We’re nature lovers at heart, and so despite also loving the action of a city, after a few days in Hanoi, we needed to get out. We headed straight to Ninh Bihn, a couple hours south, we where we went to visit the Tam-Coc caves. The caves aren’t really anything spectacular – rather the spectacle is the rowing itself. The locals row the boats with their feet, which if you think about it, makes a whole lot more sense than rowing with your hands- your legs are a much larger and stronger muscle group.
The ride was tranquil, but as we turned the bend we saw this man fishing. The perfect portrait of rural life along the river, we couldn’t help but snap his photo as he threw out his long wooden fishing rod. Every few minutes he lifted the rod out of the water only to toss it back. Catfish our row boat captain told us.
The man didn’t catch anything while we were insight of him, but then again fishing is rarely about the actual fish- it’s more about the act of fishing.
IF YOU GO: From Hanoi, it’s easy to take a 2-3 hour bus ride to Ninh-Bihn from the southern bus station. They leave regularly, but check the price from your hotel before you go as overcharging is common. You can also rent a car and driver for the day if you’re looking to do a round trip, which may make it easier to fit everything in. We spent in the night in Ninh-Bihn and rented bikes to go to the boats and caves for the day. Get there early – and bring a hat, there’s no shade on the boat. Check out our other posts about traveling in Vietnam.
Photo Credit: Photo from flickr user dtobias via creative commons licensing.
Recent Comments