Pictures: Lyle Such
Words: Thu Buu
Camera: Canon 5d Mk IV and Mavic Pro
People were out all over the city dressed in their best clothes, dutifully performing traditional rituals such as lighting incense to pay their respects at ancestral shrines or praying for a happy, healthy and prosperous year ahead at temples and other places of worship.
Enjoying the festivities of the New Year also includes indulging in delicious street foods like this keo-keo, taffy filled with toasted coconut shreds and peanuts.
Across from the famous Ho Hoang Kiem, we came upon a plaza where chaos reigned. Toddlers and kids were driving toy cars remotely operated by their parents. Cars weaved around in whichever direction they wanted; collisions were unavoidable. No nicely coned tracks or arrows pointing out the way here. Wow! Kids get trained early on how to navigate the crazy street traffic here.
Right behind the plaza is a book fair. There were even a few booths with foreign books translated into Vietnamese. I am so proud that we are a culture who prizes knowledge and education. I even bought Green Eggs and Ham translated into Vietnamese, which is really funny because the best part of the book, the rhyming, is obsolete. Not sure if the translator understood the importance of the rhyme and the cadence it gives to the oral reading of this story. Hahaha.
Freshly-pressed sugarcane with a hint of kumquat. A perfectly delicious combination.
During the day and especially at night, the Old Quarter is wild awake and exuberantly bustling with life. Small alleys with tall compact tube buildings and narrow entrances with throngs of chatting customers slurping soups while seated on miniature plastic chairs that spilled out onto the sidewalks already overburdened with rows and rows of scooters tightly lined up at the base of shady trees is the quintessence charm of this chaotic city.
Road Trip-Magical Fish Stream
On our way to Pu Luong, Anh Long, our tour guide, took a detour to Suoi Ca Than, or Stream of Magical Fish. As legend goes: Long ago, there was a family who ate the fish, ca loc, from this stream. The whole family was found dead the next day, and so from then on, everyone has been afraid to eat fish from this stream. The fish here live side the cave and only swim out into the open stream when it is time to feed. They live off the leaves that fall from the trees above and from the food worshippers throw into the stream despite the huge signs that forbid feeding of the fish. The people’s superstition has provided the best protection any living species could hope for. As a consequence, the fish here are plump and plentiful, and live without fear of being captured.
That evening on our walk around Pu Luong, miles and mountaintops away from Suoi Ca Than, we came across a villager who had built his own fishpond beside his house. And what do we see swimming in his pond? Ca loc, was on that night’s dinner menu. No legend here to protect these fish.
Suoi Ca Than is truly a local place of worship and a New Year’s tradition for the people in this area. We were the only outsiders at this stream. Instead of taking pictures of the fish, we noticed that many people were stealthily pointing their phone cameras at Lyle. He might easily have been the first white person many of these locals have ever seen. This reciprocal tourism will continue throughout our trip in Viet Nam, more so in the small rural villages than in the big cities.
Pu Luong Water Wheels
The Nom Stream received its name from another legend: A long time ago, the people in this area were called the Nom people. One day, a young, beautiful Nom girl went down to the river to wash her hair. The Dragon King who lived in the river wanted to keep her so he took her down into his watery kingdom. To thank the people, he would revive dead fish in a certain part of that stream. If a dead fish floated into this part of the stream, the fish would be revitalized.
This type of sugar cane, the taller, thicker purple variety is used for chewing of to press for juice. The smaller, lighter sugar cane is much more sweet and used to process into sugar. A sugar cane field can be hacked and regenerated for about five seasons before having to be pulled up for replanting. To get new stalks, farmers hack off the green leaves at the top. New sprouts will grow out from the eye of the old cane. So interesting.
The rich land beside the Nom Stream is used for farming rice, sugar canes, plantains, and taro. Farmers build these handmade quan nuoc, waterwheels to irrigate their patties. It takes 3 people about 45 days to build an average size water wheel made completely from natural materials found on the land. There is not a single nail in sight. On average the lifespan of these wheels are between 4-5 years, unless there’s a flood that may wipe it away completely. About 100 water wheels exist along the Nom Stream.
Pu Luong
When our vehicle pulled into a small dusty parking lot along the side of the mountain road, and we were told that we had reached our destination, I was a little apprehensive. But we followed Anh Long down a paved path and passed a metal gate. And Wow! The vista of rice terraces carved into the mountainside and rice patties stretching the length of the valley below us was truly breathtaking. This was exactly what we were looking for. The resort is consciously nestled into the side of the mountain and tries to retain as much of the native vegetation as possible during its construction, which was still going on but in such low-key that it did not interfere with the peaceful ambiance of the place.
