The night on the train feels like sleeping in a barrel floating down a river—luckily, there were no waterfalls, so I’m able to record some decent hours of sleep.

I arrive at my new place for the next couple of days and immediately understand that Ninh Binh will be mostly about nature—I can see goats playing Spiderman on the cliff right in front of my window. All around is green, but such an intense green that if only the sun were out, it would have been a feast for the eyes. But I have to settle for dark clouds that set the stage for an introspective, calm day.

I get on a scooter, and after a few minutes of riding, a not-so-gentle breeze fills the air. One spot, two spots, three spots—within minutes, I’m soaking wet—and surprisingly, this time, it’s not sweat.

Luckily, I reach a mini market and get my new armor: a poncho with a transparent window made for scooter driving.

The tone is set: a rainy, introspective day.

I walk alone around a lake that, in better weather, would have been packed with tourists. The sound of the rain is calming, and the thunder makes the perfect backdrop.

Everything seems perfect until I notice two things: (1) I don’t have cash, and there’s no ATM around the corner, and (2) when I decide to drive to the closest ATM, I cannot find the scooter’s keys. I’m not getting into details here, but after some Google Translate adventures and amiable interactions, I find them.

The pursuit of cash brings me in front of the Trang An area. I decide that for the next three hours, I just want to immerse myself in nature without thinking about anything more than protecting myself from the rain and taking some photos here and there.

Mission accomplished. I’m literally the last person getting out of the place, with darkness already taking over.

I spend the rest of the night following intuition, which brings me first to the Hoa Lu old town and then to stop by some people dancing a mix of footwork steps but with traditional music under some arches on the way out of the city. It reminds me of the nights of Tango Clandestino in front of Milan’s stock exchange. Witnessing the joy in this moment confirms what I’ve been thinking since day one: community and conviviality keep people happy.

Till tomorrow,
— M