SOUTHEAST ASIA 2024—FEBRUARY 26 – FEBRUARY 28, NINH BINH

We boarded the sleeper train at 23:40 on February 26 and arrived at Ninh Binh at 8:55 the next day.  We were booked at Trang An Ecolodge, very close to the Trang An river that winds its way through otherworldly karst formations in a narrow valley.  The lodge was nestled in a maze of canals and limestone outcroppings.  It was very picturesque, if a little shrouded in mist, with potted orchids suspended from trees along the paths.

Vietnam is 1,650 kilometers in length and has three distinct climate zones.  We were now in the “north” at the tail end of winter / beginning of spring.   After two weeks of hot, sunny weather in the south and middle of the country, we were neither psychologically nor sartorially prepared for the overcast, damp, and quite chilly reception we faced in the outdoor dining area where we waited to check into our room.  Clearly, our light jackets weren’t going to cut it.  The desk clerk who checked us in was wearing a fleece and we asked him where we could buy one.  He gave us directions to the place where he bought his--Tokyolife--and arranged for a scooter rental.  As soon as it arrived, we set off for downtown Ninh Binh in search of the golden fleece.

Downtown Ninh Binh isn’t likely to be on anyone’s bucket list; e.g., see video and still above.  Its claim to fame is its proximity to the karst formations we planned to visit in the Trang An district.  That said, you can find a decent fleece jacket at Tokyolife for 12 Euros, and the street food is excellent. 

This sweet lady took pity on us, as we struggled to figure out what to order for lunch.  She took matters into her own capable hands and served us a delicious soup garnished with very hot pepper sauce and banana flowers (in the middle bowl below).

The next day we took the scooter a few kilometers up the road from our lodge to Hua Lo, the original capital of Vietnam.  Still feeling the chill, we stopped for Vietnamese coffee at a rather strange, empty roadside restaurant that was set up with a revolving Vietnamese version of a disco ball, ready for the hordes of tourists who the owners hoped would arrive later for lunch.  

 

The menu posted outside was a translation nightmare.  Next time I will defo try the prench fried with chicken legs spinning.  Although the burnt rice and goat bread do sound tasty....

But on to the ancient capital.  This is what Wiki has to say about Hoa Lu:

Hoa Lư was the capital of Vietnam from 968 to 1009.  It lies in … rice fields broken by limestone mountains, and is approximately 90 km south of Hanoi.

In the late 10th century, Hoa Lư was the capital as well as the economic, political and cultural center of Đại Cồ Việt, an independent Vietnamese polity founded in 968 A.D. by the local warlord Đinh Bộ Lĩnh…following years of civil war and a violent secessionist movement against China's Southern Han dynasty. Hoa Lư was the native land of the first two imperial dynasties of Vietnam:  the Đinh …and the Early Lê.  Following the demise of the Lê dynasty, in 1010 Lý Công Uẩn, the founder of the Lý dynasty, transferred the capital to Thăng Long (now Hanoi), and Hoa Lư became known as the "ancient capital."

The capital at Hoa Lư covered an area of 300 ha (3.0 km²), including both the Inner and Outer Citadels. It included defensive earthen walls, palaces, temples and shrines, and was surrounded and protected by mountains of limestone.

There is just a fraction of the original capital left now, but it was still well worth visiting.  Here are a few photos, complete with wildlife.

Later that afternoon, we took the four and a half hour boat tour of the Trang An Eco-tourism Complex, recognized in 2014 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its natural and cultural significance.

Vinpearl offers the aerial view above and the following description:

Trang An Eco-tourism Site is part of the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, situated in Ninh Binh Province, 90 kilometers south of Hanoi. Covering over 2,000 hectares, the site comprises a network of waterways, limestone karsts, and caves.

Trang An Vietnam features a 250-million-year-old geological system of limestone mountains with diverse ecosystems, including flooded forests, limestone mountains, and archaeological and cultural relics.

It is renowned for its striking natural beauty, including towering limestone cliffs, verdant forests, and pristine rivers. Moreover, Trang An caves enchants visitors with its beauty of magnificent stalactite formations.

Beyond the natural beauty of the waterways and caves, there were also temples where our small boat stopped so we could disembark to see statues of dynastic rulers and light incense or make offerings if we wished.  It truly was spectacular, even (or maybe especially) enshrouded in mist.  Here's a taste.

 

In our boat we were joined by a family from Leipzig on "Elternzeit," an EU law adopted by Germany which allows up to thirty-six months of unpaid parental leave for parents of children from birth to age 3, with the opportunity to receive a parental allowance based on salary.  This couple were taking a six-month tour of Asia with their young daughter.  Europe!  Such a different value system. 

When we docked after sunset, a little windblown but very happy, the embarkation bureau was aglow with colorful lanterns.  

 

Dinner in the open-air dining room of our lodge, seated as close as possible to portable heat lamps, we ended our full day ready for a foray to Tam Coc on the next.  

Keep it real!

Marilyn