So we arrived in Hanoi, after some delays with our flight and terrible traffic. That's a big post that is taking some time to sort out, so in the meantime I'll talk about a day trip we took to Hoa Lu and Tam Coc. Despite what you think, Hoa Lu and Tam Coc are not the latest Vietnamese Pop Duo Sensation, although wow, that would be a good band name.

Rather, it's a region about 2 hours south of Hanoi, a sort of canyon and river that is featured in a lot of photos. It admittedly looks quite beautiful, so we decided we wanted to go. There were no shortage of tour groups offering packages there, but man oh man. We found day trips priced anywhere from $20 to $60. I couldn't really figure our what the difference was, as they all had pretty much the same itinerary - even often operated by the same company. We mulled over just going independently, since Ella's Vietnamese is pretty solid. But given the remote nature of the place, we decided on a $20 package. When we were on the tour, one of our traveling companions showed us his receipt and asked if we booked this tour - it was the same, but his price was almost double.

So, I guess it's just opportunity cost? Some groups position themselves near fancy hotels, and hope people don't shop around, know any better, or see $40 a person as chump change. Either or, we got the best deal we could find.

So the main reason to go to Hoa Lu and Tam Coc is the boat ride - more on that later. But it seems that just riding a boat doesn't seem enough, so they also squeeze in some temples and a bike ride. The temples are... fine. The only notable thing is that Hoa Lu used to be the capital of Vietnam a loooooong time ago. Now it's just a few small buildings in a rice farm. After lunch, we went for a bike ride up the road, turned around, and came back. Why? I'm not sure. To make the tour seem more worth it I suppose. At one point we did have a great view, but it would be the same view we had on the boat. Seems like filler to me, but at the same time there was nothing better to do.

But lets get on to the main attraction, the boat! This was super cool and definitely worth the time if you're in Hanoi, as evidenced by the large amount of tourists doing the same thing. But don't let that stop you, because this place is really beautiful. Like... probably top 5 most beautiful places I've seen. And all you do is sit in a canoe while a native rows you up this river. But this river goes through a giant canyon, through caves, and is surrounded by rice paddies on both sides. Occasionally you'd see a farmer walking around, waist deep in the mud, preparing things for the next growing season. Most of the photos you see are in the summer when rice is green and growing, but it didn't really diminish the experience at all. The canyon was massive, and it really looked like we traveled to some place in a video game or movie set. And we sort of did, because apparently is where they filmed King Kong a few years ago.

After about 45 minutes of rowing, we turned around and went back for another 45. Around the turn around point, a boat appeared that sold very expensive snacks and drinks, but I still had to buy a beer. Something about selling stupid indulgences in unusual places makes my wallet really loose - like the kids in Cambodia selling beer on the lake, or the golf balls on that volcano in The Philippines. Anyway, for $1.50 it's still a cheap beer by comparison. They also suggested we buy a drink for our trusty rower, and recommended a Coke. It's definitely a good play on their part, as you just kind of feel like an asshole if you don't, since this lady has been rowing your fat ass up the river. So I caved, she took the Coke, and didn't even drink it. I have a feeling they turn them back in for some cash. Who knows how many times that Coke has earned money?

Back near land she asked for a tip and.. Alright, I guess so. God I hate tipping. It feels super demeaning to both of us. If you tip too little you seem like an asshole, if you tip too much it feels like you're taking pity on them. I find the whole idea of saying "Your service is worth this much of monetary value to me" just disgusting, and I wish it wasn't so prevalent in the US. Our guide told in advance they would ask and suggested 50000 Dong. (About $1.70). I mean, it's not like an extreme amount of money, but at the same time you pay for a ticket. I'd rather they just make the ticket 50k more and not have to do this ridiculous song and dance.

Anyway, a blog about our amazing Narnia adventure is not the place to complain about tipping. The song and dance was definitely worth it, so I'll end with some media.