New Year’s eve back in Hanoi. We arrived in the wee hours of the morning pushing through touts at the train station and finally taking a taxi to our hotel. Half asleep we checked in and almost in an instant we found ourselves back in bed until late morning.

Our 2nd last day in Hanoi, also the best time to do some shopping. Dong Xuan market is a 3 storey refurnished building with tons of tiny stalls inside. They sell everything from clothes, to condiments to bags. It’s very much like Pratinum mall in Bangkok. More haggling involved we managed to get some really nice souvenirs at a really good price.

More walking on the streets, we stumbled upon an art shop. In fact there are many art galleries all over Hanoi. Many of the paintings are oil paintings of pictures of ancient Hanoi and Hanoi today. There are also great selections of French influenced art pieces. We were drawn to a particular art shack with a young Vietnamese man brushing some strokes on a canvas piece. The shop had no spotlights or fancy furniture. It was just a bare shop with painting hung on the left and right. Entering the narrow shop and into the 2nd hall, painting covered the right wall while a raised up plank and think mattress filled the other side. Yes, the artist and his young wife stayed in the shop. They made a living by the pieces he drew – some days he would sell 3-4 paintings, while other days none at all.

Attracted by his talent and humbled by his living standards, we bought a few pieces for our home. It was a great bargain and we left the shop satisfied – so did the artist and his wife!

As a New Year’s eve treat, we wanted to book us a place at the famous Bobby Chin Restaurant, Discovery Travel & Living’s food connoisseur. Unfortunately the restaurant was booked out and we had to scout for another. Settling for a hot Vietnamese stir fry meal, we had familiar rice and Vietnamese dishes for dinner at Hanoi Garden, a local mid-class restaurant.

Waiting for the clock to tick 12 to usher in the new year, we headed to Hoan Kiem Lake at about 1030pm. As expected the streets will be filled with motorbikes and people of course. There was also a flower festival around the lake with all sorts of flower arrangements lined up beside the main road. The crowd was unbelievable as people pushed and nudged – getting a breather was difficult. We decided to stay on the quieter side of the lake.

When we arrived there were already vendors and crowds gathered all along the lake. Rice paper lanterns were lighted as it floated into the skies. From afar the lanterns look like balls of fire – quite an amazing sight. We settled in a nearby café to watch the sights and sounds and as it inched closer to midnight we walked across to the lake front. This was how we greeted 2009…

11.58pm – 2 more minutes to go…

11.59pm – the guy next to us says with much excitement “1 more minute!”

12.00midnight – *Silence. Still waiting in anticipation*

12.01am – *Silence. Getting fidgety but still hopeful*

12.02am – *Silence. In total disbelief*

No fireworks!!! How could this be?! Hanoi being the capital of Vietnam simply ushered the New Year in with no grandeur. We were unspeakably disappointed as we strolled back to the hotel with no stellar performance to shout about. Passing a few Caucasians along the way – we saw the same bewildered expressions plastered on their faces – that was some kind of consolation to us as we weren’t the only ones waiting for a big bang!

It’s sunny and bright today. We woke up to promising weather that was to carry on the entire day. Thank You Jesus for opening up the skies revealing the gorgeous sun! We rented a jeep, a seriously beaten up jeep that requires a few steps on the brakes before it works! A local driver brought us to Thac Bac waterfalls also known as Silver Waterfalls that cascaded 100m from above. It was a pleasant sight, nothing to shout about. We headed further north west arriving at Tram Ton Pass sitting between two mountains with Sapa on one side and Lao Chai on the other. Standing at the pass reminded us of views at Mount Kinabalu, Sabah. Towering hills continued endlessly and disappearing into a glimmer of shadows into the background. It’s a spectacular view indeed!

Thac Bac Falls

From Tram Ton Pass we scooted back to Sapa to head towards Lao Cai to Ta Phin village about 14km from Sapa. This village is home to Red Dzao’s the other minority group around this region. The ride brought us through bumpy and hilly roads and down steep narrow roads finally into the village. Spotting a few Red Dzao women from afar, they came running towards our jeep and as it came to a halt they surrounded our jeep instantly asking us to buy something from them. It wasn’t a very welcoming gesture, but we just had to be patient (for Terence, VERY patient) and maneuver our way out. Our jeep left us there as we decide to walk back to Sapa after the visit. The Red Dzao’s soon became out personal escorts as 6-8 of them persistently followed us as we walked into the village. There was no peace, and soon they started chatting up to us. Surprisingly their English was much better than some locals we bumped into in Hanoi. They told us that they learned how to speak in English from conversing with tourist – fast learners indeed!

Ta Phin village is very spread out with huts everywhere, there wasn’t much going on except for some children playing and farmers at the field. Walking up the village, we ended up at a dead end where a cave stood. Children came running to us with torch lights asking us to go into the cave for a look. Apparently the cave can eventually lead you to China! Can you believe it?! They might be pulling our legs for all you know but even locals beckoned to enter the cave. Needless to say we made a u-turn and started our 14km journey on foot to Sapa.

The same way the jeep came, the terrain back was similar. Dirt road and gravel, very rarely the roads were cemented. The first 10km was beautiful, with no touts following us we just made our way out passing Black Hmong huts, paddy fields, dodging animals like buffaloes, pigs, dogs and chickens. Uphill was a sweater, even with the weather at 20c, we were sweating from the “workout”! Views along the journey made it less strenuous as we stopped to take pictures and just admire pristine views of tastefully crafted paddy plots.

