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Published: November 23rd 2008
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16.11.08
Km travelled 17402
We look outside the window from the height of our room but there's not much to see. A curtain of fog is hanging outside. Still is our only day here so we will try to make the most out of it.
We have breakfast at the hotel to make it easy. We also have to leave all our stuff at the hotel as tonight we're leaving. As soon as we're ready we meet our drivers, Dai and Go. This hotel is apparently famous for its safe drivers, so we're keen to try. We jump on the scooters and start our way through the streets of Ninh Binh. Not that Ninh Binh has many roads; it is actually unfolding mainly on the sides of one street. So we're soon in the countryside. Our first visit is to the mountain on top of Muá Cave. We cross a land of rice fields flooded with water from the recent rains. People is always working here, fishing, farming, but it's all quiet. We're left by our drivers at the foot of the mountain where we buy a ticket to enter and agree to meet at the same place in
one hour. It's still early and the fog gives to this area, filled with water, the atmosphere of a mist. We enter an open gate and walk around a pond cut in the middle of the garden. Few goats are looking for food. At the other end of the garden a stone stair starts its way climbing the steep mountain. There's no one around. When we reach the top is finally clear how unfit we are. The view from here is incredible, not only on the valley but especially on the Ngo Dong River flowing behind. Another tourist joins us on the top, and when we start breathing again we go for the way down.
In the garden we find a baby goat screaming without rest as it's been left alone on one side of the pond. The goats on the other side don't seem to pay much attention, but we can't help it, because if we get closer it screams even louder! It's time anyway to meet our drivers and get to the close Tam Coc. The Tam Coc experience consists on being paddled in a small boat usually for two people, along the Ngo Dong River through three
caves. There's nothing you can enjoy more there, being rowed on the quiet water surrounded by a stunning landscape. Lonely Planet describes it as a nightmare of scams, but it's nothing like that. Not that they don't try to sell you something, but with a few no thank you, you'll be safe. Tipping is routine and the right (20,000d), our lady at the Perfume Pagoda wasn't happy with a lot more than that!
Hang Ca is the first and longest cave on the route. All of them have quite low ceilings shaped in the same way we've seen in Ha Long Bay. The limestone takes a very soft shape when carved by the water. We share the boat with the same guy we met on top of the mountain, because he is on his own and would be too expensive for him.
Two ladies take us for the journey, and at half the trip they swap. Clearly they tried to sell us some embroidery, obviously they asked for a tip, but it's all fine.
After these two hours in a place of such beauty, we join back our drivers and have some lunch at a restaurant nearby. Once there, after
the meal, we go for a visit to the Bich Dong Pagoda.
This religious site sits inside a cave even more articulated and rich that what appears from outside. We walk through the temple and between the rocks, and make our way to an upper level where we find another altar.
And just outside there, we also find a man that wants to take us up on the hill to see some birds. I don't know if we're been paranoid or not, but it really looked like a scam to us.
So after kindly refusing the offer we go back down to the Pagoda and to the entrance. Back on the motorbikes we head to the Hoa Lu Temples. Here there's a lot more water both sides of the road, and sometimes it covers the road as well. Just outside the temple we find two buffaloes having a bath off the road!
The landscape is wonderful here as well, and the place had been for a short time capital of Vietnam.
Two temples remain to visit here, Dinh Tieu Hoang and Le Dai Hanh, both dedicated to monarchs. It's an interesting place to visit, even thou I must admit that
we've seen a bit too many of this kind.
When we're finished here we ask the guys if they can take us to see the Bai Dinh Pagoda, a gigantic new complex of temples that takes the place of half a hill. The way there has been incredibly wet and funny! Many parts of the road are completely covered by water. I've been pretty lucky and got away quite dry, but for Mike has been great fun. His bike got stuck in the water with the engine stalled and he had to walk all the way through with the water to his knees. Anyway we had a good time and the Pagoda is worth visiting for its size at least.
We think we had enough for the day so we are keen to get back to the hotel. The guys drive us there and after a shower we sit at a table to wait for the night bus. There's plenty of time. We can have a drink and sort our stuff out. It's also time for a bit of social life a a few other people are waiting for the bus as well.
An American girl of 18 travelling for
one year on her own in South East Asia, sits at our table and starts making conversation. An Irish girl on her own also joins us after a while.
We have dinner quite early and at about 20.15 the bus arrives. We've never been on a sleeping bus before. Me and Mike find two beds at the back where another couple of tourists are already laying.
I'm a bit nervous because no one says good things about buses in these countries and we have already experienced the chaos of the highway traffic. Then a girl takes the place beside me, she starts talking about all the accidents she's seen in Vietnam and how dangerous the buses are. I just wonder, why the hell do you take it then?! To upset me with your stories?! After a while that we're been going I feel quite relaxed. It seems all fine.
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