Ninh Bình

September 23, 2024

Leigh had a rough night having to make a number of frantic dashes to the bathroom and was feeling like death warmed up this morning. She hadn't eaten since breakfast yesterday and certainly didn't feel like eating anything today. Nonetheless she managed to force a few mouthfuls down this morning and to top up on liquids.

Our plan for yesterday was to visit the Dai Bình temple complex. So we headed there after breakfast. It turned out a bit of a disappointment for us. Everything is very new and much is still under construction. It is also clearly focused on being a future tourist attraction, almost to the point of being a theme park, and it risks becoming a Vietnamese Ðìsněy Wórld. Although entrance is nominally free it seems impossible to approach any temple without using a paid-for electric buggy and guide. So after a few minutes, we turned around and headed for the ancient capital at Hoa Lư.

Tháp Báo Thiên, the tallest pagoda in Vietnam.

This pagoda on an island leans distinctly to the east.

The rain hadn't yet stopped falling and would continue for much of the day, although not as heavily as yesterday. At one point we took shelter for more than an hour while we waited for it to ease to a light drizzle.

This Taoist temple was one of many flooded temples and cemeteries we passed today.

Hoa Lư is in the karst hills through which the Tràng An or An River flows. The scenery took our breath away. My pictures don't do it justice.

A ticket to the old capital gives one access to two temples dedicated to the original two leaders of what became the Vietnamese people.

The gateway to the temple of Emperor Đinh Tiên Hoàng, or Đền thờ Vua Đinh Tiên Hoàng.

I think this is supposed represent Đinh Tiên Hoàng.

We had heard we should wear long trousers and keep our shoulders covered as is usual in places in SE Asia where respect needs to be shown but many of the other tourists were clad quite scantily.

The gate into the temple of Emperor Le Dai Hanh, or Đền thờ Vua Lê Đại Hành.

This "dragon bed" is about a thousand years old. There are two of them in good condition at Đền thờ Vua Đinh Tiên Hoàng.

Afterwards we followed the An River to Dinh Binh. One of the popular tourist activities here is to take a boat ride. Leigh was feeling pretty grotty at this stage and all we really wanted to do was to find a hotel room where she could recover.

Pagoda in the river as we approached Ninh Binh. One of a pair.

We've found a very nice hotel for the night, the Milan Hotel. Very new and clean but certainly not Italian but still a good place for Leigh to rest. As I type up this journal entry she is feeling a lot better but still not keen on eating. I'm sure she'll be fine in the morning.

Tomorrow we plan to head up to the nearby Mua Cave (five hundred steps!) Which apparently has glorious views of the surrounding areas and then start heading further southwards. I'm not sure where we'll end up for the night.

Today's ride: 27 km (17 miles)
Total: 165 km (102 miles)

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