After the noodles broth for breakfast we went trekking for about an hour. We walked in a small road surrounded by limestone and a river with lotus flowers.
We were heading to a place located two km away of Tam Coc. There, we did a paddleboat tour similar to the previous day. The tour included going through grottos and of course enjoying the beautiful scenery made mostly of limestone karsts. Below are the pictures.
After the boat tour, we went for lunch at another homestay. The food wasn’t amazing, but I was hungry.
Shortly after, we were on the bicycle towards Ma Yen to climb the 500 steps, and have from this mountain a panoramic view of Tam Coc and the surrounding valley. Be alert, to get there the bicycle ride is painful, roads are bumpy with a lot of rocks. Also after the bike ride, the pain is not over, you have to climb 500 steps to get to the peak.
The reward is great though…
Close to Ma Yen, there was a pagoda open for visitors. I checked-in.
After the pagoda, I took the bicycle back to the lodge and from there the bus back to Hanoi. Later that night, I didn’t’ do anything especial in the capital except for eating another Pho Bo and going to a Vietnamese local live-band bar.
The next few days in Vietnam will be without guide or travel agency; it will be all by my own. I’ll be heading to the coast in the Northeast of Vietnam, nearby the UNESCO world heritage site of Halong Bay. Stay Tune!
