Blogs from Tam Coc, Ninh Binh, Red River Delta, Vietnam, Asia - page 2

We left Hanoi on a bumpy bus ride to Ninh Binh, the main reason for our trip here was to see the 'Halong Bay inland' which was Tam Coc. When we arrived at the drop off we were instantly surrounded by 5 motorbike owners and a taxi driver all wanting to take us to our hotel. We chose the safest option of the taxi. Once we got settled down we hired a scooter and guessed our way to Tam Coc. There was alot of retracing our tracks but eventually we found the signs that pointed in the right direction. Before entering Tam Coc there was a stretch of open straight road which Natalie thought would be a good place to take over the driving seat and dabble in navigating the scooter. This could've ended worse but ... read more

A typhoon was bearing down on the north coast of Vietnam but was hanging in the China Sea, gaining strength. It was the break we needed for a quick day trip to two sites..one was called Hoa Lu, a small temple complex with Buddhist backgrounds and still in use as a worship centre. The age of complex somehow escaped my ears. The drive there was in an absolutely packed minibus with an air-conditioning system that must have been turned off to add to the already diminished horsepower of the vehicle. This did not keep the driver from forcing his way out to pass and moving all of the oncoming traffic onto the left shoulder of the road...aw..what the heck, they were ' mostly ' motorbikes anyhow. After leaving the highway ( not in the literal sense ... read more

So....More about the pig... We hadnt booked an alarm call so when (at 7.30am) we were ripped from our slumber by the sound of a screaming pig bigger than a family saloon being strapped to a pushbike for the trip to market directly outside our bedroom we were a little more than shocked....... The vietnamese( like the cantonese) eat absolutely everything and livestock is just FOOD!!!There is a completely utilitarian attitude to the animals they eat and to western sensibilities this can seem incredibly cruel..Live pigs tied down to boards on the back of bikes..Dogs in cages with no room to turn around..Chickens and ducks three or four deep also caged on bikes..Even live fish transported on bikes..We had seen this while covering the miles to Tam Coc but the reality of witnessing the pig strapping ... read more

Da sind wir wieder ONLINE, und haben ein paar Tage rueckwaerts aufzuholen. Mit dem Verkehr hat alles bestens geklappt. Gibt halt keine Regeln, dann brauch man auch nix zu beachten. Wenn man hier mit ner Frau reist, die raucht und das Moped lenkt, gehoehrt man schon gleich zur unteren Gesellschaftsschicht. Daher hab ich mich dann mal ans Steuer gesetzt. Klappt ! Und wenn man die Stadtgrenze hinter sich laesst, sind nur ab und an mal Wasserbueffel im Weg. Wir haben mal die trockene Halongbucht erkundet, wobei trocken hier relativ ist, da die Reisfelder gerade bepflanzt werden und hier und da ein zartes Gruen spriesst, sieht es eigendlich aus wie bei einer grossen Ueberschwemmung. Mit einem kleinen Boot kann man sich durch die Kanaele zwischen den Reisfeldern und Bergen rudern lassen. Da sich unter dem Strohhut son ... read more

Hola!!! Muchas gracias por vuestros mensajes que nos acompanan durante el viaje!!! Hoy hemos visitado Tam Coc, tambien espectacular, parecido a la bahia de Halong salvo que es un rio y la excursion se hace en barca con unas simpaticas remeras, que intentan venderte de todo. No pregunteis, os podeis imaginar que hemos salido con la bolsa llena...en fin...gajes del viaje. El paisaje era precioso aunque el tiempo para variar no nos acompanaba aunque por suerte no ha llovido. Para llegar hemos subido en el autobus de la muerte, el conductor tenia como objetivo adelantar por la linea continua a todo vehiculo, persona o animal que se cruzara en su camino, y meterse de nuevo en su carrill un segundo antes de que un camion se nos echara encima....alto riesgo...se genera mucha mas adrenalina que en ... read more