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how to meet the locals

hop on a bike. it's that simple. but I'll grant that at 34C (90-something degrees) it's not exactly easy.

I've met enough people who say they don't get off the tourist track...I'm starting to figure out the best way (especially when you don't speak the language) is grab a bike and get out of whatever city you're in.. all you really need to know is "hello" (got that one covered) and "xin chao" (hello in vietnamese) and be ready to say both a LOT.

I took another overnight bus to ninh binh to see the tam coc caves. NB is an in-between stop on the way to hanoi - it's not the end of the line, so around 2am either me or the driver need to be awake and notice when we get there. this is advanced bussing and I wasn't sure I was up to it yet. (remember, just 4 months ago I got on the wrong plane in brazil...)

I double checked with the driver around midnight - swear the guy said nb was coming up (but locals nod yes to everything so it's hard to tell for sure). next time I woke up was 5am (figures, the one time I can actually sleep on a bus...). 3 hrs past our arrival time. oops. I figured we missed the stop and I'm now on my way to hanoi. no worries, really - I pulled out the LP to research guest houses and start rehearsing what hell I will raise with the tour company for missing my stop - at least I'll get discount.

but silly me - it was way too early to get all pesimistic. 30 mins later, we pull into civilization and I hear the magic words - ninh binh. and it gets better - it's now 6am so I get to book a room for the next day. if we got in at 2am, they would have made me pay for that first night too. so typical, in the end it all worked out not just as planned but better than. remind me to never stress about anything anymore.

so about those caves....they call this place the halong bay of rice paddies. the geology has the same rock islands as the bay up north, but it's surrounded by land and puddles and a river that runs through it (no joke. the river goes straight through the rocks. take that montana.). the scenery was stunning! I came so late that there were hardly any tourists. plus row boats are nice and quiet so had a super tranquil day.

I came up with loads of questions that went un-answered since my boat driver only spoke vietnamese. but thank god for internet - someday I'll get around to answering them: how long did it take for the river to carve a hole through these rocks? (not just once, but in at least 3 places) is there tide here? what caused the erosion line 2 meters above the river? what is this rock made of? (LP says 'karst' - what's karst?) has there always been a river here? what did this place look like beofre all the rice paddies? see, I'd make a crummy travel writer - where are all those minions to do my research...

I was dead tired after 3 hrs in blazing sun and *I* was just sitting there. the boat driver had an extra oar but I totally played the tourist card and didn't help him. I'd say I'll burn in hell for this but I think I just did. (for the record, tho, I gave him a tip)

I still had to bike back 10km, I was sweaty, grumbly, sticky...but along the way I high-fived with kids, I saw hunched over old ladies, pretty much EVERY stage of rice production at some point, loads of farm animals, a funeral (including an ornate cage on wheels big enough to hold a coffin...a vietnamese limo I think...) - this is the side of traveling that really motivates me. I forgot I was sweaty, grumbly, sticky.

that night I suffered through 35C in my room (too cheap to spring for AC), set the alarm for 4am to catch my bus to hanoi. got in around 6 - it's now 10:30 and I'm still waiting for a room. but no worries - I dealt down to $5 for AC plus free internet. so here I am surfing for 4 hours on their dime. SO can't complain!

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