Last Sunday I took a day trip to Tam Coc. At 8 o’clock in the morning tour guide Thu picked me up with a minibus from the hotel. Along with 14 other German, Australian and Vietnamese tourists I squashed myself into the tiny vehicle with only 15 seats. No space was wasted, Thu had to stand. First we stopped at a very touristic shop. They didn’t offer electric blankets, but therefore some really interesting drinks. However, I declined politely the local specialties à la Cognac Supreme with pickled animals or the snake drink against rheumatism.   Afterwards we drove to Hoa Lu, where we visited two temples. In every temple there were several altars with offerings of fruits, sweets or money. If too many notes were lying on an altar, employees of the historic temple complex collected them with a radiant face…