a classic scene from history, goodbye, two old geezers set off in a fishing boat.
19:42See you in a few days.
19:43With hopes of a great catch and tales of those that got away.
19:47It's a very homemade boat.
19:49It's very lovely.
19:51And I have ultimate faith in this, Tom.
19:54I'm off to, I'm not sure where, to see net fishing up close.
19:59So, what we've got is, we've got a little net.
20:02And we're going to try and see if we can try our luck in the waters of Harlong Bay.
20:09Mr. Tom is expertly navigating the boat with one oar and at the same time laying out the net.
20:16Obviously, this is something that he's been doing since he was a little kid.
20:23So, the net is out, set as a little float over there, a little weighted float on one end of the net.
20:36No fish today, but plenty of stories from Mr. Tom.
20:40In the morning, we're going to try to catch up.
20:57Learning about life on a floating village isn't always about the catch.
21:01Especially when you don't catch anything.
21:03In this case, not even a story about the one that got away.
21:13I take full responsibility for the failed mission.
21:16No, there's nothing biting.
21:18We are abandoning ship.
21:20Never mind.
21:23Despite no fish, Mr. Tom has invited me to his house to cook up something he's prepared earlier.
21:29You want it all chopped?
21:31Oh, quite fine like that.
21:32Okay.
21:33An upgrade of sorts.
21:34From fish to fresh mussels on the menu.
21:37Two bald blokes on a floating platform.
21:40Two baldies.
21:42Hey, what do you want to do with these?
21:44No.
21:45Yeah?
21:48I'll do that.
21:49You do the clan.
21:50I'll do this.
21:52What was that cooking show?
21:53Two fat ladies.
21:54Two bald blokes.
21:56I'm trying to find cures for baldness through cooking.
22:00There you go.
22:01That's a cooking show for you.
22:02Whatever you cook, whatever you chop up has to go on your head as well.
22:05So what's going on here?
22:07Salt.
22:08We've got salt in here.
22:09We've got some chopped onion.
22:11Bit of chilli.
22:15Bit of garlic.
22:18Oh, that looks good.
22:19This doesn't get much fresher.
22:27They look great.
22:28They smell really good.
22:29Yeah, they smell really good.
22:30Can you tell them that we should start a cooking show?
22:35Two bald men on a boat.
22:42Plating up on the water's edge.
22:44But this is the moment we've been waiting for.
22:50We have something here.
22:51This one for the party more fun.
22:53Yeah.
22:56Right.
22:57Okay, now, wait, wait, wait, wait.
22:58I know how to do this.
22:59Yeah.
23:00Má»™t, hai, ba, two.
23:03So, that's it.
23:07One count.
23:08One.
23:09Yeah.
23:10Yeah.
23:11One.
23:14Hey, this is so good.
23:17Yeah.
23:18Delicious.
23:19I mean...
23:20No, you have one, you have one.
23:21Come on, come on, eat, eat, eat, eat.
23:22Come on, let's do it, let's do it.
23:23Mm.
23:24He eats this one every day.
23:25Oh, right, oh, okay.
23:27Well, in that case, I'm not going to say no.
23:29Yeah.
23:31This is delicious.
23:32I want to tell them what a real treat this is.
23:35This is amazing.
23:36amazing. You know, to have food like this prepared by Mr. Tamiya, fisherman, in this
23:44place, what a treat. It's amazing. Thank him very much for me. These were in the
23:52sea not long ago. This is about as fresh as you can get. They were there and then
23:58really fresh, delicious. And to know more about our recipes go to our website
24:05two-bald men on a boat.com. You know, look you with him look like brother. Oh, there we go.
24:15Look, you see? Look at that. You see? Separated at birth.
24:24Oh, this is new life.
24:40As I navigate my way around this place of otherworldly beauty, there's a myriad of
24:45different islands to explore. Nearly 2,000 in fact, in this gigantic archipelago.
24:51I found a ride on Cat Bar Island to take me from the town into the national park to head
25:01inside a subterranean world. The towering limestone casts of Ha Long Bay are iconic, dramatic features.
25:11But what's equally impressive is what you can't see. Inside these islands are huge cave systems,
25:20some as cavernous as cathedrals, some yet to be discovered.
25:25As a welcome reprieve from the heat and the humidity, I'm venturing inside the cool darkness of Trung Trung Cave,
25:34the largest in Vietnam and the third largest limestone cave system in the world.
