Today we are due to go on a tour that the hotel has available, with local guide, similar to the one Mum and Dad and I did in Tenerife. We are heading for Tam Coc, Bich Dong and Kenh Ga. We set off with Thao, our local guide a 30yr old Vietnamese lady with self taught English, a new husband, one sickly child and an apartment in Ninh Binh. She has, for a Vietnamese, quite a strong personality I think :)
The schedule changed immediately on set off. We were to go to Bich Dong first so as to walk when it was cooler. Bich Dong was set in an exquisite valley surrounded by shear limestone carst walls. The village had an echo. There were hawkers on the path to the pagoda but not many people. The entrance was over a natural stone slab built bridge similar in type to the ones Dartmoor is so proud of. Over the bridge, under the mini pagoda, along the fig tree and epiphyte lined path next to the limestone walls, to the first temple, built into the rock walls. Bich Dong consists of three 15th century temples to Buddha at varying heights on the carst. All in use. We saw an intricately carved, hemispherical shaped rock on a balance, that when struck rings out. The monks use it to wake the village. Also saw a memorial ossuary to the founding monk. Made it up to the middle pagoda, lovely view somewhat obscured by trees. I got some nice shots of the roof tiles and dragon gargoyles on the temple below. Just getting into the swing of it when the guide announced that the path to the top was 'too dark' as it led through the mountain carst. None of the others were in a mood to pursue this, so we did not go all the way to the top! Hmmm, perils of being in a group. I rolled with it.
Headed for Tam Coc, this was the highlight and was spectacular. We embarked in little rowing boats rowed by locals, rowing with their feet! We were going along the river to the three grottoes or caves (that is what Tam Coc means). We had umbrellas for the sun. This is where they filmed part of Indochine. It would be very romantic if it were not for the numbers of tourists, the hawkers on boats (some selling lotus flower buds) and the fact that our rower, grandma, talked constantly at top volume to fellow rowers. There were much fewer tourists on the way back.
However, I loved it. I saw: a small golden dragonfly, large black and yellow dragonflies, dragonflies shedding, dragonflies mating (and flying at the same time, you had to duck), a tiny sliver of a dragonfly, more duck herds, very small red and brown ducks, a kingfisher, fishing, waterweed in the clear water, lotus flowers, rice paddies up close, oleander flowering (or hibiscus?) purple leaved epiphytes cling to the rock faces, bamboo, a small black and white bird that may be what they cage as songbirds. I wonder why we did not see more animals, for all this lushness? Or, I know why. Later also saw small brown and grey mountain goat, which I had noticed was on the menu at the hotel too.
Clear blue sky, clear water, lush, dark caves we paddled right through under the mountain. The trip lasted about an hour and a half. We disembarked early in order to visit a temple. Lovely temple, 16th century I think, to the Emperor Le Dinh Hanh and his wife and fifth son, who are big in these parts as they realised the local beauty and set up shop here. Inside the temple walls and wooden gates was a lovely courtyard reminiscent again of 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon', only in full daylight. There were two fountains with large water troughs or basins on either side of the entrance, not in action of course, full of green clear water and ahead a small square temple, with flowers on shrine table at the front. Also bushes of the red multimbloom 'single mother' flowers. Up the steps and inside. Here the others did not remove their shoes, let alone cover their shoulders. The guide said it was ok, but I took off my shoes. There were two people there praying! We met an old grey bearded, tiny monk in the brown pyjamas the monks wear here. In the heat my camera battery packed up at this point. At Thao's request he started playing his one stringed harp like instrument, amplified of course. It was actually very surreal and beautiful sound. Very atmospheric. I found I taunts moving. Saw the Buddha statue and behind it the statues of the Emperor and his kin. Fake money and modern packets of biscuits left as offerings. They burn the fake money as offerings, an area of Hanoi used to just sell the fake money and nothing else. All currencies available. Also saw the pikes which were the emblems of the king. Red and gold.
Piled back into the minibus for a local lunch. We asked for air con and got fans. We were taken to another of those huge semi deserted buildings Ninh Binh is full of. This one is being used as a building full of restaurant private rooms. It had full sized white marble rampant lions either side of the marble steps. We had lunch on the second floor, our level had an Alhambra type mosaic working fountain, about 2m long x 1m wide, in the middle of the floor. The food was local and not bad. Again the fried crispy rolls were the best things, I tried the crab soup and water chestnuts (?) which I actually quite liked but were very different, quite...piquant!. No one else tried them. Rice at least is warmer than noodles and the sweet and sour here at least tastes of fresh tomato. I was a little wary of the meat.
After fortunately collecting a new camera battery, set off for Kenh Ga in the hopes of seeing a floating village.
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