Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Ninh Binh to Hanoi

17 November (pm) Ninh Binh  
Arriving in Ninh Binh before 8:30am, we found our hotel (we thought) easily. Turned out to be the No 2 version of the hotel, but they had our reservation and No 2 is new, so all was well. Checked in, got ourselves sorted and grabbed a cab out to Tam Coc. Billed as the inland Halong Bay, we had fairly high expectations. We were also aware that scams and pressure selling are major problems. Trapped on small boats, which locals  propel along rowing (mostly) with their feet, tourists are fair game for enterprising, pushy purveyers of fruit, trinkets and drinks, who wait in ambush near the end of the pleasant and mostly peaceful trip up the river and through the caves. Fore-warned, we promised our lady rower a good tip if she avoided the flotilla of mini shops that lay in wait. She did a great job and although she did try to sell us some of her own handiwork, she desisted as soon as we declined. The $5 for the tip was well worth the peace and it would have made her day. These poor folk get almost nothing for their efforts in paddling hefty Westerners for an hour and a half.  
All that aside, the area is a true natural wonder. Even on a very average day like today, the scenery and the activities of the fishermen along the route made for an interesting and, as it turned out, relaxing trip.

It may not interest everybody, but as we were taking some photos of our gear for insurance purposes (a little late we know) we thought we would give potential bargain travellers some idea of what we carry with us on trips to S-E Asia. It should be stated here that this is a trip to areas where it is uniformly hot to warm, so winter clothing is not required. We also had to meet cabin luggage requirements to avoid extra charges on this trip and this included a 7kg weight limit. The contents shown are for the smaller of our bags (Paul's). All that is missing is one set of clothes and a pair of sandals, which were being worn at the time! And the camera that took the shots. Basically there is a small bag of electronic bits and bobs including adaptor plugs, chargers, etc, three sets of clothes, toiletries, rain coat, umbrella and a sleeping bag liner. Total weight, just above 6kgs.  

18 November Ninh Binh   Visited Cuc Phuong
National Park today with a guide and car along with another Australian couple and their 8 year old boy. At $33 each for the full day it was a bit steep by Vietnam standards, but there are very few options to see the park from here. As it turned out, it was a great day, good company and a well-informed guide who also happens to work at our hotel (funny that?). Phuong, the guide, was once a Park Ranger in the Cuc Phuong Park, so he was a font of knowledge. Nothing in the park was truly spectacular, but it was nice to get out and about in what passes for wilderness in Vietnam.
The rainforest is much the same as those in northern Queensland, but without the heat! It was a very mild day, so the 7km walk to the 1000 year old tree, so named by 'Uncle Ho Chi Minh' was easy and extremely peaceful.

Next on our agenda was the Cave of Prehistoric Man. A nice climb of 200+ steps up the mountainside took us to the site where remains of human habitation dated at 7500 years ago was discovered. Good fun to roam about in a large cave system with just a few torches, but little of major historical significance remains.  

Our visit to the Primate Rescue Centre in the Park was a little sad. Much of Vietnam's wildlife is gone or  endangered. Poaching and loss of habitat have wiped out many species. The Centre attempts to breed up primates and return them to the wild. The first part is hard enough, but finding safe locations to release the few animals that are able to fend for themselves is almost impossible. As with many things in Vietnam, they are trying, but it is an enormous task and with the limited resources they have, one has to fear for what remains of Vietnam's primates.  
Ninh Binh is a small provincial city of just under 200,000 people. The pace of life here is a little slower than in the big cities. As usual, there is a lot of sitting around in the streets, lots of chatting, eating and drinking coffee and tea at all hours of the day. Getting a feed after 8:00pm can be a bit of a challenge though.

Last night, Saturday night, we found a restaurant that served the local delicacy, goat, 'De' in Vietnamese. We decided to give it a try. Sad to say, we probably picked the worst restaurant in town to eat. The goat was as tough as old boots and the service was terrible. It's not often that we are disappointed with our food options in Vietnam, but this was a shocker. And to make matters worse, it was expensive. An outrageous 290,000 dong, $15 including drinks.  

Hanoi is our last stop in Vietnam before heading back to KL to catch the plane home. So it's off to the Ga (Station) Ninh Binh for us tomorrow to catch the 8:00am Reunification Express to Hanoi. Just a 2-3 hr trip.  

19 November, Rising Dragon Palace Hotel, Hanoi
Don't let anybody ever tell you Hanoi is a pretty city. Yes, there are a few remnants of the grand old French boulevards and a picturesque lake in the centre of the city but, on the whole, Hanoi's cityscape is more than a bit of a shambles. Much of the city was destroyed during the American War and what has been rebuilt is an enormous jumble of narrow, four to six storey, concrete buildings. The air pollution is so bad that even on a clear day, it is impossible to see any blue in the sky. The streets are jammed with motorbikes, the footpaths often impassable, chickens peck at goods displayed on the streets and the background symphony of tinny bike horns is only disturbed by the ear-piercing blast from a bus or truck   But you've still got to love it!  

