Leaving Hanoi to Nin Binh (not on the map- it's an hour south of Hanoi) where the touristy activity is to ride motos all day - with really bad maps!!! Cannot complain about riding all day, but getting the bike up ramps like these (into temples or houses) is a challenge for those who are not mechanicaly gifted as rented bikes tend to stall half way up ramps (no really it's not the bike, it's me). Ramps like these are common because you wouldn't DARE leave your bike out over night. It WILL get stolen.

What a great biking trip!! Gorgeous scenery!! These people don't realize they've got the best scenery I've seen!!!

A common house out in the country in Ninh Binh. Pretty nice compared to what I had coming.

Just a scenery photo. Funny looking boats!

These kids are the future of fashion. Not to make fun of those already down, but these are the most interesting color combinations I've seen yet. :) These kids are out saying HI to the white stranger on a moto. The teacher, a female, is hiding behind the wall.........she was too quick for me. The boys are more likely then the girls to say, "How are you doing?" and then, "How old are you?". Sometimes they didn't understand my answer, so they just smiled. Obviously they've just memorized the questions.

Planting rice....these people stood in this mud all day. Call me crazy but didn't feel like offering to help.

This photo reminds me of a perfect example of how they rip off foreigners. This lady is selling deep fried sticky rice. When I walked up, a man (maybe her husband) bought one for 1 American dollar (WAY too much). It was really visible how much he paid. Since this native man bought one for 1 American dollar that's what I assumed she charged locals and I wouldn't be stuck with the tourist price. (no price signs anywhere in the country, trust me). So I bought one for 1 American dollar and the man probably went back and got his change while that lady made a good profit. Grrrr.......

Another frustrating part of traveling. Having a sign telling you that you are getting ripped off all the time. Here is a classic example of the foreigner price (30000) and the Vietnamese price (5000). The Vietnamese believe that because we are from a rich country we should have to pay more. If you try telling them that when you finish traveling, you will be in debt, they won't believe you and will laugh in your face (really!!!) The idea that all westerners are rich gets passed down from generation to generation and they cannot believe other wise. Oh, well.

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