Fields of Green

Not enough time to go to picturesque Sa Pa (and frankly wanting to avoid the tourist crowd), Mai Chau was a one-day stop. On the ride up, I got to taste rice that was steamed in bamboo and then dipped in sesame. Yum. Roadside markets... rice paddies...cows...bicycle riding... A jam packed day. Oh, and for about 2km, the driver for the day couldn't see beyond his nose. 'Uh oh'  or go with the flow? Go with the flow. What's a steep canyon drop when you can't see it anyway, right?
 

The Plundering Monkeys of Ha Long Bay

Yes, d*mn monkeys. They're cute until you realize how much of a menace they can be. Jerks. Arriving at Monkey Island, the first thing that the guide told us was that we can see the monkeys hanging out in the trees. That part I heard and retained. As for the second thing, not so much.