We waited for our tour pickup at 830AM on Sunday and a guy on a scooter drove up and confirmed we've got a reservation for a Ninh Binh tour. He said a shuttle will arrive shortly and rode off. The shuttle does show with about 10 people inside and we board. We continued to pickup a few more at other hotels along with the scooter guy, our tour guide for the day - Jerry. We're beginning to notice that there are almost no Americans in Vietnam. Any caucasians that we encounter are from Europe or Australia.
We're not really sure what we're doing on Sunday because Saturday's tour guide, Binh, pretty much decided for us. We just keep showing up and getting on random shuttles buses. Jerry explained we're going to see the ancient capital temples, get lunch, ride a boat and then finally cycle. The temples are small compared to the massive ones we saw in Thailand but historically significant honoring the first dynasties that formed the country of Vietnam. There was an archaeology exhibit that showed foundations from structures dating back to the 11th century. We stop along the route and have a so-so buffet lunch and I later learn that I should have tried the goat (I didn't) because that is really big in the Ninh Binh province.
Next stop is Tam Coc where we boarded row boats. It is yet another very hot and humid day so Finn and I spend the $3 to get Asian rice hats for some extra sun protection. Our boat is powered by a 65 yo woman who rows Finn and me along the river for about 4 km among these amazing groves and mountain peaks for over an hour. She rows with her feet. We stop to visit a man with a cooler of cokes and beer on the way back and I did buy her a coke. The river is actually crowded with a line of these boats filled with tourists and drivers in both directions so it is a bit Disney-esque but the setting is still stunning. See the photo of a bride and groom in one of the boats in full regalia. Stages appear at a couple of places along the route with singers performing traditional Vietnamese folk music which adds a nice touch.
Jerry set us up with bikes after the boat ride and we ventured out to see some of the rice fields we spotted from the bus. However it started to storm so we only rode for about 10 minutes and never got to the rice fields. We did notice burning patches in the fields from the bus and weren't sure why. We should have asked Jerry. It is probably a pest control technique.
The down side to the day is we spent a total of 5 hours on the bus but it was worth it to see the sights and we had exhausted options in Hanoi. Once back in Hanoi we used one of Mom's recommendations and had dinner at Bun Bo Nam Bo which specializes in South Vietnamese cuisine. I had namesake dish of beef noodle salad and Finn had a seafood dish with kalamari, clams, and fish. A monsoon hits so we cancel any plans to return to the bars and just head back to the place where again we carefully must unlock the gate without dropping the key on the inside.
Monday is a travel day. Our host sends us BBQ pork and egg subs for breakfast which were very nice. We again do a Mom recommendation and have an egg coffee at Cafe Pho Co which provides a rooftop view of the lake. We did some last minute shopping and then await our airport ride -- best friend Binh.
Next stop and blog entry - Tokyo by way of Bangkok!
We're not really sure what we're doing on Sunday because Saturday's tour guide, Binh, pretty much decided for us. We just keep showing up and getting on random shuttles buses. Jerry explained we're going to see the ancient capital temples, get lunch, ride a boat and then finally cycle. The temples are small compared to the massive ones we saw in Thailand but historically significant honoring the first dynasties that formed the country of Vietnam. There was an archaeology exhibit that showed foundations from structures dating back to the 11th century. We stop along the route and have a so-so buffet lunch and I later learn that I should have tried the goat (I didn't) because that is really big in the Ninh Binh province.
Next stop is Tam Coc where we boarded row boats. It is yet another very hot and humid day so Finn and I spend the $3 to get Asian rice hats for some extra sun protection. Our boat is powered by a 65 yo woman who rows Finn and me along the river for about 4 km among these amazing groves and mountain peaks for over an hour. She rows with her feet. We stop to visit a man with a cooler of cokes and beer on the way back and I did buy her a coke. The river is actually crowded with a line of these boats filled with tourists and drivers in both directions so it is a bit Disney-esque but the setting is still stunning. See the photo of a bride and groom in one of the boats in full regalia. Stages appear at a couple of places along the route with singers performing traditional Vietnamese folk music which adds a nice touch.
Jerry set us up with bikes after the boat ride and we ventured out to see some of the rice fields we spotted from the bus. However it started to storm so we only rode for about 10 minutes and never got to the rice fields. We did notice burning patches in the fields from the bus and weren't sure why. We should have asked Jerry. It is probably a pest control technique.
The down side to the day is we spent a total of 5 hours on the bus but it was worth it to see the sights and we had exhausted options in Hanoi. Once back in Hanoi we used one of Mom's recommendations and had dinner at Bun Bo Nam Bo which specializes in South Vietnamese cuisine. I had namesake dish of beef noodle salad and Finn had a seafood dish with kalamari, clams, and fish. A monsoon hits so we cancel any plans to return to the bars and just head back to the place where again we carefully must unlock the gate without dropping the key on the inside.
Monday is a travel day. Our host sends us BBQ pork and egg subs for breakfast which were very nice. We again do a Mom recommendation and have an egg coffee at Cafe Pho Co which provides a rooftop view of the lake. We did some last minute shopping and then await our airport ride -- best friend Binh.
Next stop and blog entry - Tokyo by way of Bangkok!
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