Ninh Binh / Pu Luong

The decision to go to Ninh Binh was random. It was the one area and time of the trip where we didn't have any idea or want to go somewhere in particular.
From Hoi An we took a hefty cab ride through Da Nang and to the train station where we waited around and eventually got on our train to Ninh Binh. We didn't expect a lot from the train ride, however we didnt expect it to be the dirtiest, smelliest most cramped train experience we had ever had. Upon getting on the train we could not fit through the doors or walk down the hallway due to our sheer size and pack width. Previously before the ride we were given the option to book the first second or third level, the third level being the cheapest; and by third level i mean one room with 3 beds stacked one on top of the other either side............being cheap we took the third. It was probably about 3 metres high with about 15-20cm between you and the roof.

Suprisingly we got good sleep and woke up in time to get to our stop.
The train was stationary when i said to Stanway 'dont you think we should ask when we should get off', he replied 'yeah probably should'. I walked out of our room and asked a man 'how long to Ninh Binh?', keeping in mind we did not get one single person who could string a sentence of English together. Suddenly and vioently he started shouting 'NINH BINH NINH BINH', Stanway and I ran to our room grabbed our bags and everything lying around and jumped of the train just as it was leaving. Thinking we had just made it we chucked our packs on the ground and begun to calm down. As we were standing on the platform the train began to leave and Stanway wanting to confirm and said 'Ninh Binh?'. The angry man then once again started shouting 'NINH BINH NINH BINH', but this time shaking his head. Stanway and I looked at one another grabbed our packs and began to run, we made the split decision not to throw our packs due to the fact that the risk of us not making it was to high. The angry man was screaming the whole time and just as we stopped running the train begun to slow done, eventually it stopped and we got on. This was a train which was about 200-300m long probably carrying over 500 people..........the walk of shame was horrendous.


We eventually arrived at Ninh Binh and were greeted with a man holding a sign that read 'Stanway'. This was nice for a change. Normally we would get ripped off by a cab driver who would tell you it was 5 times a longer distance than it actually was. We got to our hotel and quickly realised that Ninh Binh wasn't the small northern town we thought it was. It was a concrete jungle. One shop next to the other and one on top of the other, all built with concrete and left in its natural dull colour.

For the rest of that day we hired scooters and explored the city. Ninh Binh had very little tourists due to its lack of attractions which made Stanway and I stand out where ever we went. People were always staring and whispering to one another. Although they never said anything to us, it makes you a feel a little uneasy.

The next day we once again got scooters and road to Cuc Phuong. It is a national park that is full of towering limestone mountains and a calm, still and long stretch of crystal clear water that flows through multiple caves.

We took a 3 hour tour on a very small boat paddled by a Vietnamese lady which made us feel like sissys. The boat ride went down the river and took us through 10 of the many caves in the national park. As we went through the first cave we were shocked how little room there was between the water and the roof of the cave, causing us to have to lie down as best we could in a boat which provided little space for us to even sit.
.
In one of the caves we went through it was pitch black and had yet to be blessed with the illumination from electricity. With the combination of no light and stagnate water, it created the visual illusion that you were floating in thin air. The roof of the cave was reflected perfectly onto the water making it seem so real that you actually had to touch the water to believe it. We took a few photos and only one turned out half decent, however still it does not compare to the human eye.


That night we ate diner at our hotel where we were approached by one of the family members who ran the hotel, he told us his brother was coming to explain everything we needed to know. Stanway and I weren't quite sure what this meant but we agreed. As we began talking he explained to us that he ran this tour that could be tailored to exactly how we need and it would take us to places that little tourists ever ventured. Eventually after having a long chat we said yes, considering there was little else to do in Ninh Binh. In celebration of our decision his brother brought out fresh uncooked goat and snake wine, both being a delicacy in their culture. The goat was definitely different, it tasted a lot like jelly and the snake wine was actually pretty nice. We ended up celebrating a bit more than we thought, there was definitely no shortage of snake wine.


