After our boat cruise we took a bus south of Hanoi to Ninh Binh, which has been dubbed ‘the Ha Long Bay on land’. Here the craggy limestone mountains jut up from the rice fields and rivers. Unfortunately it was difficult to capture great photos because of the hazy weather, so you’ll have to take our word for it on how beautiful it is.
We spent our 2 days in the saddle of gear-less Vietnamese bicycles, complete with baskets. It was a flat pedal to numerous temples, pagodas, and viewpoints.
A highlight was a hike up a million stairs to a viewpoint high above the river and village.
We also visited the boating area that was featured on the Amazing Race a couple of seasons ago. The women impressively row the oars of the boats using only their feet.
Today we parked the bikes to look at a viewpoint. When we returned, RobO’s bike was surrounded by Asian women. When they spotted him, they immediately gathered around him for a paparazzi photo op. He’s pretty sure that they recognized him from his band Audrey Three. 😂
Anyone have a hankering for a goat snack?
We’re now back in Hanoi, playing frogger in the scooter traffic again. Tomorrow morning I fly to India for my friend Raman’s wedding (eek! So excited!) while RobO starts his journey to the polar vortex of Canada on Saturday.