Ninh Bình is already quite close to my eventual destination, Hanoi, but I couldn’t really call my trip finished without a visit to the famous Hạ Long Bay. It’s what I’d been aiming at since the beginning of the journey and for that week the cruise was the only appointment that I had to make. Just the knowledge of my having to be in a particular place at a particular time in the near future gave me a hint of time-stress that I hadn’t felt in a while. I couldn’t think about the end, just yet.
Ninh Bình is a popular tourist spot as it’s only a couple hours south of Hanoi. The main attractions are not in the city itself, but to the east of it. It’s an area with many caves, temples and waterways. Contrary to most visitors, I arrived from the south, having spent about a week away from built-up areas. It was nice to be in a busy place again.
After my time in Phong Nha, I rejoined the Ho Chi Minh Highway West and continued north. The dramatic terrain also continued for a way, but eventually the land flattened out. In the next three days I passed up the throat of Vietnam, and into the brain stem.
Twist and Click 