South East Asia 2019: 21st May

It is raining. Has been for most of the night apparently. So we make our way to the bus under umbrellas. There is definitely a change in temperature.

Our journey to Ninh Binh takes around 2 hours with a short stop at the roadside "supermarket" of all things made (??) in Vietnam. Such variety!!

Our first stop is Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam. Here is where the first king set up court with his 300 wives. There are still many temples around the grounds.

The scenery is stunning as the limestone cliffs surround the area.

Lunch is at a local restaurant, serving the areas speciality, goat. Plus fried rice, chicken, beef stir fry and soup. You can't go hungry on this tour,

After lunch we are taken to the river to board small sampans / river boats, to be paddled along to visit Tarn Coc or the three caves. What a great part of the tour. You are paddled down the river (using their feet by the way) past great towering cliffs, rice paddies and fields. You pass through the three caves and emerge unscathed out the other side. There are a number of boats going up and down. How busy this place would be in high season is not a pleasant thought. It is a great part of the tour. We see some storks in a tree and a couple of goats high up on the cliffs. Great scenery though.

Our trip back to Hanoi takes a couple of hours. The temperature is pleasant this evening for our walk to tea. It is so much easier to walk around.