Vietnam - Ninh Binh to Dalat 8.1. - 11.1.2018

After waking up in our bamboo hut, packing and enjoying a delicious breakfast, we were picked up at 12:00 PM by the bus that was supposed to take us directly to Hanoi airport. Our flight to Dalat is scheduled for 4:00 PM today and will last about 1 hour and 20 minutes. We didn't think anything of it when we were the only guests on the bus, until the driver angrily yelled at us in Vietnamese because our backpack was on a seat, even though there were still 14 free seats available!

We then met 9 other people in Ninh Binh and surroundings and started to get nervous about making our flight. Finally, 1 hour later, we were on our way, but the joy didn't last long 😊. Suddenly, in the middle of nowhere, we were told to "leave the bus...change the bus". Hm okay...we followed the others, even though it seemed very strange! After 10 minutes, but felt like 2 hours, we got on another bus! Crawling over suitcases and squeezing ourselves into the small seats in the last row! Okay, we don't have 2 hours left until we should be at the airport, so we already started thinking about what our plan would be if we missed the flight 😉. Fortunately, we still arrived on time....now it's time to pack our backpacks and see where we need to go! We quickly found our check-in counter with a huge line of people in front of it! Yes, we quickly noticed that Vietnamese people are world champions in queuing! So we had to defend our seats and could easily drop off our baggage! That was done! Now off to passport control, which also went well! And there we were, sitting in the plane heading south, chasing the sun 😉.

At a small and charming airport, the only plane arrived, and it was already dark! After a few price negotiations, we took a taxi to our accommodation. There, we checked in and went out to find something to eat, as we were almost starving! Yes, breakfast was practically the last thing we had eaten and Ilse was accordingly in a good mood 😉.

Wow, what a view in the morning, waking up and being dazzled by the sun and seeing blue skies! This was the final confirmation that we made the right decision! After a very special breakfast, a sandwich with meatballs, coriander, carrots, and a strange sauce, we were fully motivated to explore Dalat! We didn't go very far, just until the roundabout where we took a photo, and a Vietnamese guy approached us! He works for the Easyriders. They offer motorcycle tours throughout Vietnam, which must be absolutely fantastic (we have already heard about it from a few people we met, especially in Ninh Binh). After we found out that he should bring his recommendations (handwritten in his valuable book), the boss, Mr. Binh, also appeared! His recommendations immediately convinced us, as many Swiss people spoke from the heart. A bit skeptical that we were approached so easily, we can trust him, etc., but all recommendations were super positive and said that the best days in Vietnam were with Mr. Binh! We then had discussions with him, after which he offered us to immediately go on a free sightseeing tour of Dalat, so that we could see how they drive and who they are! One look was enough, and we were hooked! It was really great, and the contract for the 4-day motorbike tour from Dalat to Ho Chi Minh City was signed! We can even extend it to 6 days if it fits us. I can't believe it...but I'm really excited and looking forward to it 😉.
After Mr. Binh and Luu dropped us off at the starting point again, we strolled through the city, ate something, and went back to our accommodation to relax, read, and write the blog 😊. The next day, we wanted to go hiking and took the scooter to LangBiang! We made about ¾ of the way and then turned back because the peak was in dense fog and we couldn't see anything! Still, it was nice to move a little and walk around in nature! So, on Thursday, January 11th, we will start with the Easyriders! We are really looking forward to this adventure!