Ninh Binh

I arrived here at 5.30am fresh (not) from an overnight sleeper bus. Although the beds were quite comfortable, Vietnamese roads and Vietnamese driving make it almost impossible to sleep. Several times I was nearly bounced out of my bed (I was on the top bunk) and we were constantly swerving from side to side. When I arrived it was pitch black and there was not much in the way of street lighting, but miracle of miracles there was an internet cafe open (well, he was eating his breakfast anyway!) where I waited until my hotel opened. I didn't get very good weather while I was here, but the cool was a bit of a relief from the heat of the south. I went running a couple of times which amused the Vietnamese greatly.

This is a common sight in the countryside but not so common on this dual carraigeway through the town!

The rice paddies around Ninh Binh with limestone peaks as a background

More rice paddies

The paddle boats

There is a monkey sat at the top of this limestone peak if you look carefully. My guide who paddled me out there made noises to encourage them to move about

A limestone cave

It was a very serene kind of place

Rice paddies

Kenh Ga, a village near Ninh Binh. Some people still live on houseboats here, it used to be almost an entirely floating village

A house boat where people sleep in contrast to the concrete house behind

Water buffalo grazing

Me taking control of the steering

A man and his wife fishing

The limestone peaks are very majestic in the background, shame about the concrete houses