Bused straight to the harbor after breakfast. The hydrofoil took about 40 minutes to get over to the island. It is another gray day with some drizzle on and off - not as bad as yesterday. We packed a small overnight bag and left our big luggage on the bus back on the mainland. We will meet that bus again tomorrow. A lot of shuffling around on these tours. 
After we got settled and showered, we met for lunch at the rooftop restaurant in the hotel. For the rest of the afternoon, we decided to hike up yet another 2k to Cannon Fort.
Cat Ba Island means "Women’s Island" (Cat meaning sandy and Ba meaning women). Legend has it that many centuries ago, three women of the Tran Dynasty were killed and their bodies floated all the way to Cat Ba Island. Each body washed up on a different beach and all three were found by local fishermen. The residents of Cat Ba built a temple for each woman, and the Island soon became known as Cat Ba. Archeological evidence suggests that people have lived on Cat Ba Island for almost 6,000 years, with the earliest settlements being found on the southeastern tip of the Island close to the area where Ban Beo harbor sits today. In 1938, a group of French archeologists discovered human remains belonging "to the Cai Beo people of the Ha Long culture, which lived between 4,000 and 6,500 years ago… considered to be perhaps the first population group occupying the North-Eastern territorial waters of Vietnam… [and] the Cai Beo people may be an intermediary link between the population strata at the end of the Neolithic Age, some 4,000 years ago".In more recent history, Cat Ba Island was inhabited mostly by Viet-Chinese fisherman and was largely influenced by both the French and American wars. The Island was a strategic look-out point and bombing during the wars often forced local residents to hide among the Island's many caves. Today, the best reminders of the two wars have been turned into tourist attractions. Hospital Cave, which was a secret, bomb-proof hospital during the American War and as a safe house for VC leaders. This three-story feat of engineering was in use until 1975 is only 10 km north of Cat Ba town. The second attraction, the newly built Cannon Fort, sits on a peak 177 meters high, offering visitors a chance to see old bunkers and helicopter landing stations as well stunning views Cat Ba Island, its coast, and the limestone karsts in Lan Ha Bay offshore.
We walk around for a while saw the old cannon. Geoff went behind some boarded up bunker built inside of the mountain. The doors were camouflaged and there was a grate at the top. It was pitch black inside. He put stuck the camera inside and let the flash go off. Viola! hidden cannon. Guess they are getting ready for their next attack.
We had had enough of Cannon Fort. The views were great but hard to get good pictures due to all the brush in front of these views. We headed down the trail and took a walk through town. Now that the weather was cool and cloudy, the tourists are all gone, making it very pleasant for us to explore the town and waterfront area. We were back in our room by 3:30 for a little R&R. Tomorrow is our last day of biking. We bike the last 25k to the other harbor on the other side of the island. I was told it was less challenging and no construction. Of course, we were told in the beginning that we would have tarmac all the way through the trip! That didn't last long. When we get to the harbor, we board a junk boat for an hour long cruise of Ha Long Bay. Really hoping the weather is a bit clearer. From there it is back to the mainland and on the bus for a 3 hour ride to Hanoi. It is hard to believe that this sojourn is actually coming to an end.
Dinner is back at the hotel restaurant. Don't expect anything exciting - unless Olivia brings the vodka!
Next time... Heading to Hanoi
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