Having the luxury of time, away from work, we have traveled from the countryside to the city, where we have experienced both the innocence and complexities behind the land of the "Ascending Dragon".
Vietnam represents organized chaos at its best where efficiency is witnessed in its bus transport system despite of its haphazard road traffic and drivers. Traveling to Ninh Binh from Hanoi and back feels like a can of sardine passing through its factory production line.
But what awaits us makes the somewhat rushed and uncomfortable journey a worthwhile one.
The countryside seemingly brings a slower pace in our steps, and each stride is accompanied with a marvel of the landscape before us.
Farm animals in herds and flocks are roaming freely and it feels like they belonged to everybody there where you can't pinpoint exactly which duck or cow belongs to whom.
This goes to show how carefree the locals are in Ninh Binh.
Kids are seen jumping into the river, playing along the alley, and even sitting by the street, having a good chat with a buddy.
Such sights soon disappear when we return to the old quarters in Hanoi. The innocence seen in the countryside kids is somehow lost within this colonial influenced walls.
With the buzzing traffic 24/7, these city dwellers seem to move around more purposefully in the crammed up streets.
Living in a country which occupies less than 600 square meters, my perspective of a big city or even a country is most probably skewed. And this is the reason which drives my love for traveling; to experience the 'what's and 'how's of living beyond my home.
Every trip is a kaleidoscopic experience, it never gets old.
