Vietnam - All Change and Down to Ninh Bình

Friday 08 July 2022

It was travel day today and it's about time I supplied a map so you can see where we went.

And this is the whole of Vietnam so you can see just how much we didn't see!

We left Bac Ha at 0930 and drove south.  Unlike all the other drives we’d had on this tour, this one was mainly all toll road highway so fast.  Our driver even hit 90 km at one stage:  he was a steady and safe driver, not in a blazing rush and super patient. Time for a nap.

We had our first experience of a Vietnamese motorway service station.  Overpriced like the world over.  I was fascinated by hitching on the motorway - and, yes, the buses really did just pull over, semi into the hard shoulder, to pick up passengers.

Back to the big smoke of Hanoi - such a change from our morning view on the right!

On reaching central Hanoi, Dat and I scurried off to buy stamps as we’d been unsuccessful in Bac Ha (they didn’t have stamps of high enough denomination).  We had a little more success here but the postal system isn’t geared up to international postcard stamp purchase and, by the time we’d stuck the stamps on, the whole of the top row of the card was full.  I was also amused that it cost 30,000d (~£1.20) to send a postcard to UK and New Zealand but 31,000d to send one to Luxembourg.  Must be awkward to find those little countries.

Our tour guide/driver left us in central Hanoi and we plonked ourselves in a coffee shop with internet - we had to wait until the last minute to receive the registration plate of the minibus which was taking us to Ninh Bình.  It all came through in time and we then hurtled down the highway to our next destination. Unlike Mr Long, our previous driver, this one appeared determined to let nothing overtake him.  Quite scary at times with the weaving in and out of the other vehicles but we made it to our lodge in one piece.

Saturday 09 July 2022

I was still feeling rubbish today so the fact that it was chucking it down all morning didn’t matter as it was nice to get some relaxation in.  At midday the rain ceased so we headed off on foot to explore.  

It was 2 km to Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam (circa 968-1009).  

First off was Dinh Tien Hoang temple.

Then a 331 step climb up to a small on the hill with no views.  I think the shrubbery has grown over the last 1000+ years obscuring the amazing views.

Back down we then saw a sign to another temple, which was a pleasant walk although hot as ever.  I had first seen graves in paddy fields in Hanoi but had never been able to take a decent photo until now (usually because we were whizzing past in a car).  I'd asked Dat about these - the graves are in amongst the rice fields because the locals own that particular patch and want to have their family graves closeby so they can keep their ancestors safe and loved.  I think it may also cost to put a grave in a municipal site.

Not much to see here but the bonsai looked ancient.

And finally a short stroll around the temple dedicated to Le Dai Hanh.

And then past the central pagoda on our way out.

Next we visited Am Tien Pagoda.  The temple looked original but nothing else did and this has been developed into a very pleasant lake tourist spot where you can hire bikes to pedal around it.

We should have borrowed bikes for today as, by the time we walked back towards our lodge, we’d clocked up quite a few km on foot (and did I say it was hot?).

However we called it a day and wandered back to the lodge for a cooling dip in the pool.  Beautiful water lilies here.