The next morning we got up early to go on the tour. The first thing we did was go to the markets where we got to choose the food we wanted to eat. On the tour there was us and another German couple, we decided to go with them because it made the whole trip a lot cheaper for us. The markets were pretty 'raw', there were birds strung up all bunched together still alive, fish being pummeled with batons left right and centre and a dogs head with its carcass next to it split right down the centre.

It was a painful three our car ride there and back as it was me and stanway and a German guy squished next to one another over rough terrain in a car which felt like it had no suspension. Eventually we got to out first village which turned out to be the base camp. The houses were made out of bamboo and wood, and generally all the villages would come together and help one another build their houses. Although our only means of communication was through hand signals and laughing, the owners were quick to invite us in and pour us multiple cups of tea. This is what the inside of the house looked like. At night they would set up their beds on the floor and every morning they would be packed up and stored in the corner.
.
In the late afternoon we made a four km trek to our next village where we would be staying. The hiking was awesome in comparison to any other hiking we had ever done. It was over mountains looking at and walking through rice fields and villages. Not to mention understanding and learning how the villagers lived and were self sufficient, even producing their own electricity through the use of little generators powered by the flow of the river.

That night we got to our home stay where their were two other tourists and their guide also staying the night. The view from where we slept was phenomenal, over looking the rice fields and mountains in the distance. Stanway and I were sitting down stairs enjoying a beer looking at the scenery when the next thing we knew this lady had the chicken by the neck and how do you say......'destroying it'. That night we had the chicken with fresh fish and vegetables which i actually ate and enjoyed. Every ingredient used throughout the cooking over the trip was all fresh and it was noticiable by how good it all tasted.

After dinner the other guide suggested that we go outside and have a few drinks under the stars........it was very nice.


The next day we got up early and prepared for what we thought was a 7k walk. Our guide had obviously lied to try and build some moral but whatever moral was left was quickly squashed when we he told us it was 15k. The walk however was nice. We walked through a few more villages, had a few more cups of tea and learnt more about their way of life, a massive part of it being rice. Twice a year they would harvest in excess of 50 kilos. In the picture you can see it spread out drying on the ground.
. We pushed on through our walk and had a few stops along the way to admire the scenery, we decided to get one with Khan.

A lot of the inspiration to walk came from the fact that Khan our guide had promised us a really nice waterfall at the end of our walk which would be 15metres from where we were staying. This was enhanced by the fact that we hadn't showered for two days, there was a blaring sun combined with some intense humidity and we were sweating absolute bullets. We finally arrived at our home stay and the waterfall was everything we had been told it was. We introduced ourselves to the owners, sat down had a cup of tea and then went for a swim.



That night we once again had a really nice dinner with chicken, vegetables and some homemade chips. One of the traditions or addictions with the villagers was their habit of smoking tobacco through their decent sized pipes. As well as this they have their homemade alcohol which is generally made out of a form of potato or other fruits like banana. After dinner the neighbors had come round for a drink and a smoke which me and stans got invited to join in on. Not wanting to be rude we quickly strolled into the kitchen and sat down with some packed pipes and shots waiting to be consumed. We had a shot and smoked a pipe to start with........both were nice. Literally seconds after we had one shot the next one was poured. 8 shots later and after a few pipes we were screaming 'mot hai ba' (1,2,3) cheering and then draining our shots. There was a lot of laughter due to our lack of communication however it helped having our guide who we could use to translate the languages.



The next day we got up and had to walk 7k back to our base camp. It was nice and hot but still enjoyable to take in the scenery. We got back and had another few cups of tea, said goodbye to the villagers and made our way home. Along the way we stopped and had lunch at a restaurant in the mountains that had some really good views.












All in all the three day tour was easily worth it. We had experiences that will never be forgotten and in terms of seeing what people call the 'real Vietnam', I'd say we have definitely seen it.
Untill next time.

---

---