Hanoi to Ninh Binh……then a tour of the temples & pagodas

November 26th

A late arrival in Hanoi followed by an early departure as we have a quick breakfast anticipating the arrival of our ride to Ninh Binh… the Ninh Binh Excursion Limousine Bus. A rather short journey today of 100 km and about 2 hours…

At first sight, Ninh Binh is a rather unpretty town of 160,000 and after a decent drive we arrive at the Friendly Home Hotel by 10:30. The owner meets us as we walk down the laneway, helping us with the luggage.

For us Ninh Binh will serve as a base to explore the surrounding countryside which is also known as “Ha Long Bay on Land”, for an obvious reason – it looks like Ha Long Bay but on land instead of water. There are hundreds of limestone monoliths topped by dense greenery that emerge from the ground, scattered around the city with rivers flowing through them and caves formed in them. There are nearby pagodas and temples to visit, as well as a trek to a mountaintop to get an elevated view of the area. With 2 1/2 days we should have ample time to explore this area.

As we check in we get our regulation welcome and settle into our digs…the price point here is interesting > 3 nights accommodation with breakfast for CAD 105. After discussing our plans with Truong the owner, he offers to take us around to some of the sites immediately for 40 USD for the day. We agree, gather a few things and jump in his car…first stop:

Trang An > Truong makes sure we know where to get tickets {400m Dong each (22 CAD)} for us both and recommends the tour with 3 caves and 3 temples, there being 3 options. The tour takes about 3 hours and people from around the globe come here to admire the caves and temples while enjoying a peaceful boat ride amidst the limestone karsts.

Every boat has one guide/rower who rows from the back of the boat and carries 4 persons, we are quickly joined by 2 rather sullen Spanish girls. Everything is well organized and we are on our way in no time….

As advertised, it is a nice tour and very quickly we have left the madding crowd behind….it is a weekday with relatively few people on the water.

The caves are underground passages created through the erosion of the limestone mountains. The longest is 1000 meters, at times the clearance is so low that we hunker down in in the boat or risk some solid head banging, the way is lit by light bulbs every 20 feet or so >>> quite humid and a tad spooky…..if one is claustrophobic, this part of the trip would be a serious bummer.

Visiting the temples is great because you can stretch your legs, there being virtually no legroom on the boat.

Three hours sounds like a long time but it was a very pleasant and relaxing outing. Then back to the parking lot where we rousted Troung who was fast asleep in the car and drove on to Mua Cave, which in itself is of rather modest interest.

The main attractions here are the panoramic views over the Tam Coc Valley, the limestone mountains and the rice fields stretching out to the horizon. You have to earn these views though, as there are some 500 steps to climb. It was cloudy and warm, making it a rather easy climb up and the views were splendid…

Onwards to the Bich Dong Pagoda which is close to the town of Tam Coc. The pagoda was built by two monks Tri Kien and Tri in the early 18^th century. It is comprised of three pagodas named after their locations on Bich Dong Mountain. Ha Pagoda is at the foot of the mountain, Trung Pagoda is around mid-mountain and Thuong Pagoda is located on the top….so more trudging up and down. Well worth visiting this site which is occupied by women monks to this day.

On our way to the last temple of the day Truong suggests we walk part of the way to get the feel of the local area….a bit odd but it was a great idea. We took in the views as we walked along a quiet road, including a view back to the Mua Cave Peak …..

…and then around a bend in the river a flotilla of lady vendors as they were rowing down the river on their way home chatting and gossiping > note that they row with their legs & feet !! > click the diamond on rhs of the frame for full screen.

 

…then crossed some fields meeting up with him at the Thai Vi Temple. This temple was built by King Tran Thai Tong in 1258 after his victory over the invading Chinese forces. A highlight here was listening to the music played by one of the monks…

Well, this was a full and fulfilling day …..supper at the hotel (more like a homestay) which was simple but tasty….a few Hanoi Bia’s and sack time. Tomorrow promises to be another longish day.