October 11,

We both awoke feeling pretty good. We got around and went down to breakfast, as Max Boutique hotel has breakfast included. It was a nice spread. Jeff had porridge, some broken rice, steamed sweet potato, and sliced ham. I had sir-fried noodles, one over medium egg, steamed sweet potato, and segment of corn on-the-cob. We both had some chopped fruit- dragonfruit, pineapple, watermelon, and/or banana. I had some very strong coffee – I had to dilute down with milk and a bit of sugar. We both had juice. It was a better breakfast than either of us thought would be available.

After we finished we set about – we have a mission! We want to find a tour 3-4 days that does the Cao Bang Loop. Jeff of course researched different tour groups. We set out and find The Cao Bang Loop Tour Office. The package is Jeff driving on one motorcycle; and I will ride behind someone – our guide. Disclaimer: I have a motorcycle license, but I am not proficient or comfortable enough to drive one… if it would have been a scooter, maybe. But we will be going up and down mountain roads and scooters are not an option due to not having enough umph! Anyway, I am excited and looking forward to the loop. We will be as far east as mainland Vietnam goes and skirting along the border Vietnam shares with China – north some and to the west, then back south and a bit east to complete the loop back, in Cao Bang. It will be four days and three nights in homestays starting tomorrow.

Now because of this we will not be posting any blogs – not even taking the laptop with us. But when we come back I will resume the blogs.

After we got everything arranged, we meandered back and bought a small backpack, so we will each have one for the tour. We walked along the river walk some. The Song Bang River is muddy as well as the river we saw on the road up here yesterday. The river is curtailed some, by the built up cement shore of the city. These banks are a ways up from the river, though — which implies that it might swell to quite a rip roaring current of water. Anyway, back at our place we cooled off and sorted through stuff we need for the tour.

Then we went back out for lunch. We chose Pho Khoai 89. We split a Pho Bo – Beef Noodle Soup; and Cam Rang Bo – Fried Rice with Beef. Both were great. Jeff had a Saigon beer and I had a Sprite. After we finished we went back to our place and finished our sorting, and attempted a siesta, but the hotel is doing construction on the top floor (tenth). We are on the fifth. The place adjacent to us is also doing construction. So double whammy! We both gave up. I blogged and Jeff read.

Around 1730, we went out trekking for supper. Jeff had found a restaurant online – it was a 31 minute walk. Google failed us but with backtracking and Jeff's orientation ability we found it by 1815. The restaurant is called Nha Hang Huy Linh (VUA VIT TROI) — the part in parenthesis translates as KING OF THE WILD DUCK! We had Vit Troi Quay 7 Vi (con), which is 7-Flavor Roasted Duck Dish; Lap Suon (dia), which is Chinese Sausage (plate); and Khoai Tay Chien (dia), which is French Fries (plate). The fries came first on a plate heaping with a ketchup and a sneaky spicy sauce – they were hot and good – but we did not finish them. Following closely behind the fries came the Sausage plate – artistically arranged. The Sausage was heated some and very good.We had time to process this all, then came the duck. It was a whole duck that had been sliced up and arranged artistically again. (Thankfully the head and the feet were kind of buried.) The flavor of the meat was super great and smokey. We had two dipping sauces: one was a fish sauce, but the other was great with many flavor profiles going on. We ate nearly all of that duck!! (at least the parts that we classify as edible.) So glad Jeff found this place! Jeff had two bottles of beers, I had water and a Tea Winter Melon – it was a different taste, but kept drawing me back to figure it out. Anyway, our bill was 632,000 Dong ($25.46). We enjoyed this meal a bunch.

Finished we walked back to our place. I finished this blog as Jeff read. Then we finished our packing and bed by 2200.