25:39There's these stalagmites, incredibly dramatic features.
25:46The vaulted beauty of these rock formations throws up all manner of weird and wonderful shapes
25:51that feeds the imagination.
25:53This one here looks like a vulture, hunched on top of a tree stump.
26:02That's what I'm seeing.
26:03That's a bulldog with a trifle in its mouth.
26:06I had quite a lot of cheese last night.
26:08Maybe it's the altitude, I guess, slightly trippy.
26:13This is absolutely amazing.
26:15Incredible.
26:16Incredible sort of features that have been carved out by this chemical weathering.
26:23You know, the rain contains a little bit of carbon dioxide,
26:26so it sort of, it dissolves over many, many thousands of years.
26:31It dissolves the limestone, creates all these features, these crevices, cracks,
26:37and eventually huge cave systems like this.
26:42This vast cavern also provided a vital function during the American War.
26:47It was a command post and hospital, providing shelter from U.S. bombardment.
26:53It's like crawling through a giant brain, made up of billions of cells.
27:04Oh, that's quite, look at that.
27:10A bit of shadow puppetry.
27:11Maybe it's my Neanderthal DNA, but I could live in a place like this.
27:26I could amuse myself for hours.
27:29I mean, that looks like a church organ.
27:32Ah, look at that.
27:36I mean, they look like petrified bats.
27:39I wonder, something just moved up there.
27:43I saw something flicker.
27:45Well, it's probably a little bat.
27:48I've got to say, these stalactites,
27:52these almost look like installations.
27:55They're man-made.
27:56In fact, actually, these remind me a little bit of the designs of H.R. Giger
28:02for the original Alien films.
28:05I wonder if he ever got inspiration for these, from things like this.
28:10Maybe.
28:13It seems the petrified bats have come alive.
28:16Is this a dream?
28:18I need a closer look.
28:20And like the intrepid traveller I am, I have come prepared for anything.
28:23I've got that nice kit.
28:26I've got coffee, sweets, mints.
28:32I'll be closed, two hats.
28:38OK.
28:39These are Griffin's leaf-nosed bats, and they're found only in Vietnam, and only at two places, one of which is here on Cat Bar Island.
28:51Obviously, it's during the day, so they're all kind of just snoozing.
28:57But I can just, I can make out their features quite well.
29:02See their little ears, and they're just sort of, a little bit of movement.
29:05They found a great spot here.
29:11Islands are these little laboratories of evolution, where creatures can evolve free from predators, free from competition.
29:20So, each one of these casts individually can sustain a multitude of species.
29:29Just scratching the surface of the extensive cave system here gives you a glimpse into the geological wonder of the region.
29:44But if for some reason, the majesty of the natural world is not your thing, fear not.
29:50For there's much to enjoy in the culinary delights of Ha Long City.
29:59I'm an Englishman in Ha Long City.
30:05I'm an Englishman in Ha Long City.
30:10Oh.
30:12Probably can't move, walk out in the middle of this, you're getting mullered.
30:15What?
30:19I'm feeling confident to make a crossing.
30:22I've come a long way from Ho Chi Minh City, where crossing the road was a daunting prospect.
30:26I've certainly noticed that they're quite assertive here in the north.
30:31There's no quarter given.
30:35Yes, you have to be bold when crossing the road here.
30:38There's no point being English and polite.
30:39No, after you.
30:41No, no, after you. No, please, you go.
30:43No, you have to just go for it.
30:48I can twirl it.
30:50Note that nobody stops here for pedestrians on crossings.
30:56This is clearly the way across the road here.
31:00You've got to have an angle, an extra hustle.
31:03Feel like a matador.
31:05Going out in the bullring.
31:07Nailed it. In the last city of my tour of Vietnam.
31:11I feel the closest yet to becoming a local.
31:14But I do feel that I've earned the right to do something quite normal.
31:17And that is, nip to the post office and pick up a package.
31:22Back in Ho Chi Minh City, I mailed one of my drawings to myself.
31:28One of my first impressions of Vietnam.
31:30And now I'm here to pick it up, to see if those first impressions are still as strong.
31:34Well, let's made it here.
31:38My drawing of a lotus.
31:41And, er, I was trying to draw something that seemed to encapsulate my impressions of Vietnam.
31:52And, as if to reinforce that point, right here, under the sign that says Vietnam Post.
32:00Look at that. What is there?
32:03Lotus.
32:05So.
32:07Might be onto something.
