My guide Ta very kindly took me over to the home of a friend where I was treated like royalty, very gracious, always smiling, limited English didn't matter a bit. I was also treated to a lovely, home cooked meal consisting of a variety of veggies and meats. We sat on a bamboo mat on the floor, in traditional Vietnamese style.
A row of jars caught my eye. Turned out to be an array of home brewed rice wine, with different types of roots and herbs inside. I've heard of snake wine, which I asked about, and was told that this was only roots and herbs. I got to sample some of them, very interesting flavours, indeed. It was a happy evening filled with laughter.
Extremely hospitable ladies - our host and a neighbour. My thanks to Ta and his friends for making my evening a memorable one. There are benefits of not staying in hotels, mainly the opportunity to meet with local people and experience their warm hospitality.
The homestay we stayed in was located further inside Pu Luong Park, where temperatures were freezing that night. The winding road led us in the darkness to the homestay, the sort of roads that only local folks know of, passing small villages along the way. The clear sky was dotted with twinkling stars. After a solid night's sleep, it was time for breakfast, pack my bag and set out again, further inside Pu Luong Park.
Our host made banana pancakes and hot, green tea. The tea pot was kept warm inside a lovely, bamboo tea warmer lined with red, satin cloth.
The view during breakfast was amazing, we sat by a small pond full of fish, with a view of mist partially covering the mountains in the distance.
The homestay is probably unmarked on the map, a simple wooden structure. The guest hall and modern toilet is on the top floor while the host family lives on the ground floor.
The chill December air felt even colder on the bike. We passed mountains and valleys that gradually led to rice terraces on the hill sides.
It was a glorious sight, indeed. Though this is not the main rice harvest season, rice had been planted in several fields.
As always, we stopped off along the way and my guide had a cheerful word to say to the friendly locals.
We parked the bike at a shelter in the village, keeping our bags and jackets on the bike. It is safe, my guide assured me. Seems to be standard practice, I had done the same during my trip in South Vietnam two years ago.
Our next part of the trip would be a small trek within the rice terraces. We wandered around the rice terraces, pausing now and then to admire the scenery. Some of the rice fields had standing water, the mountains in the distance were covered in a light haze. The winter sun was good enough to provide some warmth as the cool wind blew.
The villages in the mountains are very basic. The simple, bamboo, wood and thatched homes have electricity and water.
The trek in the mountains was quite an adventure, up and down through rice fields and village roads.
Having got a bit of exercise, we set off again. My guide Ta took me to the home he is constructing, a lovely bamboo structure set in a small village. Yet incomplete, he would like to convert it to a homestay for visitors.
This is the view of his proposed homestay from the village street.
About 20 minutes riding on almost impossible roads brought us to the homestay where we would be staying that night, set deep in the mountains of Pu Luong park. Mobile signals are spotty in that area.
This was the view from my cottage, overlooking rice fields and mountains in the distance.
View of the cottage from the dining area which was in the ground level of the large wooden building where the host family lived.
My cottage was a bamboo and wooden structure, the only piece of furniture being a bed with a bunch of quilts. These quilts are essential for the cold, winter nights. The mosquito nets were not needed, I did not find a single mosquito during my trip.
My guide prepared a simple plate of noodles for lunch.
On the left side of the picture below is the large hall where guests can stay, in addition to the few cottages available. On the right is the simple home of our host family.
This area is mainly populated by the White Thai minority tribe, extremely friendly and warm people.
The simple noodle lunch was quick, because it was rather late, after the long ride from another part of Pu Luong Park along a lot of rough roads. We then went off trekking in the area, to a waterfall that had formed a pool. Ta asked me whether I would like to take a dip. I politely declined. Summer may be a more pleasant time for a dip in the waterfall pool. Maybe next time!
Wanting to explore further, we set off on the motor bike once again on the mountainous roads past misty valleys and farm land way below.
A lovely ride, and some hopping around among the rocks was a nice way to see the late afternoon go by.
On our way back to the homestay we stopped off at a village to buy our food for evening dinner. A chunk of pork...
Lots of veggies...
Friendly locals, always smiling and hospitable, making visitors feel very welcome in their lovely land.
One of the the ladies asked me whether I would like to take home a delicacy. I peeped into the box and smiled. All the ladies went into a fit of laughter after that!
The sun was on its way down, and it was quiet in the village as we rode past.
After reaching the homestay, there was enough time to walk around and take a look at the waterfall and the area around. Quiet, peaceful, not a tourist to be seen, it was a lovely evening as it got dark slowly and the temperature began to drop.
My guide Ta, meanwhile, was busy in the homestay, helping my hosts cook dinner. Both Ta and my host, always happy, smiling, making me feel welcome... such a wonderful experience.
The home of my hosts was remarkably simple. Extremely so. Barely any possessions. Mattresses, quilts clothes, a TV, a fridge and the kitchen. The kids did not appear to have any toys of the kind that we from more "developed" economies are used to. More about that later.
The toilet block is outside, common for hosts and guests. Quite modern, tiled walls and floors, running water, water heater, and so on.
Dinner was once again a big spread, consisting of veggies and greens, an array of meats, green soup and rice. And of course rice wine, how could I miss that, several rounds downed neat from small shot glasses. My guide Ta, our host family and I ate together, sitting on the floor on bamboo mats, around a low table where the food and drinks were spread.
The night was freezing cold outside, but not too bad under two quilts and wearing socks, which really helps. Just like the homestays in Mai Chau and Pu Luong Park, this one deeper in the mountains was built of plywood and bamboo with gaps that let the cold air in. A memorable experience, indeed.
It was to be a 9am start for our trip to Ninh Binh, after a hot shower. My host offered me a pot of hot, green tea, always welcome in the chilly weather. Breakfast consisted of delicious, freshly made banana pancakes with local honey, and bananas from their farm.
Regarding kids toys, the two boys were messing around with gardening and building implements such as shovels and wheelbarrows. The older boy about 6 to 7 years, was doing what he has seen his dad do as they expand homestay facilities. The younger boy, less than 2 years, was trying to do what his older brother was doing, with a shovel.
The family is building the foundation of a new cottage. The older boy was shoveling mud and stones into the wheelbarrow, wheeling it to the place where the mud is dumped, parking the barrow using the shovel handle as a stop so it does not roll down, and tilting it to allow the the mud drops off. So these are the toys of the 6 year old and less than 2 year old boy. Sons of the soil, truly!
We said our good bye, and it was time to set off to Ninh Binh.
The mud tracks and mud roads of the mountains soon gave way to paved roads that passed through remarkably clean, litter free and garbage free villages.
After two road trips to Vietnam, covering the Mekong Delta and now the Hanoi - Ninh Binh region, the general level of cleanliness in most interior villages is impressive, indeed.
My journey to Ninh Binh and experiences around Ninh Binh continue in the posts below.
Thank you for joining me so far!
This series of my adventures in North Vietnam is pictured below:
5. This blog post
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