As mentioned the first 10km was a great walk, but the last 4km back to Sapa was back breaking. After 3 hours of non-stop walking we were ready to sit down for a hot bowl of Pho. Thankfully we had a wholesome breakfast of toast and fruits – but it wasn’t enough to last us throughout the day. We were starving and our legs were about to detach from our bodies. Tempted as we were to hail down a motorbike to bring us back to Sapa we pushed ourselves on. 130pm was when we started walking out from Ta Phin, we arrived at the familiar Sapa town square at 5pm! We made it with sore legs, butts and a seriously growling stomach. There was nothing else we wanted for dinner except for Pho! Steaming hot broth was the best remedy. Again we had barbeque meat on skewers as sides. Delish!

A nice hot shower and an apple crumble to end the day – sweet dreams, we’re off for a nice long night of zzz…

Our last day in Ninh Binh before we head back to Hanoi and onto Sapa. Woke up nice and early as sunrise was about 5ish. Breakfast as usual – baguette and omelette and Terence tried something different, pancakes with banana and honey. It was a good thing we had a filling breakfast as the day proofed to be energy draining.

The weather today was a disappointment – it drizzled the entire day, with little sun light and lots of fog. Visibility was poor on the road but we were determined to get on the bike to visit at least one village.

21kms from the hotel, Kenh Ga boasted of its floating village and narrow canals along the main river stream. The ride there was an adventure in itself. From the main highway we turned into narrow gravel roads, dirt terrain along paddy fields and rich vegetation. Did I just mention dirt roads – after being here for 4 days, I can officially say that Vietnam is full of dust. It’s everywhere, on cars, bikes, shops, alley ways – you name it!

Getting to Kenh Ga, was a mean feat as we stopped a ‘million’ times to ask for directions. Since locals can’t speak English, directions were almost incomprehensible. All they could do was point and advice us in Vietnamese. It was a great relief to finally reach the village after 45mins on the bike.

We paid 40,000d per person and hopped onto a mean looking motor boat. The ride started, I was expecting lots of life but only found ourselves cruising into a quiet village small houses on the right and left. The weather wasn’t helping either as it was freezing cold with droplets of rain coming into the boat with winds billowing. There wasn’t much to shout about, perhaps Lonely Planet overrated this place.

After 1½ hours in the boat, we decided to head back to the hotel with not much time to spare as our van back to Hanoi was in the afternoon. The rain got heavier and this time we used raincoats – it was a smart move but not enough to keep us dry. Back down the narrow alley, this time puddles of water formed on the roads. Terence had to swerve to avoid muddy splashes – he did quite well except for one or two.

Alas we survived the rain, unfamiliar terrain and merciless traffic. Here’s a victory picture after the “war” on the road.

We exited the city for some needed peace and quiet. Ninh Binh was where we headed to.

We hopped on a tour van heading down south and they dropped us off at Ninh Binh enroute. It’s almost a three hour ride there. We made one stop at a highway souvenir shop that sold everything overpriced. These highway stops are one of the reasons why we stay clear of tours. They will try to con and fish whatever money you have from selling super expensive drinks to excessively priced souvenirs! Touts swamped at us the moment we got off the van selling plastic bags of mandarin oranges for USD2! Skeptics as we are, we both think they probably plucked the mandarins from stray trees. Did we say we do not fancy going on tours?!

Ninh Binh is a quiet town with its own affections. There’ plenty to do here from canal rides to trekking at the Cuc Phong National Park to visiting the local floating village. Not to mention Ninh Binh is has more than a handful of temples that come in all shapes and sizes. We soon found out that behind every limestone cave there’s bound to be one of two.

Without hesitation this time, I agreed to sit pillion while Terence rode the bike to explore the small town. We hired a motorcycle from our hotel, got hold of a map as it was definitely necessary. Sign boards are sparse and people literally remember roads by landmarks such as a mountain or a small bridge! Having two choices at hand – Tam Coc or Thrang An cave, we decided on the latter. Tam Coc as locals put is a lot more touristy and less serene. Thrang An on the other hand is quieter and more peaceful, and definitely less touts. We scooted our way down about 20kms, paid 60,000d per person and was ushered to a small green boat with a lady rower. We were both so amazed by her endurance and strength and did I mention, her muscles must have been that of Mike Tyson!

The canal ride took us about 2 ½ hours cruising along narrow rivers and into 4-5 different caves. Towering limestone mountains hovered over us. The ride into the caves was something else as the canals were extremely narrow at certain times and we had to watch our heads while careening in. The waters were green and emerald. Little life was found in the water, only a variety of sea weeds and grass. We were rewarded with sights of mountain goats and white stalks along the way. Hopping in and off the boat we climbed to different temples, that was where we discovered that all the trails led to one temple or another. Nonetheless the climb was worth it just for a stretch.

The hotel receptionist advised us to be back before nightfall, that’s about 530pm. Since we still had an hour to spare, we whizzed around the town to look for some street food. After some rounds and corners we found a night market tucked away in an alley. We didn’t get any street food from the market but we caught some bizarre pictures of what they sold in the market. Take a look!

They sell DOGS!