Day 293 - Cat Ba to Ninh Binh
Friday, April 26th, 2019.
Today we went downstairs for breakfast with our suitcases because the bus was going to pick us up early. It didn't. It came at 9:00am instead of 8:00. The good thing is that we only had to take one bus. That same bus rode inside the ferry. After the bus boarded, we got out and went upstairs to enjoy the view. In 20 minutes or so we were in Haiphong and on our way to Ninh Binh.
The ride was smooth and the bus made two quick stops where we got snacks and went to the bathroom. One bathroom just had stalls with squat toilets and no doors. Sunshine and I looked at each other and then luckily, a lady pointed out two Western toilets with doors!
We made it to Ninh Binh in four hours. I get a little anxious when the bus stops because we never know if it's time to get off but here in Vietnam, the buses seemed very well organized and you tell the driver or the assistant the name of your hotel and then they drive you or they tell you where to get off.
We were told to get off in the last stop in front of a beautiful lake. When we were getting our suitcases, a man approached Gregory and asked him if he was Mr. Harris. He nodded and the man told him that he was there to pick us up. You can imagine how excited I was but my excitement didn't last that long when I saw him get on a motorcycle. We told him that it wasn't going to work and he kept saying: "no problem, no money, no money". I tried to explain to him that it wasn't the money but four of us, four big suitcases and my fear which was bigger after my burned leg!
He called another guy and soon there were two of them on motorcycles. I laughed nervously and before I knew it, one stacked the suitcases on the seat behind him and another took Sunshine and Daniel! We told them that we preferred to walk and luckily Gregory stayed with me. But in less than five minutes he caught up with us and told us to get on the bike. I had no choice but to obey! The homestay wasn't that far but it was nice of them to give us a ride. We liked the place immediately because it was well decorated with bamboo and the whole host family came to welcome us with tea and rice crackers.
Gregory wasn't feeling well so he excused himself and went to lie down. The kids and I ordered lunch and while we waited, the mom grabbed me by the hand and showed me all the family pictures that she had hanging like big posters in the living room. She kept talking to me in Vietnamese as if I understood the language. The food came an hour later and it tasted good because we were hungry. I had vegetable pho.
After lunch, Gregory woke up and then it was my turn for a nap. I don't know why I was so tired, maybe because we swam and went kayaking yesterday. We didn't do anything else for the rest of the afternoon. No one wanted to go out for dinner. Sunshine and I walked to the main road to look for a grocery store. We found many and many restaurants and cafes and many, many tourists. We bought yogurt and fruit and walked back to the hotel. We planned to have breakfast early and see some of the main attractions in Ninh Binh.
Today we went downstairs for breakfast with our suitcases because the bus was going to pick us up early. It didn't. It came at 9:00am instead of 8:00. The good thing is that we only had to take one bus. That same bus rode inside the ferry. After the bus boarded, we got out and went upstairs to enjoy the view. In 20 minutes or so we were in Haiphong and on our way to Ninh Binh.
The ride was smooth and the bus made two quick stops where we got snacks and went to the bathroom. One bathroom just had stalls with squat toilets and no doors. Sunshine and I looked at each other and then luckily, a lady pointed out two Western toilets with doors!
We made it to Ninh Binh in four hours. I get a little anxious when the bus stops because we never know if it's time to get off but here in Vietnam, the buses seemed very well organized and you tell the driver or the assistant the name of your hotel and then they drive you or they tell you where to get off.
We were told to get off in the last stop in front of a beautiful lake. When we were getting our suitcases, a man approached Gregory and asked him if he was Mr. Harris. He nodded and the man told him that he was there to pick us up. You can imagine how excited I was but my excitement didn't last that long when I saw him get on a motorcycle. We told him that it wasn't going to work and he kept saying: "no problem, no money, no money". I tried to explain to him that it wasn't the money but four of us, four big suitcases and my fear which was bigger after my burned leg!
He called another guy and soon there were two of them on motorcycles. I laughed nervously and before I knew it, one stacked the suitcases on the seat behind him and another took Sunshine and Daniel! We told them that we preferred to walk and luckily Gregory stayed with me. But in less than five minutes he caught up with us and told us to get on the bike. I had no choice but to obey! The homestay wasn't that far but it was nice of them to give us a ride. We liked the place immediately because it was well decorated with bamboo and the whole host family came to welcome us with tea and rice crackers.
Gregory wasn't feeling well so he excused himself and went to lie down. The kids and I ordered lunch and while we waited, the mom grabbed me by the hand and showed me all the family pictures that she had hanging like big posters in the living room. She kept talking to me in Vietnamese as if I understood the language. The food came an hour later and it tasted good because we were hungry. I had vegetable pho.
After lunch, Gregory woke up and then it was my turn for a nap. I don't know why I was so tired, maybe because we swam and went kayaking yesterday. We didn't do anything else for the rest of the afternoon. No one wanted to go out for dinner. Sunshine and I walked to the main road to look for a grocery store. We found many and many restaurants and cafes and many, many tourists. We bought yogurt and fruit and walked back to the hotel. We planned to have breakfast early and see some of the main attractions in Ninh Binh.
No pictures today!
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