Day 155 Ninh Binh

Today it is time to leave Hanoi and start my journey south. First stop on the way to Ho Chi Min is Ninh Binh. Ninh Binh is only a good 3 hours drive from Hanoi.

So this morning we took the bus to Ninh Binh. On the way, we made a stop outside the first royal city of Vietnam at an old temple. The temples here are not dedicated to any gods, but to kings, generals, and great warriors. Temples dedicated to gods are called pagodas here.

So we visited the temple of one of the first kings of Vietnam. He decided that, after gaining independence from China, Ninh Binh, due to its geographical location, would be a more optimal place for the capital. This is because it is not easy to attack and can be well defended thanks to the mountains surrounding the city. However, years later, this geographical advantage became a disadvantage as the capital city continued to grow and eventually there was no more space for all the people. So Hanoi became the capital and the royal seat.

After lunch, we explored the landscape a bit. The best way to do this here is from a boat. So we boarded small rowing boats, operated by local women, to explore. However, the women did not row in the traditional style with their arms, no, they rowed with their feet. At first, it seems a bit abstract but it seems to work quite well. We made good progress. And the big advantage of rowing with your feet is that you have your hands free to hold an umbrella or make phone calls.

The landscape was very beautiful. The small river meandered through the large karst hills which dominate the landscape here. We passed through a small cave twice. The women effortlessly rowed us upstream and back for a good 2 hours. It was really enjoyable.

After the boat tour, it was time for us to move again. We were given bicycles and rode to the nearby pagoda. On the way, we passed various rice fields that were built in the plains between the karst hills. The pagoda was built into one of these karst hills.

I didn't find the pagoda itself particularly impressive, but there was an opportunity to climb to the top of the hill. And the view from up there was much better than the pagoda. However, since it was once again a pretty hot and humid day, it was quite a sweaty experience.

After the pagoda, the rest of the group made their way back to Hanoi, but I stayed in Ninh Binh and went in search of a hostel.