SOUTHEAST ASIA 2024--FEBRUARY 29 - MARCH 1, NINH BINH TO HA LONG BAY

February 29:  Another misty, cool day at Trang An Ecolodge.   

We could only imagine how glorious the landscape would look bathed in sun, and how inviting the pool and walkways would be were it not drizzling and the temperature a chilly 15° C.  Oh, well.  Great weather for sightseeing in the mountains.

First stop:  Tuyet Tinh Coc.  This site is located across the road from Hoa Lu, the ancient capital we'd visited the day before.  It is accessed by a long tunnel carved into the limestone mountains that surround Giai Lake.

This is what the lake would have looked like had it been sunny, photo courtesy of Vinpearl. And this is what it actually looked like.

There are a couple of cafes along the lake selling drinks and trinkets, and there are plenty of pavilions, boats festooned with paper lanterns, and flowering trellises perfect for Instagram posts.

But the real attraction at Tuyet Tinh Coc is Am Tien Pagoda, emerging from the mist in the first photo below the one of the lake, above.  (By the way, there is little architectural or religious difference between a Buddhist pagoda and a Buddhist temple.  Both are places of reflection and worship.  This site has a good explanation with images:  Song of Travel.)

The pagoda is reached by a series of very steep stone steps which, on the day we visited, were quite slick with moss and heavy dew—well, let's call it by its name:  rain.  The hike was worth the effort though, as the pagoda is carved right into the limestone mountain.  

At the very top of this complex is an inner sanctum set deep into a silent cave with a crystal clear pool.  If not for the lighting, we would have been in total darkness. 

 Next stop:  Tam Coc.  This is Ninh Binh’s other karst outcroppings / river tour area snaking through rice paddies.  Our lodge concierge had advised us that Tam Coc was not as scenic as Trang An and much more touristy.  That was true.  However, Tam Coc is the site of a very interesting temple complex called Bich Dong, which had been strongly recommended by Lonely Planet. 

So, off we set on the motor bike and stopped just outside Tam Coc for lunch, which proved to be our first unsatisfactory meal.  I ordered banh mi, the wonderful French-inspired sandwich lauded by Tony Bourdain and which we had loved in Hoi An.  This banh mi, however, was served on a submarine sandwich style roll with the consistency of Wonder Bread, shaped like, but not at all tasting like, a crispy baguette.  I guess it had to happen in Vietnam sometime:  severe food disappointment. 

The approach to Bich Dong takes you over a stone bridge across a stretch of the Ngo Dong River that widens into a lake at the pagoda, pictured in this image from Vinpearl.   

In the right season, the lake fills with lotus, which are apparently very fragrant when in bloom (photo courtesy of Vinpearl).

 

Vinpearl has a good description of the pagoda with excellent photos on the website.

Originally constructed in 1428 during the reign of Emperor Ly Thai To, Bich Dong Pagoda used to be a small pagoda nestled in Ngu Nhac Mountain. 

In 1705, two Buddhist monks named Tri Kien and Tri The discovered this pagoda and re-constructed it into three levels: Lower Pagoda (Ha Pagoda), Middle Pagoda (Trung Pagoda), and Upper Pagoda (Thuong Pagoda).

In 1774, Lord Trinh Sam of Dang Ngoai (Outer Land) visited the pagoda and was impressed by the breathtaking panoramic view of nature there. The pagoda caught his attention, and he named it Bich Dong (Green Pearl Cave) Pagoda.

Because Bich Dong is an active Buddhist monastery, there were signs admonishing decorous behavior.

We were wearing politely, so no worries.  

Best of all were the signs illustrating “The Law of Cause and Effect,” a karma comic book, if you will. 

Chastened, we mounted the 500+ very steep stone steps up the very steep stone mountain to the temple, which was actually a series of three temples, the last one being completely within a very dark cave.  (I was beginning to see a pattern here.)  The way up was directed through a narrow, low passageway seen to the left below.

 

The satisfaction of reaching the Upper Pagoda more than made up for my lousy sandwich.  

The guide books say the best time to visit Tam Coc is early May - late June, when the rice fields are golden and the grain is ready for harvest (photo from Vietnam+).

Our last stop for the day was Thai Vi Temple. Vinpearl describes its history and architecture:

Thai Vi Temple marks one of the prosperous periods of Buddhism in Vietnam under the Tran Dynasty. Built in the 13th century, Thai Vi Temple is a famous historical tourist destination in Vietnam. Unlike other grand temples, Thai Vi Temple has a simpler and gentler appearance. It is known as the place where King Tran Thai Tong retired and began his spiritual practice after years of ruling the country.

Thai Vi Temple features an architectural style that blends Eastern and Western elements. All the pillars inside and outside the temple are made of solid green stones, intricately carved with elegant and graceful floral patterns.

Upon entering the temple, visitors are immediately greeted by a large courtyard, measuring approximately 40 square meters. The main walkway and courtyard are both paved with green stones, adding to the temple's distinctiveness.

One of the most notable features of the temple is the Five Great Gates, which are intricately carved with traditional Chinese letters. These letters are displayed prominently on the stone columns outside the gates and on the wooden beams of the gate's roof.

The courtyard was set up for some kind of a celebration starring horses.  

 

Inside the temple itself were hundreds of cut flowers that filled the air with an intense perfume.  Every stone surface was richly carved.

 

Adding to the exotic ambiance was an old man playing a bamboo flute and the dan bao.  We learned from our hotel concierge that his name is Chu Van Thim and he is 80 years old.  He began volunteering as a kind of guard at Thai Vi Temple many years ago and decided to teach himself how to make and play this ancient instrument. Somehow he also figured out how to amplify the sound with an electrified speaker system.  The music that filled the temple was ethereal.

On our ride back to the lodge, we saw boats guiding passengers through the rice fields and karst formations of the Ngo Dong River.  This woman was rowing and steering with her feet!

March 1st:  Last day at Trang An Ecolodge, and up early for the 7:00 van to Tuan Chao/Quang Ninh and our overnight cruise on Ha Long Bay.  The weather was still cool and cloudy, but the unexpected hug I received from our room maid who came to say goodbye was warm and sunny.  She handed me a bag with two sandwiches, bottles of water, chips, and some fruit for the road.  This gesture was not unique in our experience on this trip.  The Vietnamese people we met were without exception helpful, sweet, gentle, generous, and kind.  This spontaneous show of affection and the haunting memory of Chu Van Thim playing his self-made dan bao in a 13th century temple in the middle of off-the-beaten-path flooded rice fields made me, frankly, a little sad to leave Ninh Binh, but we had a boat to catch.

 Keep it real!

Marilyn