NB For Short

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We enjoyed another special Vietnamese breakfast. This time bread and vegetables (we think maybe some type of potatoes) followed by ice cold jack fruit. It was yummy and we ate the lot all washed down with a strong Vietnamese coffee! We had to say goodbye to our friends and their delightful doggie as we were leaving Hanoi for our next destination. Our bags were packed once again and we headed into the centre of Hanoi on the number 34 bus. We saw it as it started to leave but managed to jump on before it left the station. 

We had one final place to visit in Hanoi - the dessert restaurant! We made our way along the railway tracks and around the corner to the cafe. We ordered 2 different desserts and sat chatting to the owners. They explained how they peeled a pomello and used the inside of the skin to make the gloopy yellow stuff in the dessert. It really does have a weird consistency! We shared drinks together which they kindly offered us as a gesture of friendship and listened to UB40 again on Youtube - with lyrics. The time came to leave so we said our goodbyes as we headed off to catch the train to Ninh Binh.


The train was pretty good. Air conditioned, comfy seats, restaurant service and an all important toilet. We left on time and all was good. The journey improved when the lady opposite offered us one of her peanut and sesame sweets!

The 2 hour journey came to an end pretty quick. We jumped off in Ninh Binh and started the taxi negotiation aided by 2 friendly French backpackers. They were heading the same way so we all shared a ride. We were dropped off at our homestay and they continued on to theirs.

We met the owner, did the normal booking in stuff, checked for messages online and then headed out to find food. We were not sure where we were going and the road was quite dark. We eventually stopped at a small store and bought a bao bun. We then went next door and bought some rice crackers too. We continued down the road and stumbled across a restaurant just packing away. We managed to get an omelette and some green stuff which tasted really good. They did translate what the green stuff was using their phones - apricot leaves apparently!


After eating we continued our walk into the small town of Tam Coc and came across 2 bar buses all lit up, one was packed with people as it is Halloween! 

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