Tân Tiên

We left our lovely apartment in Hanoi this morning. We really loved it so we might consider going back there for one nights hen we return the bikes in 2 1/2 weeks.
When getting our bikes ready it did feel like all the sunscreen was just running down our bodies in rivers, extra sweaty day. Getting out of Hanoi to the outskirts took about in hour in busy traffic, not so enjoyable but a necessary evil. Still it was amazing to see how the chaos of traffic is in a way less scary and disorganized when you’re part of it. Overall not as bad as expected, but still proud we made it. Getting further and further away from Hanoi the roads became less busy and greener. It was really special to be able to see it from that perspective. Going past a river there were many fields being worked on specifically for corn harvest, you can really appreciate how basic most peoples lives are. When going through a village we took a stop to drink something and especially Jeroen was stared at as the “super tall Dutch man”.
We didn’t see any other western tourists soon our journey so of course there was some interest from Locals, also some asking us where we’re from at the traffic light. After 3.5 hours we finally made it to our home stay. It’s in a gorgeous jungle area by a lake, such a stark difference to the busy streets of Hanoi. We received a warm welcome and a cold beer. We had the opportunity to go out on the lake with a kayak. It was so serene being the only people out there, the only sounds coming from our paddles and wildlife. A good moment to reflect on how lucky we are to see this beautiful place. After a well deserved shower we had a feast prepared by the family, with many special “ chay “ veggie options for Charly. We didn’t really know what most of it was but it was tasty. We wanted to enjoy some peace and quite sitting on a romantic bench by the lake, however the neighbor was doing a very loud ( and more passionate than talented) karaoke performance so we went to our cabin. Karaoke is very very popular in Vietnam so this will probably one of many times we will hear that. We have a long day of driving ahead tomorrow to make it to Sa Pa soRead more