Friday, April 22
Departure at. 7.00. The weather was not ideal - overcast skies and little rain. We drove south - two hours from Ninh Binh. We were going to "Kenh Ga" a small fishing village. Here comes not many tourists. We had rented a boat to sail on the river. We had a conspicuous sailing, even though it was a little hazy. We ate lunch in "Kenh Ga". Next stop was the Ba Dinh Pagoda - Vietnam's largest. It is more than 3 times larger than the next largest, is funded by a wealthy man in Ninh Binh. Henning D and I invested in plastic raincoats. We started at the bottom, there were many stairs. Along the stairs there was a gallery of "Buddha Men". Henning D spoke more than 500! The pagoda is divided into 3 sections. Only a mighty bell, more than 10 meters high. The next section is an enormous praying with gilded Buddha statues. Very overwhelming. There was also a pagodetårn - 12 floors. We took an elevator up and enjoyed the stunning views. What remained was only the top pagoda. Again an overwhelming gilded statue of Buddha. Then came Hoa Luu, North Vietnam's first imperial city. The last emperor was in 1010 the capital moved to a place at the Red River. He named it Thang Long. In the late 1700s the name was changed to Hanoi. In Hoa Luu got Khoa, Elisabeth and I bicycles. We drove through the beautiful landscape to Tam Coc. It is also called the Halong Bay on land. Henning D drove with the driver to the hotel. Today many stairs had drained forces, so everyone went to bed early.
It was foggy, but it just made the beautiful landscape an enchanted feeling
On the wall of the long corridors were statues of Buddhism wise men lined up. You believe that you have something of man's wisdom, when you touch the knees.
From cruise on the river
Hoa Lu pagode
More about Hoa Lu
Even more about Hoa Lu and Tam Coc
Saturday, April 23
We started 9am in the morning with boat trip on the river here in Tam Coc. Elisabeth and Henning D in a boat, I in another. The weather had changed. High sun in the morning. Here are incredibly beautiful, so taken many photos. One more beautiful than the other. We sailed through 3 caves. The first is the largest. The next slightly smaller. After the last cave, which is the smallest, we turned around. There are lot of vendors and photographers at the river all the time, trying to make a trade with us. They have a very special way to the tranquility of your feet and then pipe the forward and not backwards as in Denmark. It was a hot day, so when his hands were free they could sit with an umbrella, which shielded from the sun. Here were also many birds. Henning D and Elisabeth studied them closely. There were also many goats that jumped around on the hillsides. The trip takes 2 hours. It was good that we started early for it was hotter and hotter. Many tourists in the area are day tourists from Hanoi, so the hotel makes a great buffet, which we also enjoyed. After a good lunch, we were ready for new challenges. It was for a bike ride to a bird park, where again there were many birds. Fortunately we were able to enjoy the birds an hour before being swarmed in with noisy young people in boats, which sail right up to the stork colony. For dinner we chose a French restaurant. Was now vietnamese but tasted fine. When dinner is finished, we are also ready, so it was just for a coffee on the terrace. In the morning we drive to the national park Cuc Phung, where we stay overnight.
Note that rowed with their feet
A small video sequence which shows their rowing technique.
figures are gold-plated bronze! The many huge columns of wood were made from rain forest felled in Laos :-(
Asian Open Bill Storks called nature, as we saw a colony of.
From our bike ride
Sunday, April 24
We said goodbye to Thang Long Hotel in Tam Coc. It has been a violent storm with rain in the night, but the breakfast was fine. We need to Coc Phuong National Park, one of Vietnam's largest national parks. We have an overnight stay in small bungalows. Cuc Phuong also acts as the animal hospital for langurer and monkeys. Also animals that records have been confiscated from hunters, can stay there. You feed them and rehabilitates animals that lends itself to it. We got a review of the work you do for animals. Then we went to our bungalows. Later we drove the 20 km into the park itself where we would walk a particular route. There were many Vietnamese visitors, because it was Sunday. I knew from last year that the hike is tough with many steep stairs, so I turned rather quickly on. Henning D held out a bit longer and the rest of the group went right up to the very old wood, which is more than 1,000 years old. Before we walked, we had eaten lunch. There were many students that I entertained myself with. When all was till baking we drove back to the bungalow and took a little rest before we visited the botanical gardens nearby. We came mostly for bird watching, but it's hard to find birds in the dense vegetation. Dinner at. 19. Elisabeth, Henning D and I got us a cup of coffee before we went to bed.
Some langurer from the care center in Cuc Phuong
Our "house" it is with the car in front
Walk in the national park
Monday, April 25
It thundered and lightened, and also dropped a lot of rain. We were up early for bird watching. It was now most to "hear" them, for they remain in hiding. We could also hear gibbonen up in the mountains! It was a beautiful morning in Cuc Phuong. After breakfast we had a long drive to Oanh Lee's childhood home, but first we had to pick her up. She was driven by bus from Hanoi to a town on the road to her home. It was 3 1/2 hour drive along narrow, bumpy roads through a varied landscape. 200 km we drove until we were promoting in the village of Mina Ho. We were received by the family - father, mother and brother, and that was quickly served a nice lunch. We were among others the most delicious freshly squeezed orange juice oranges from their own orchard. We took a rest before that was the tour of the family's orange groves. They have more than 1000 trees on two hectares of land. Oranges are harvested from October to March, so only the next generation, which was small and green. We also saw mandarin trees. The fruits were green yet, but they tasted good and was very juicy. Orchard's oranges have a high quality, so farmers earn well on appelsinavl in Oanh Lee's village. Back in the house stood on cooking. The aunt was indforskrevet to slaughter the chicken, which was to be used for the evening feast. We ate exciting dishes pm. about 19:30. Oanh Lee had been informed by his staff that there were problems with the party people who demanded "protection money" in her shop in Hanoi, so she had to return to Hanoi by night bus to see what she could do. Corruption is fierce here so people succeed in business must constantly pay for party officials in order to exist. She was very frustrated and furious, but there is not much the individual can do on the system. The trick is to pay as little as possible. We agreed to continue to run right after breakfast the next day so we could reach Hung Yen Phu Cu earlier than intended. Then we namely reaching back to Hanoi in good time.
Sale At tour of the plantation
Sale At tour of the plantation
Dinner is prepared
Tuesday, April 26
After breakfast we drove from Oanh Lee's parents' home. We had a long drive to the Hung Yen Phu Cu. Here lives the family Hang and Khue. They have three daughters, all married. Huy and her husband and her two children, her sister's husband and daughter + parents were there. They had cooked all day. Again an exciting meal. There was also offered homemade schnapps flavored with beeswax from hives of content! The men drank several shot glasses, and we immediately got 3 liters with which we kune enjoy later. The evening meal we jumped above. We were so well fed! Now it is packed for two days in the town of Ban Lac in Mai Chau. The people called the White Thai, as they dawn immigrated from Thailand.
There was right tire to the guests. Was conjured up in a kitchen of less than 2 square meters.
The small kitchen where all the food was made. It might look a bit dingy, but hygiene is good and all flesh is either boiled or fried.