The bus drives past my destination
Around 5 am, we drive through the countryside of Ninh Binh … and the bus does not stop. Nevertheless, when we departed in Hue I made it very clear that I was heading to Ninh Binh. and not the capital. I even showed my bus ticket. When I see a board along the road stating: Goodbye – Hope to see you again in Ninh Binh, I rush forward. The driver’s assistant is snoring. I wake up almost the whole bus trying to let the staff understand that I’m not heading to Hanoi.
Dropped 10 kilometers from the city center
After some hesitation, the driver stops the bus and turns back to Ninh Binh. I am dropped at the nearest hotel. As I am somewhat upset, I note down the name of the tour company and the bus’s license plate. After all, I did tell the assistant about my destination when I entered the bus in Hue. At the hotel, the receptionist understands approximately three words of English, but I manage to let him make a phone call to the guesthouse of my choice. It appears that I am still 10 kilometers far away from the city center of Ninh Binh.
A trip around the countryside of Ninh Binh on the back of a motorbike
At 5 am, it is still pitch dark. Therefore I take a rather costly taxi, but I do manage to get to the guesthouse. The hotel is still closed, but I call them awake. Despite this early hour, the staff arranges a temporary room fairly quickly, so I can go to sleep for a couple more hours. At the late breakfast – early lunch, I book a trip to the countryside of Ninh Binh to visit Tam Coc and Hoa Lu. This is a tour that is only available at the back of a motorcycle. I am curious about the price discussion afterward. At the hotel, I make a deal for a small number of dollars; we will see.
The karst cliffs at Tam Coc resemble Halong Bay
The trip to Tam Coc also called Halong Bay on Land, is a pleasant experience. We float in a boat between the karst cliffs. All explanations are in French, but quite easy to understand to me. On the way back, the boat lady opens a suitcase with lace. In other words, commission time. To get rid of it, she is rather insistent, I buy a small piece. Then, close by, I climb up a hill for a beautiful view of the limestone karst cliffs in the area.
Cloudy weather spoiling the sight
The gray weather is a pity as it somewhat spoils the sight. On a sunny day, this location would allow for some great pictures of the surrounding hills. The tour ends up in Hoa Lu, with a visit to two temples, but those are really inferior to what I have seen in Hue. The abundance of cultural heritage over there grouped on a relatively small site is unmatched. What I enjoyed most of all during my tour today is the motorbike ride through the countryside of Ninh Binh.
Goat meat for dinner
For dinner, I order goat meat. You have to wrap the meat with some vegetables and herb leaves in rice paper and then dip it in a sweet-sour sauce and enjoy it. After my meal, I get into a pleasant encounter with a 48-year-old German. We keep talking for hours about Vietnam and the booming Asian Tigers while the beer flows richly. I decided to stay in Ninh Binh for another day, as it is so much more relaxed than Hanoi.