This is big city Asia in the early 21st century and, at the rate things are going, it is a sight that will soon disappear, as better living standards and economic growth change cities like Hanoi and many others across Asia. It may not be pretty, but it is vibrant, exciting and interesting, especially to those of us who have grown up in the neat, clean orderly world of the developed West.  

As usual, we have come to the end of our trip with a day up our sleeve. As this is our second visit to Hanoi, we have seen most of the sights, so the next couple of days will be a bit of a holiday after the difficult 'work' of the past few weeks.  

20 November, Rising Dragon Palace Hotel, Hanoi  
After a bit of a late night due to a friendly encounter with a couple of interesting German fellow travellers over a few glasses of Bia Hoi, we had a bit of a slow start today. Bia Hoi is a local draught brew that is served on the street corners at outrageously cheap prices. It is a brew that is fresh for only one day so, theoretically, each new keg is just a day old. No unusual after effects this morning, so we might be back for more tonight.  

We have always been bits of fans of Uncle Ho (Ho Chi Minh). Perhaps it was those blissful/ignorant days at universtiy in the early '70s, chanting "Ho... Ho... Ho Chi Minh" at demonstrations against the Vietnamese war? We made the pilgrimage to his tomb in Hanoi last time we were here to pay our respects, but we thought we might go again to see if his appearance had altered after another 5 years. Sadly, Uncle Ho was unable to welcome us. He only receives visitors between 8:00am and 11:00am, so we will have to return tomorrow.

Along the way we dropped in to the Vietnamese Military Museum. We have been here before as well, but we just love reading the inscriptions on the exhibits, particularly those about the shooting down of hundreds of American planes by pensioners, patriotic women and other assorted party heroes. It is just amazing what a rifle can do against a B52. Seriously. There is a great bit of modernist art in the grounds of this museum. It is a collection of parts of American aircraft that were shot down, welded into a form resembling one crashed aircraft. In the front of the structure is a greater than lifesized photo of a Vietnamese woman dragging the tail piece of a US aircraft along a road like a trophy kill.  

We then headed a little out of town to the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology. Yet another haggling match with a taxi driver bought the fare down from 250000 dong ($12.50) to 150000 ($7.50) dong, and even that was probably a bit more than it should have been. And then the cheeky little b.... asked for a tip. Even he had to laugh at that attempt. The museum was a big surprise, easily the best of any museum we have seen in South-east Asia, with a fantastic outdoor component with reconstructed buildings from a range of ethnic villages from around the country.  

Our final museum for the day was the Vietnamese Women's Museum, excellently presented over three levels. Probably the most interesting was the Women in History section which detailed women's roles in the political and military history of the country. Make no mistake. These women are TOUGH. They can command guerilla groups, bring down planes with a rifle, mend roads, till the fields, tend the wounded and still be home to care for the children and cook dinner. Seriously though, it was a well-earned recognition of women's roles in the life of a country so ravaged by wars.  
Tomorrow will be the last day of our trip, so we'll probably have another go at visiting Uncle Ho and maybe take in a movie.  

Five years ago, on our first visit to Vietnam and Cambodia, we had been a little apprehensive.  
Was it going to be difficult to get about?
Was it dangerous?
Would we be ripped off at every turn?
Would we get sick?  

Since then, we have spent close to four months travelling independently about S-E Asia and feel far more at ease. However, even with the great positive experiences we have had throughout Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Malaysia, it must be said that a possible answer to all four of the above questions could well be yes!  

Yes. It can be difficult to get about, but that's half the fun and meeting these challenges is surely what independent travel is all about.  

Yes. It can be dangerous, particularly on the roads and in city traffic. All S-E Asian countries have horrific road casualty statistics. You just have to take care out on  the streets and travel with reputable companies.  

Yes. You can and probably will be 'ripped off' at some time travelling in S-E Asia. Just keep it all in perspective and learn from your mistakes. After all, the difference between a 100,000 dong cab fare and a 500,000 cab fare is $20. Paying 20,000 dong for a beer rather than 10,000 dong is 50 cents. And in both cases, if you accessed the same service at home it would cost you way more than even the price that you were 'ripped off'.  

Yes. You may well get sick, We have been on a couple of occasions and we are fairly careful with food and personal hygiene and have 'cast iron stomachs'. A touch of the 'Ho Chi Minh Heaves' is not the end of the world. Just be sure to have all the recommended vaccinations, to avoid any serious illnesses, before you leave home and work out the local word for Gastro!

We don't have any plans for an immediate return to S-E Asia, but Myanmar is looming as an interesting prospect.

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