32:09The little lotus first appealed to me back in the early stages of my journey.
32:14It was in the centre of a roundabout in Ho Chi Minh City.
32:20And it was a huge fountain in the shape of a lotus.
32:24And I just liked the shape of it.
32:26It was just sort of aesthetically very pleasing.
32:29Oh. Come in.
32:31So, the lotus flower continues its life here in Ha Long.
32:35Not reborn as such, but repurposed.
32:38You know, the lotus often grows out of mud.
32:39So, it sort of represents that from hardship to prosperity.
32:45Which is very much the story of modern Vietnam in a short period of time.
32:50So, I might just finish this off, actually.
32:52I'd started the sketch in one part of Vietnam and I'm going to finish it off here.
32:57And fast forward to the final creation.
33:00A little drawing that may make it into a new book sometime soon.
33:03From artistic expression to the far more pressing matter of lunch.
33:15There's a scent of sausage in the air.
33:18And I'm on a mission to find it.
33:20What are they? I need to know.
33:22Need to find out.
33:24I suppose I'll just buy one and find out.
33:26I got a thousand dong.
33:28Is that? For one?
33:29For one?
33:30Is that right?
33:32I don't even know what it is, but I'm game.
33:36Mmm.
33:39It's good.
33:42It's some kind of delicious thing.
33:45I'm guessing it's some sort of fried rice flour arrangement, but it's very good.
33:52Like two thousand dong.
33:54I mean, you can't go wrong, can you?
33:55It's good.
33:59Delicious, but I still have no idea what it was.
34:02Either way, it was an appetizer.
34:05And I'm craving the main course.
34:07Well, that actually wasn't what I'm looking for.
34:10I'm looking for something a little bit more substantial, which is a local treat.
34:16A squid sausage.
34:18And I believe one can be procured in this locale.
34:21Let's have a look.
34:23Hello.
34:25Hello.
34:26You have squid?
34:28Squid. Sausage.
34:30I think I'm in the right place.
34:32This is an interesting combination of translation and getting the right money.
34:41An opportunity to prove to you that, despite appearances, I'm actually a bit of a tech wizard.
34:46I've got this app on the phone, which if you hold your camera over the menu or any language, it will read it and translate it onto the screen.
34:58So it is very simple.
35:01OK, that's squid sticky rice, it says.
35:04Sticky rice.
35:06Special sticky rice.
35:08Oh, hang on.
35:10Meat succulents.
35:11I'm not sure the translation app is quite accurate.
35:16Because one of these dishes, it says is a tongue tunnel.
35:20I didn't even know tongues had a tunnel.
35:22Another one is stomach stew with pepper.
35:25Well, I've had tripe before now, so that's no stretch.
35:28Stomach stew, tongue tunnel.
35:31Oh, grilled squid.
35:32This might be it.
35:33Here we go.
35:34Oh, yes.
35:35Well, clearly, you do.
35:36This looks absolutely fantastic.
35:37Oh, yes.
35:38Well, clearly, you do.
35:39This looks absolutely fantastic.
35:41This is one of the great delights of the Han Han Han Han.
35:46Yes, well clearly you do.
36:00This looks absolutely fantastic.
36:08One of the great delights of Vietnam is the street food.
36:13This is a local speciality, this is squid sausage.
36:18And why wouldn't you make a sausage out of squid?
36:20I mean, you can make a sausage out of anything.
36:23Squid is a big favourite in Vietnam.
36:27In fact, people come to Ha Long, Ha Phong, Cap Ba Island just for the squid.
36:34I do feel these are not technically sausages.
36:37They are shaped more like squid cakes, but they're so good, I'm not quibbling.
36:42Delicious, so fresh, straight out of the sea.
36:53In the Ha Long Bay region, water is a common theme.
36:56And it's the essential element in one of the area's most eccentric and unique art forms.
37:03I'm off to the theatre.
37:09This is Tsao Tuk Water Puppet Theatre, where local stories are brought to vivid life on a semi-submerged stage.
37:21I've never seen anything like this before. This is extraordinary.
37:24Backstage, my guide Kim explains how physically demanding the work is for the puppeteers, like Truong, who stand in a pool of water to manoeuvre the handmade wooden puppets from behind a screen.
37:36So, as you can see, this is a water buffalo.
37:39Yeah.
37:40And a farmer.
37:41Yeah.
37:42And they're going out to the farm together.
37:45This figure is made of some made of foam and some of fig wood.
