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Published: September 9th 2011
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Ninh binh turned out to be quite a suprise. We were in Cat-ba wondering where to go next Sapa or Ninh Binh and we chose wisely. We avoided the tourist route and were greatly rewarded. We decided to do a 3 day 2 night guided moto-bike adventure. We had 2 bikes and a guide. Our first stop was Tam Coc. We hopped off the bikes and into a small boat. We were rowed all around Tam Coc. The view was stunning, it was like the Railay of Rice Patties, very pretty. After that we hopped back on the bikes for 5 hours of riding deep into the mountains to visit our homestay family. The scenery was beautiful all around. The further we got into the jungle the more we started hearing "hello hello" all around. The people were so nice. Another extra added bonus to the moto-bike adventure was not swerving out of the way of cars but instead avoiding hurds of ducks and water buffalow, it was pretty hillarious.
When we arrived the homestay family greeted us with a delicious meal, rice wine and some great card games. Never have I been happier that I brought my cards along.
We played games into the night. When It came time for sleeping, we had our own little area with a mosquito net and fan, it was awesome.
The next morning we woke up to the sounds of roosters crowing and songbirds singing. When we came outside there was an amazing banana pancake breakfast prepared for us. After breakfast we walked a ways until we reached a waterfall. It was a much deserved hike, the water was ice cold, which was very welcomed after sweating getting there. We stayed in the waterfall for a hour, swimming, taking pictures and even shooting a few poi videos.
After the waterfall and a wonderful lunch, we hopped back on the bikes and headed to the next homestay. This one wasn't too far of a drive, maybe 2 hours instead of 5. This family was just as friendly as the last. They had a little 8 yr. old girl who helped prepare our dinner. The Mom was a vet for the water-buffalo and her husband a farmer. They lived meagerly and seemed very happy. I wished we knew more Vietnamese, it was difficult to speak to one another at dinner.
The third
and final day we headed back to Ninh Binh. We said goodbye to the family and I gave away some of my braceletts to the kids in the village. They were so excited to get them it was really cute.
The ride back was very rainy. One of the things I loved most was the fact that when it rained, we could pull up at anyone's house to get out of the rain and they were more than accomodating. Over all this place was amazing. Everyone was friendly, the views were amazing, there were no other tourists in sight, and it was a nice glimpse into how Vietnamese farmers live.
Next up for us is a quick stop in Hanoi, Bangkok then Home
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Aunt Jean
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It\'s so great that you are able to experience all these countries and meet the people. Almost like doing college in 3D. Thank you so much for your cards, I look forward to then. Seems like I\'m doing a travelog. Hope to see you soon and hear more. Love you, Aunt Jean