It has now rained for 24 hours non stop, and I crossed my fingers last night that it would improve today. We had booked a tour outside the city.
Well we woke to a damp and gloomy day but it wasn't raining...yipee. We met our bus and headed out of town.
I really enjoyed the ride out and watching Vietnamese life passing by. I'm not really sure what I expected, but I hoped it would be much more rural. But course it was a mix of agriculture and commerce. We passed small towns and one large and fairly prosperous city. In between were paddy fields and market gardens. I know that paddy fields are wet, but the whole landscape was sodden with all the rain and I felt really sorry for the people I saw working in the fields. And also surprised at the number of churches we passed.
But there was commerce everywhere. We went passed stone masons carving out huge shrine sculptures. Quite a few Grotto shops! Huge great lumps of rocks which if you put them together would look like a garden Grotto. There would be bed shops next to scooters, next to little cafes next to coffin dealers, it was fascinating. Then there would be market gardens, herds of goats running around, and hundreds of white ducks or geese everywhere. Some in pens others just in the fields. Occasionally you would see white egrets in the fields.
I would have stopped a hundred times to get out and take pictures, but it wasn't to be.
Our first stop was the original capital of the region and the home to the first Kings and Queens of Vietnam. It was called Hoa Lu and originally covered an area of 3km. Sadly now almost nothing was left of the ancient citadel, but it was a beautiful spot and our introduction to the area.
Our bus had people from everywhere, a really nice bunch. The Netherlands, Germany, Tokyo, Argentina and Sydney and us of course. Our guide was called Kien, and was a cheeky bugger.
Our final stopped was Tam Coc, the Halong Bay of the Rice Paddies. Huge limestone karsts jutting out of the river and Paddie fields. We stopped for lunch. Have to say it was pretty poor. Another meal sitting a cold restaurant with our coats on.
It was then time to get a small boat for an hour and a half trip through the karsts. Although grey and overcast, the scenery was just stunning. Although a barrage of boats set off together, somehow they seemed to separate, and it became quite peaceful.
We paddled by fields and little shrines, and between soaring karsts and then under low tunnels.
After 45 minutes we started to turn around for the return trip. Then the heavens let loose and it threw it down, then came the thunder and lightening. But we had another forty minutes to go.... And it didn't let up. We were drenched to the bone. What could you do.
A strange paddling technique.
After reaching harbour, we returned to the cold restaurant for tea and got on a cold bus, which had no heating (it had wifi! Perhas we should have burnt all the mobiles) for a three hour journey back to Hanoi. Everyone was cold, wet and fed up. More about the cold ....
I am totally bemused. This part of Vietnam gets this cold and wet weather for a third of the year, yet they seemed totally un set up for it. Homes, businesses and restaurants just have no heating. You walk around Hanoi and there are people sneezing, coughing and snivelling, but they do nothing to try to keep warm and dry. Everything is damp. But they have mobiles, PCs, scooters,cars, electricity and technology, but they keep themselves damp and cold. We were told that chest problems kill many people here, pneumonia etc and I can see why.
Up and on. I love some of the architecture here, its so bizarre. Many of the buildings are possibly one room wide, and then up to six or seven stories. Often the ground floor is a shop or cafe. There is everything from what looks like hovels to large ornate houses. And you will see a largish newish looking building, freshly painted building next one that looks like it is falling down. But parked in front will be a 4 x 4.
How about this for a pad in a communist country!! I am going to try and get some pictures of the tall houses, but more difficult in the city.
Most of the buildings are made of concrete and left bare and unpainted, and look that drab grey colour. I presume it is a mixture of the wet, damp and rain, but it doesn't take long for them to look run down. Some are brightly painted all over and some they just paint the front and leave the rest grey. I wonder how long they last in this climate.
One thing I find very sad is that they do not look after their countryside. As you drive through the sides are covered in rubbish, plastic bottles and bags. At times someone has brushed them all up, but they are just left in piles. I know it is probably the least of their worries, but wonder when it will be a huge problem environmentally.
Back in Hanoi we had hot showers and jumped into bed to try and warm up. And we stayed there. Dinner was a coffee, a banana and a small packet of biscuits, and the evening was watching TV in our warm room.
Up and on tomorrow is another day.
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