A Photo in Vietnam That Did Cost A lot Of Pain

A snap I took at Hang Mua in Ninh Binh, Vietnam—and one I have rather mixed feelings about. The landscape was extraordinary. The price my left knee paid for reaching that view was considerably less attractive.

The part you cannot see in the picture

We had set off early, hoping to reach the viewpoint around sunrise before the heat became too much. Roughly 500 stone steps and then breakfast sounded straightforward enough. Near the summit I made a wrong movement, heard a crack in my knee and felt immediate pain.

I carried on to the top. Looking back, that was stubbornness rather than a travel achievement. The view over the rice paddies and limestone peaks was beautiful, but every step up still had to be followed by a step down. My knee was keeping a much more accurate account than my enthusiasm.

The descent was the difficult part. By the time we were down, I was drenched in sweat, and even walking on flat ground hurt. A photograph can make an outing look wonderfully peaceful while leaving out nearly everything involved in getting back to breakfast.

A souvenir that changed the itinerary

The picture stayed with us. So did the sore knee. Later came a hospital visit in Hoi An and a much gentler pace for the rest of the journey. Temples, meals and coffee breaks were still possible; ambitious walking plans required rather more negotiation.

I can admire the view and still wish I had listened sooner to the complaint coming from my left leg.

The full account is in Day Five: the Hang Mua climb and the difficult descent. The next chapter, our hospital detour in Hoi An, follows what happened afterwards.