37:51Right.
37:52So it's light and can float on top of water.
37:54It can float, I see, yeah.
37:55Yeah.
37:56You see the board under here?
37:58Yeah.
37:59This part will be under water.
38:01So you won't see it when you're out there.
38:03Ah, right.
38:06Ah.
38:07There.
38:10Ah, I see.
38:11Yeah.
38:12And that's how they move.
38:14That's great.
38:22It's fantastic.
38:23I feel very at home here, backstage, in a theatre.
38:27This is my natural habitat.
38:29See, right now, I'm getting excited for the show.
38:32And that's what I get there, you see.
38:35Everyone's just getting worked up.
38:38The people are coming in.
38:39The auditorium's filling up with a sense of anticipation for the crowd.
38:44Welcome to my world.
38:47And it's showtime.
38:48The legend of Ha Long Bay, the descending dragon, begins.
38:58Farmers and villagers face northern invaders and call the dragon mother to fight them off to keep the peace.
39:05It's a celebration of patriotism, resilience, and the belief in divine intervention.
39:10During the 12th century Lee dynasty, water puppetry went from the peasant folk art to a prestigious show for royalty.
39:19One, two, three, go.
39:24The puppeteers breathe life into the whole thing.
39:26They're working with inanimate objects, but they really come alive.
39:29It looks chaotic out front, but out back, even more so.
39:46I've been invited backstage to see the puppeteers in action.
39:49I mean, it's so ingenious.
39:55And it's unique.
39:57The puppeteers are up to their waists in water, with waders on, gloves, operating the puppets from backstage.
40:11Which are then being seen in front of these screens.
40:14But it's amazingly lifelike, the movements.
40:19They know how to make it look very real.
40:23Yeah.
40:25They're really bringing them to life, you know.
40:28Because they're wooden puppets, so they haven't got much expression, but all of that comes from the movement.
40:37Yeah.
40:39Look at the little ducklings.
40:42They're about to come out too.
40:45Yeah, the little ducks.
40:49So sweet.
40:51What an absolutely brilliant show.
40:53I love the music.
40:54And it's heartwarming to see an old tradition that nearly died out, now thriving.
40:59And fitting that it's an artistic reflection of the semi-submerged nature of this stunning corner of Vietnam.
41:08Time for a final paddle.
41:19Well, I'm coming to the end of my time here in Halong Bay.
41:23And, I have to say, this place is just otherworldly.
41:29I've seen photographs of it.
41:31Pictures online.
41:33About a million Instagram photos.
41:35But not one does it justice.
41:40It's only when you get up close to it, you can really appreciate it.
41:44And it's one of those places in the world that genuinely makes you just gape in wonderment.
41:52And laugh in disbelief that such a place even exists.
41:58There's a line in the famous novel by Graham Greene, set in Vietnam, The Quiet American.
42:03And it says, I can't say what made me fall in love with Vietnam.
42:09Everything is so intense.
42:11The color, the taste.
42:15And I have to say that I agree.
42:17That chimes very much with my experience.
42:23The mosaic of colors in the market.
42:26The deep green of the rice terrace.
42:29The gold and reds of the pagodas.
42:31And the taste, oh my word.
42:35I mean, the food is just astonishing.
42:39Every meal has zing and snap.
42:44It's like a firework of flavors bursting on your tongue.
42:48And I have had some extraordinary experiences here.
42:52There's no doubt.
42:54A lot of firsts, actually.
42:57Foraging for herbs in the forest.
42:59Taking a herbal bath in a barrel.
43:02I took a bath in a barrel.
43:04I mean, that's a first.
43:06Jamming with Vietnamese folk rock bands.
43:10Lutists.
43:12Ancient bamboo pipers.
43:17Every one of those experiences I will remember, I think, forever.
43:22But there's one thing I disagree with Graham Greene on.
43:24And that is that I can say what made me fall in love with Vietnam.
43:31It's very simple.
43:33It's the people.
43:35People who have shown me nothing but kindness and hospitality.
43:38And an extraordinarily warm welcome.
43:42They've invited me into their homes.
43:47I've cooked with them, had a laugh with them.
43:50And the greatest compliment I think I can give to the Vietnamese people is this.
43:55Throughout my entire time here, Dave made me feel at home.
44:03At home.
44:04At home.
44:05At home.
44:06At home.
44:07At home.
44:08At home.
44:09At home.
44:10At home.
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