On this trip, I wanted some blue sky in the North. So I pushed it as far back in the year as I could. But Dimitry had other plans. He wanted to go to the water festival in Thailand. I told him not to come before April, but he does not care, of course. So I had to drive up North after a few days in Phong Nha to meet him in Ninh Binh. Checked out of the Elegant Hostel, which had another name at the time. They are now on booking.com,and I would go there again!
I have a few pictures of my room at the Elegant Hostel, all the way down at my last blog post: Winter 16/17: From A Loui to Phong Nha
Adios Phong Nha
I have this picture so many times now. I do like this one since I have no clouds on it. Last time it started to rain, and I had to get one of those capes that are really too small for me. And after a few hours in the rain, it got quite cold. Much better today!
Mountains close to Cha NoiThis kind of house I only saw in this regionVery different from the other ones in VietnamThe modern style with a metal house next to the original wood houseIn the good old times the roof was still done with roof tilesThis one is the latest fashion – metal with a big roof in front
Stopped in Phố Châu for a few days to see Trần again. He is the manager of my hotel, and the Ly Ha Hotel is now on booking.com. Most of his free time he spends helping kids learn English. And so we went to teach them some English.
The Ly Ha Hotel in Phố Châu
Ly Ha Hotel in Phố ChâuThe bedA young girl bringing some water from the sea. Strange art here in the mountians. Took of her nipple – sorry! But you know facebook :-(Bathroom at the Ly Ha Hotel in Phố Châu
Today’s Drive: 181 kilometers in 3 hours and 30 minutes with a few stops
Butcher shop in the morningAt the electronic shopI was invited every day for the family lunch and dinnerThe latest addition to the familyMy friend Trần – the manager of the hotel
Thank you, Trần! See you again next year!
From Phố Châu to Ninh Binh
Took no pictures today. Was only driving and driving and driving… Went down to the A1 to save some time. Not really nice, but so much faster. Would only recommend that road if you’re in a hurry.
Today’s Drive: 252 Kilometers in 5 hours and 35 minutes with a few stops
Back in Ninh Binh
New dog in da house
Ninh Binh Brothers Hotel
Got my stuff at my friend’s house and said “Hello” to the new dog. Drove to the Ninh Binh Brothers Hotel, where I usually stay in Ninh Binh.
The Pink Room at the Two Brothers HotelComes with a nice hand-carved wood bedThe bathroom door on the leftHappy Viet
At the Bia hơi Place at the Lake
First we tried the open beer
Bia is from French bière and hơi means gas. Bia hơi is a freshly brewed beer. It is usually delivered every day to the bars and restaurants that sell it. The beer is very light, most of the times it has not more than 3% alcohol. It is brewed without conservatives so it has to go fast. A glass of beer is anywhere between 3000 and 7000 Dong. 1 € is about 25.000 Dong.
Most of the places serve some food and snacks as well. Great to spend an evening with friends or make new friends.
At the Bia Hoi – Somebody is not to impressedViet needs more foodLater we had the fresh canned one and lots of food. Everybody was happy
My mother got me an Eurorail ticket when I was 15, and together with two friends, we adventured into France. This was the beginning of a new addiction. I do like to take pictures, so one thing leads to another. On this site, I want to share some of my pictures and some of my trips with you! Now I am on the road for more than 8 months every year. Visiting old friends and making new friends while exploring this big blue ball.
