Ninh Binh
From The Big One in Ninh Binh, Vietnam on May 03 '07
This entry is about:
After a bum numbing 16 hours the bus spewed me onto the tarmac at 6am. There was a guy with a guesthouse over the road. It was cheap and clean so off to bed .A couple of hours later I'm feeling awake enough to explore rural Vietnam.
Ninh Binh has little to offer in itself but it's the nearest place to see some amazing scenery. Tam Coc and Van Long are home to stunning rock formations surrounded by shallow waters. For less than 2 pounds a rowboat will take you on a tranquil couple of hours through the rice fields where every direction boasts views of breathtaking beauty and the only sounds that of birdsong and the rhythmic splish of the oars.It must be hard on the arms after a while - so they use their legs instead! Sensible; it just looks odd. We rode through a couple of low ceiling tunnels with enough light to give a perfect reflection of the roof.
I really felt privileged to have this entire landscape to myself. As we headed back a mob of tourists were piling into boats , so the moral is to get there early! I wasn't so lucky at Tam Coc and had to share my paradise with a few other boats.
I had a moto to take me out to these places as public transport is non existent and I'm not willing to take my chances riding myself. I think I'd last 5 minutes in a land where the horn takes the place of brakes. One of the drawbacks of a non English speaking rider is that you're at his mercy , so I did two very similar boat trips and visited a couple of temples I really wouldn't have bothered with.The other drawback is that I had questions about what I was seeing and couldn't get any answers
The Floating Village of Kenha Ga was another boat trip but well worth it. I felt a little intrusive as people went about their daily routines and didn't take any pics of them washing clothes in the waters as I wanted . Silly really , because I'm sure they're used to it . The number of tourists here is set to skyrocket as apparantly a resort is under construction , roads are being built and I fear this fantastic rural landscape will change. It's a double edged sword of course as it's locals who will benefit ,financially at least , from the influx.
I'm in an Internet cafe ( obviously ) and a little girl has just been practising her English saying " How are you?" repeatedly to her brother . When I said " very good" she saw this foreigner . Her eyes widened and covering her mouth she ran away!
I've not dined on any of the local wildlife partly because i"ve not seen it advertised but mainly because I think the wild is where they belong.Heaven knows there's enough pressure on animals survival without us eating them. Dogs , however are never going to become extinct...
I was told that a local diner do a tasty doggy dish so off I went. I found a little room of rickety wooden tables and plastic chairs. No menus or indeed anyone who spoke English. I ended up with a range of dishes before me and some rice wine. The locals staring and laughing at this guy who didn't know what anything was. One dish had cubes of fatty meat and another meat wrapped in cabbage type leaves. It all tasted quite disgusting .But with the entire clientel and owner watching me eat I had to smile and force some down. In the background I could hear a dog yelping...
I never found out for sure what I had for dinner but I did feel a little rrrrruff later (sorry) .
The next day it was back on the bike to Cuc Phuong National Park.First stop was the Endangered Primate Rescue Centre. where apes rescued from poachers are prepared for return to the wild. It was a good time to be there as it's breeding season so lots of cute babies. In meetings at work we were told that theres no such thing as a stupid question . I beg to differ. A guy asked ' What's the biggest threat to the monkeys survival ' . Er.. could it be man?
Next up was a hike thru the forest . Never have I seen so many butterflys. Clouds of white with a tasteful sprinkling of orange! I didn't see much other wildlife but I wasn't surprised as it was mid morning, too late for many animals to be active and too noisy with other people..
On the way there were great images of the countryside. Oxen pulling carts , women in the rice fields ;all picture postcard stuff. One thing I wasn't expecting was the searing pain in my bum after being on the bike a while. I had to keep shifting position but soon had aches in legs too! Was glad to get off and have no wish to get back on one soon.
I've had a great time here and would heartedly recommend a visit here if natures your thing .If its nightlife you're after, you might be better going to my next stop ; Hanoi
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