Woke up to a wet morning. Actually, I’m not even sure I slept. The wildlife were really noisy. As was the snoring next door. I recorded the sounds.
After breakfast, we were off around 0840 to a nearby cave called Hua Ma cave (Horse head), so called because they found a horses head in the cave.
It’s not a big cave but goes fairly deep. 180 steps up. Then enter the cave, more steps down and the dreading the return back up.
Inside, some very nice stalactites and stalagmites. Some water still drips through, so potential for development over the years. Many years. Some theft of stalactites, unfortunately.
I was lucky. There were enough visitors, so they turned on the electricity in the caves for the lights. Otherwise, you are sent in with torchlight.
Most of the rest of the trip was driving back to Hanoi, where the sun was out.
Lunch was at some eating place at a road junction of eating places and auto repair shops. It’s were National Highway number 3 is, I was told. I assume that’s an important road. It was terribly simple, fried green vegetable, omelette, boiled beef with a black bean, garlic and chilli dip. The boiled beef was really quite nicely done, though.
Just outside Hanoi, we were driving up the flyover, when cars started u-turning around! Some car backed into ours. That was probably the most exciting part of the day.
Returned to Hanoi at 1630. Took two hours break to settle down, then out again.
Tried to see Water Puppet Theatre, but all sold out. Maybe try tomorrow night, maybe not.
Had time, so ate 3 dinners: A Chinese herbal chicken soup I’d been eyeing the 2 days I was here in Hanoi. With ice tea. 43,000VND
Bahn Cuon. 30,000VND
The stall assistant didn’t give me the plate of greens until I started putting chilli into my dip. I guessed that made me qualify for real local food.
Xoi. 35,000VND.
I was full. But I saw the braised pork. I had to try it. it was good.
Best meal: Mien Ga. But overall, nothing fantastic.
Then remembered the weekend market where they close the street that leads to Dong Xuan market, up all that way, it’s pirated goods galore. It was fun to walk through though.
