So... Ninh Binh is a very industrial area of Vietnam. It was pretty awesome in the sense that I got to see folks take apart old motors and pull out giant bandsaws out of trucks, and offers a side of Vietnam that doesn't cater towards tourists. After eating the mystery meat BBQ the other night, I realized that there was an easier way to determine what food was on the menu: by using Google's image search.
Another interesting fact about Vietnam as an ex-French colony is that it still has a large concentration of practicing Catholics. We rode all the way out to Phat Diem Cathedral (about a 40 min drive from Ninh Binh) to have a look and walk around. It was surrounded by wedding shops-- and the town was obviously there to cater to the working class and the various Vietnamese tourists who happened to go by. I'm not so sure I would want to go that far out to see it again, but it was a very odd mixture of Chinese temple and Catholic church. And boy oh boy do I wish I had a Vietnamese phrasebook!
Another interesting fact about Vietnam as an ex-French colony is that it still has a large concentration of practicing Catholics. We rode all the way out to Phat Diem Cathedral (about a 40 min drive from Ninh Binh) to have a look and walk around. It was surrounded by wedding shops-- and the town was obviously there to cater to the working class and the various Vietnamese tourists who happened to go by. I'm not so sure I would want to go that far out to see it again, but it was a very odd mixture of Chinese temple and Catholic church. And boy oh boy do I wish I had a Vietnamese phrasebook!
Then it was off to Tam Coc, where we stumbled upon Father's Restaurant (which I had read good reviews about) and the three Asian kids definitely approve! If you happen to go, be sure to get their fried rice. In comparing Trang An to Tam Coc, I think I prefer Trang An. The countryside next to it seemed more beautiful (especially on that drive to Hang Mua) and I appreciated the lack of touristy feel (granted we were also there on a weekday but we weren't pressured by the boat driver to buy her handicrafts).
And if you're really wondering what Ninh Binh has to offer besides boat rides and religious sites, check out the vendors at Cho Rong Market-- open in the morning and the evening (but not many folks are open past 6pm). I think renting a motorbike to go around the side streets would have been pretty worth it (and for ~ $10 US would have exposed you to what living in Vietnam is really like).