{"id":10749,"date":"2019-02-14T05:35:04","date_gmt":"2019-02-14T04:35:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hastenteufel.name\/blog\/?p=10749"},"modified":"2025-12-05T05:31:02","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T04:31:02","slug":"winter-17-18-from-ninh-binh-over-binh-long-to-lang-son","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hastenteufel.name\/blog\/winter-17-18-from-ninh-binh-over-binh-long-to-lang-son\/","title":{"rendered":"Winter 17\/18 From Ninh Binh over Binh Long to L\u1ea1ng S\u01a1n\u2069"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

From Ninh Binh to Binh Long<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I started this winter trip quite late to push the return flight back into May. This way, I can do the North Vietnam Loop in April. This would give me better chances to see more blue sky. But that did not happen cause Mitzos decided he come over and drive with me. But he also wanted to be back in Bangkok for Songkran. That is the New Year in Thailand. So I had to do the loop mid-March instead of April. One never knows how the sky might look and whether it rains or not. Since spring comes to the North of Vietnam in April, the later you go, the better it is. It turned out to be just like I expected it – mostly gray and lots of rain. Guess I have to do that again. Only with all that logging and dam building going on. Not sure if it is really worth it. Guess you have to find the last pockets of resistance out there. But I leave that for next time. Now let’s have a look at the pictures.
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\"A <\/picture>
A very happy Mitzos with his old helmet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We started from Ninh Binh, and it was not easy to explain to the Greek why we had to go East to do a proper loop. He only wanted to go to Sapa to see what was on sale over there. A strange animal after all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Ricefield <\/picture>
Time to plant the rice. Somewhere before Binh Long.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Preparing <\/picture>
Preparing the rice field before planting<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"A <\/picture>
One of the smaller ones<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Chicken <\/picture>
Looking for food<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

It was late afternoon when we passed a nice little town, and it was time to look for a hotel. But Mitzos wanted to find something along the river. I agreed – big mistake. We drove and drove – very nice landscape, but already it got dark, so I could not take pictures. And nothing – absolute nothing in terms of a Nh\u00e0 Nghi along the road. When it was completely dark, we found a really shitty one in a small village. If you have ever driven in the countryside of Vietnam at night, you know the roads. Some potholes are larger than a bathtub and can swallow you and your bike. Trucks that blind you so you won’t see anything, and therefore will not see any pothole. Or the street, for that matter. The list goes on and on. So you’d better have a place to stay for the night before nightfall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today’s drive: 228 kilometers in 8 hours and 13 minutes, including food and gas stops. Looking at the map in the evening, I was not happy. We drove, not really the best way. It should have gone way more east to avoid heavy traffic and the boring landscape close to Hanoi. Well, next time….<\/p>\n\n\n\n