Ha Long Bay/Ninh Binh

As many people have told me, it can be very grey in Vietnam. For those of you who know me, this can be a great thing for my skin....I only had to pull out the SPF 50 one day. Although I like this, many people on my Ha Long Bay trip did not. It was grey, cloudy, and rainy for most of the boat ride. I found it to be very relaxing after many days in the craziness of honking motorbikes and trucks in Hanoi. We stayed overnight on the boat and stopped at the Amazing Caves to take a look around.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lturnof/HaLongBay#

After Ha Long Bay, we took a short bus ride to Ninh Binh where the bus driver barely slowed down to 5mph to dump us off on the side of the dark road. When people say it's organized chaos, I really understand it now. The bus driver dropped us at the exact hotel that we wanted to stay at and even called ahead to ask to keep the kitchen open. I mean come on, is that not perfect. Some say it's a scam to keep the business in the family, I say it works for me! We rented a motorbike both days and had a great time touring the countryside, trekking in Cuc Phuong National Park, and visiting some local towns.

http://picasaweb.google.com/lturnof/NinhBinh#