This was a worthwhile one day trip. First stop was at the Vietnam’s very first capital city Hoa Lu from which the Mongol invasion was repelled. From there we took a one hour bicycle trek through the rice fields amid the steep limestone rock formations, similar to those in Ha Long. This gave us a chance to observe from very close up the planting of the rice from their seed beds into the paddies and pass through a few hamlets with ancient brick and plaster homes. The disadvantage of these “Cook” tours is that it is hard to get away from the crowds but the advantage is that you get a chance to meet fellow travellers from many parts of the globe. And the tour leader did a an excellent job in watching his flock on the bicycle trek and the two hour excursion on the river through three caves where two tourists were rowed by two boats(wo)men. I had dinner with Maud in Hanoi, her friends Martine and Caroline are off to Halong Bay till tomorrow. Today the two of us will explore Hanoi by bicycle. Its unseasonal warm this week and the peach blossoms for this Sunday’s new year celebration are opening up prematurely.
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- Planting from the seed beds
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- Tam Coc
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- Temple at Hoa Lu
