Wednesday at noon Jan and I were picked up by a hotel 16 seat bus for the two hour (80 km) ride to Ninh Binh, south of Hanoi. In the bus with us was a family from Australia, whose father a physician from Sri Lanka, via Australia was friendly and outgoing. For a time, as we bumped our way down a not always smooth highway, he and I discussed Christianity and his disbelief. He attended a Catholic school and mostly appreciates Christian values . In fact he works for an NGO and is committed to improving Vietnam's medical care for mothers and infants. However I could not get through to this humanitarian atheist that Jesus was worth his consideration and belief. Frustrating.
In the area of Ninh Binh are limestone outcroppings that rise 50 to 200 meters out of rice fields. These massive "mini" mountains jut out of absolutely flat land and seem so incongruous. In one area with our guide we rented a boat (with female rower) and for two hours travelled among these outcroppings, passing by boat through 8 different caves from 30 meters to 300 meters in length. Often we needed to duck in our row boat to avoid the low hanging cave roof. At times we experienced complete silence other than the regular sound of the oars. Lovely.
We took another boat ride - larger boat with motor, female pilot - on a river that wound among rice fields. Wonderful close up view of workers and their water buffalo tending the wet fields. These fields will be flooded when the mid April rainy season begins and the river rises for six months. But now they are being planted and will yield a crop of rice before the fields are once again drowned in the annual rainy season. Fascinating.
So we enjoyed two lovely quiet days in the quiet country side. Such a contrast with the noise and congestion of life on Hanoi streets. Our return trip took 4 hours due to Friday afternoon bumper to bumper traffic. Even the normally buzzing motorbikes were reduced to a crawl. And when we arrived home I found that my computer is "crawling" instead of speeding to websites. Irritating.
Life here provides a never ending variety of visuals and experiences.
In the area of Ninh Binh are limestone outcroppings that rise 50 to 200 meters out of rice fields. These massive "mini" mountains jut out of absolutely flat land and seem so incongruous. In one area with our guide we rented a boat (with female rower) and for two hours travelled among these outcroppings, passing by boat through 8 different caves from 30 meters to 300 meters in length. Often we needed to duck in our row boat to avoid the low hanging cave roof. At times we experienced complete silence other than the regular sound of the oars. Lovely.
We took another boat ride - larger boat with motor, female pilot - on a river that wound among rice fields. Wonderful close up view of workers and their water buffalo tending the wet fields. These fields will be flooded when the mid April rainy season begins and the river rises for six months. But now they are being planted and will yield a crop of rice before the fields are once again drowned in the annual rainy season. Fascinating.
So we enjoyed two lovely quiet days in the quiet country side. Such a contrast with the noise and congestion of life on Hanoi streets. Our return trip took 4 hours due to Friday afternoon bumper to bumper traffic. Even the normally buzzing motorbikes were reduced to a crawl. And when we arrived home I found that my computer is "crawling" instead of speeding to websites. Irritating.
Life here provides a never ending variety of visuals and experiences.
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