Some of the best travel experiences just can't be planned! There was a light mist in the air this morning as we set out for our day of bike riding. Lam met us at the hotel along with Mr. T and the van, packed with 6 bicycles. We made our way out of the city, hoping for drier weather and quiet roads. The weather continued to look bleak so we decided to head for our lunch destination and bike on the way back. After about 45 minutes of driving, we noticed some costumed men standing on the framing of a roof a large pagoda. Our guide discerned that there was some kind of a festival going on. It turned out that the entire village was gathered to celebrate the roofing this pagoda. It turns out that the village pagoda was burned 60 years ago during the war with the French. The government had decided to provide the village with funds to finally rebuild. We stopped on the side of the road and made our way down to the festivities. The entire village was there- the old women with black teeth (if they were lucky enough to still have them!) who remembered the war, small children who were enamored of Hudson, Matt and Carly, and everyone in between! These villagers were so friendly and welcomed us to stay and take part. Hudson was taking a bunch of photos of the kids who couldn't believe they could see the images immediately. Wherever he went, they followed - like the pied piper!! Lam helped us to make a donation to the "building fund" and then one of the female elders took us to light incense at the alter.
Beside the new pagoda was a man-made structure replicating a mountain! It is considered good luck for the pagoda to be located next to a mountain, so these villagers had created their own! There were steps leading up and down, a bit steep for me in places so I only made it half way up!
We politely ducked out of the celebratory meal we'd be invited to stay for, as we had planned a lunch in the oldest village in the area. This proved to be a mistake! The food was fine, but there was nothing special about the place, compared to what we'd just experienced.
The weather had cleared after our lunch, so Mr. T unloaded our bicycles and off we went along the narrow roads lined with rice paddies and small villages. The occasional scooter or truck would honk to alert us that they'd be passing. We always waved and shouted out a hello - and they would always chuckle in return. We're not really sure why! We rode for about 4 miles and then drove the rest of the way back to Hanoi. We hit rush hour - a sea of crazy scooters, sprinkled with cars and buses. It's anarchy, and yet it all seems to work!
Tomorrow we set out to Halong Bay! I wonder what adventures are in store for us!
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