Rain, Temples and Goats

We were both super excited to arrive in Ninh Binh because – for once – we had booked a really nice hotel: Fairy Mountain Retreat, with a huge pool and a big garden. We’d be sleeping in our own little bungalow with a private bathroom – pure luxury compared to our usual stays.
But first we had to survive the journey: a four-hour bus ride in a very small (even for me!) van, completely packed and full of mosquitoes. By the time we arrived, I was bitten at least 4 times. Jasper managed to kill one, but it had sucked so much blood it looked like a massacre.
So walking into this peaceful little oasis felt like entering heaven. And then – the highlight – we were welcomed by the cutest dog ever (see pic). I was already thinking about how to snuggle him home… until, while playing, he suddenly decided that “let’s bite Lisa” was the game of the day. He bit me four times in the leg and left me bleeding. I‘m 90 percent sure he doesnt have rabies.
It was raining a lot when we arrived, so we were a bit unmotivated at first. But then we thought, “We’re not made of sugar,” grabbed two bikes from the hotel, and rode the 6 km to Tam Coc. On the way, we stopped for a delicious sugar-free coconut coffee (yum!) for me and a smoothie for Jasper. The streets were more like rivers at times, but that just made it more fun.
We saw a lot of goats along the way – I couldn’t get over how cute the baby goats were just casually hanging out on the street (see video).
Back at the hotel, we enjoyed the pool and made the most of the 3-for-2 cocktail happy hour (hihi). For dinner, I got to roll my own grilled fish spring rolls – probably my favorite dish so far!
Next morning: early wake-up to go to the Trang An boat tour at 7 AM – again by bike. We got the front seats on the boat and had amazing views, with almost no other tourists around. Later, we saw where the crowds had gathered and were really glad we started early.
It rained on and off the whole time, but our captain came prepared with umbrellas. The caves and karst mountains were breathtaking, but honestly, the entertainment highlight was the other two tourists on our boat, who spent the entire trip taking selfies and watching TikToks. We couldn’t look away.
Right when we got back to the dock, it started raining like crazy. Jasper said, “Well, if we have to bike back in this, it’s gonna be a vibe.” And a vibe it was – we were absolutely drenched by the time we got back.
After warm showers and a delicious breakfast, we took it easy for a bit. Since it was still raining, we both got hot stone aroma massages at the hotel (Jasper fell asleep). Then we just relaxed, read on our veranda, and later decided to visit Bai Dinh, the biggest pagoda in Vietnam.
We expected tons of tourists, but because of the weather, we were almost alone. It was super impressive – the size of the statues, Buddhas, and towers was just insane. After reaching our 10,000 steps, we headed back for dinner, where we tried local goat meat (who would’ve thought). I really tried not to think about the baby goats from the day before.
Now, after a long day and two rounds of Kniffel (I lost…), we’re more than ready to go to sleep :)Okumaya devam et