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 ...