Around Ninh Binh

When Mother Earth craves rejuvenation, she visits Tam Coc. Her spirit inhabits the water buffalo, and the pastoral rice fields filled with white crane. Her incandescent face rests atop monoliths, legs in serpentine silty rivers. Swirling fog calms the mind.

As centuries pass, she watches foreigners occupy her landscape with more frequency.
She knows all creatures can witness nature’s sanctuary. Still, she weeps into the Ngo Dong River.

Three kilometers west is Bich Dong. The three-level pagoda. Shrine. Temple. Cave. A sacred place A staircase carved from limestone makes even the toughest human breathe heavier.

In the north of Tam Coc , a Chinese fortress is home to her friend, Lady Buddha. With a thousand arms full of compassion, Lady passes her spiritual mission to the Dali Lama on Earth. A gigantic bronze-cast bell tower rings on the grounds, reverberating along the thirty holy monuments built within the complex.

Mother follows her line of sight east. Boats traverse hidden valleys. The riders admire Trang An’s stalagmite tunnels, floating altars, and chaotic charm. This can be hard for the earthly goddess, but she receives joy from tourists who visit her watery subterranean passageways.

Above the crows hides Lying Dragon Mountain where her holiness can reach out to potential acolytes. It is not an easy hike. Five hundred steps zig zag to a view of Ninh Binh’s glory. Humans are ant-like from up high.

There is merriment in Tam Coc. A perfect place to escape city folk for a couple of days.
Mother will return to her model of Eden in Vietnam. Until then, she sleeps.

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