Mar 102 min read

The Wonder of Ninh Binh

When people ask us about our trip, we typically explain that we are on our third winter escape workation. This doesn't explain why we are in Vietnam rather than Florida or Mexico. The mystery continued to unravel in Ninh Binh. Our Ruby Homestay host, Ruby, laughed a lot, communicated with Google Translate, and liked to offer Shakshuka for breakfast. His wife was also sweet and laughed a lot while mopping our entire room (floors and walls). She then explained the art of using the dehumidifier setting in this humid country. We should have learned more about why Ruby loved offering an Israeli breakfast.

Adorable animals thrive in the humid climate.

Buddist drumming called us as we chose our daily outings. Small family-run experiences are my favorite.

UNESCO World Heritage sites such as Trang An can be pretty good too. Three hours drifting through mountains, caves, and ancient temple islands, on a rowboat, was a bit long, yet beautiful.

After Paul and I returned from the Bich Dong Pagoda in Ninh Binh, I said to him "Did you notice the Buddhist nun among the many tourists?" He did not notice the ageless woman in a sackcloth-type outfit sitting on a marble ledge perfectly still among the swarm of tourists. She caught my eye. Later, I read that the Bich Dong Pagoda has not been occupied since the 1700s.

Although Paul developed the habit of cutting his hair during the pandemic, he decided to finally choose a barbershop here in this country. Later we went for a walk and noticed a giant factory amidst the beautiful mountains.