Vietnam's Bay of Dragons

The next morning Matt and I set out on our last adventure. We had three days left to paddle and climb, and we were going to use every minute to our advantage. We were dropped off by Captain Tam again in a still different location. Waving good-bye to his crew, we paddled off into miserable weather. It wasn’t raining, but the wind blew hard and the sky was almost black.

It wasn’t long before we found yet another perfect cliff, the biggest yet. Its steep gray walls were streaked with black. We paddled into strong headwinds straight toward it. Sets of rollers made for exciting paddling as we examined the cliff, looking for the best climbing lines. Anchoring our kayaks to the wall, we both took different routes. I carried my camera gear, looking for the perfect shot, while Matt climbed 100 feet off the deck, making it look easy.

By late evening we were totally spent. We had paddled and climbed all day and worked up a huge appetite. Dropping anchor in a small inlet surrounded by lush greenery, we set up Floatzilla for the night. To our dismay, we couldn’t get the stove to work. We pulled it apart three times, but never got more than a weak sputter. Then it quit completely. We crawled inside with a box of crackers and a handful of M&Ms. With two more days remaining, our food situation looked bleak. Good thing the climbing and paddling were great.