day 7 vietnam
There are a few moments in life I have wanted to trap in my palms, put them into a snow globe, and rustle up anytime I wish to revisit it. One such day was the Sunday I met you in Mumbai, when we strolled the cobbled stone streets and chatted away with conversation flowing like the Nile. Another such day was today! Today we woke up super early to grab a bus from the Hanoi Opera House and make our way to a nearby magical district of Ninh Binh where the first ancient capital of the Vietnamese King Hung laid out his splendid city. The king was Hung, he had two sons Ding and Dong and they had the usual internal family game of thrones for the 40 odd years they sat on the throne. They were continuously attacked and defeated by the Chinese, but in this fragile peace, successfully made a stunning ancient capital city. We walked through the city, its' pagodas and temples, a culture heavily steeped in ancestor worship, where the ornate tombs are bigger than their homes.
This was similar to what I saw in Egypt! It seems to be a strong cultural belief system amongst many cultures across the world! We then cycled in a gentle smattering of rain to the next village where we reached a estuary, where we kayaked through craggy rocks called karsts which reared their majestic heads like monks rising from their daily prayers! ((The OB travelling with me in my mind cycled like it was an extension of his legs. Blue spandex shorts leaving little to the imagination (aai noticed some Viets staring and saying "aaaaa" in an upward intonation), he cycled with the wind in his hair.)) It was something else. We oared our way through dark caves where the stalactites and stalagmites formed intricate archways, eco systems subsisting within their secret holes. My kayaking partner was puru, so I had to put in alot less effort, thankfully:)
We came back to shore to the bicyles, and then commenced a trek up to the top of the dragon temple to pay our respects to the animal that symbolises power and fire. It was climb of about 400 high-ish steps, so on total up and down was about 800 steps....like Rocky Balboa, dhanwanti Balboa did them with a decent amount of breathlessness and didn't entirely embarrass herself. ((Slow bow))
We returned to the city after 12 hours, dog tired and exhilarated. The kids begged for a non-Asian meal so we ended up at a pizza pasta place and now back home for dinner.
The Airbnb girl is super sweet and has a piano at home that she has allowed antu to play. He has given their little girl a small lesson as well:)
How are you my good man? Healthy? Happy? Content? Do you feel you have met your calling and the mission is what you hoped it would be?
Don't shout, please, when you see these many unread posts!
Praying to every pagoda I visit for your safety return, praying every minute in routine prayers.....
#seeyouontheotherwise
Aai
PS: as you can see, I bought a pair of dark glasses from the market