The second day in Pu Luong is one of my favorite days of the whole trip in Viet Nam. We meandered for more than 10 miles through rural villages, crossed over mountain, descended into valleys, talked to and observed the locals as they went about their mundane daily work to begin the rice-planting season, which was anything but mundane to us.
The Black Thai Minority first settled within the Pu Luong Preserve since the middle of the 20th centrury. They make up the majority of the population in this region. They are poor farmers who live off the land. The government provides a small plot of land for each family to primarily feed their family. If their harvest yields extra, then that can be sold. Rice farming here requires a lot of hard physical labor, and because buffalos and low-tech machinery are still used to plow the fields, it’s long hard work for very little productivity. That leaves them very little time for leisure or for learning, which inadvertently perpetuates the cycle of poverty. But to many living here, this simple way of life is what they enjoy. Being with the land and providing enough to keep their families fed and warm is what brings them happiness.
A buffalo may be the most prized possession for these farmers. Large adult males are worth between $1,500-$2,500 USD.
Growing up, we had to memorize lots of Vietnamese poems about schools and villages. Many of them included the idea of “cong lang” or village gates and “trong lang” or “village drum”. I really had not concept of what these village gates were until this visit. A couple of times, we heard the village drum heralding the beginning of the school day.
A relaxing lunch break with way too much food and a successful first drone flight in Viet Nam.
We visited a little village where the village leader is Anh Long’s friend. They were building new bungalows on stilts for future homestays, and Anh Long gave them some truly helpful advice such as don’t put the doors facing each other as an easy way of providing more privacy. Funny thing, this was the homestay I saw as I was doing my research on Pu Luong.
The brother is in 7th grade but doesn’t much like school. He’s content to be a villager in this idyllic place for the rest of his life. Anh Long shoke his head at the apathy, “Ethnic minorities enjoy free education because the government waives their tuition fees, and yet this boy deems that he doesn’t need education. How is a society supposed to progress and develop?”
Lyle took out Crevit to show the kids what their village looked like from above. Then he proceeded to chase the kids down the dirt path with Crevit. It’s a newfound game Lyle created in Cambodia to terrorize kids.
This beautiful area is still very much hidden from the regular tourist itinerary. The standard of living and life-style have not changed much since the first settlers raised the first poles to build their stilt- houses. We felt like we had been transplanted back in time. But we’re sure it will not stay hidden for long, and as tourism brings more money into the area, the life-style of the region most definitely will feel the impact. Once tourism takes hold, the standard of living for the inhabitants may improve, but the beautiful world in which they inhabit may begin to lose its charm. It’s a paradoxical situation with a small possibility of success only if those in charge are able to see the bigger picture and maintain a strategic balance between tourism and development.
Instead of following the itinerary and heading to Mai Chau the next morning, Anh Long decided to take us on a hike in another part of the preserve, Thon Eo Ken. Two girls from Ha Noi, Mai and Ha, asked us if they could join our group for the morning. We followed the river upstream so Lyle can fly the drone. Instead of heading back downstream and continuing the hike on the proper path, we decided to forge our own path along the streams, climbing over boulders and trekking uphill through thick jungle brush. It reminded Tuan and me very much of our camping trip after high school. Old memories are so fun to relive, and we’re making more memories to relive when we get old.
Road Trip to La Pan Tan
We stopped by the side of the road to look at the scenery along the river. Across from the road was this farmer’s house. He and his wife immediately invited us in, showed us around his farm, and were insistent that we share a cup of New Year’s tea and some sweet candy with them. We tried to refuse many times with the excuse that we had a really long day ahead of us, but he was adamant. Because they were so cordial and casual with us, I thought Anh Long knew him. No. It was Anh Long’s first time in this area also. People are just really that nice and eager to share.
Offering your guest tea was an unspoken, expected gesture of respect. Growing up, it was our (the kids’) job to prepare and serve the tea without being reminded anytime we had a visitor, no matter how short the visit might have been. Back then it was an automatic reaction to the knock on the door. But now, I’ve grown out of that custom, and it was touching to see and live it again. Everywhere we went, from restaurants to hotels and homestays, from relatives’ living rooms to strangers’ courtyards, from businesses to temples, most times, before any real discussion was had, we first all sat down together and quietly enjoyed a cup of tea. This act forces me to slow down, reflect, and be more present in the moment. It’s a good custom, I’ve decided. Too bad, I can’t have tea too often anymore. Doctor’s orders.
Initially we thought we’d just take a quick jaunt through the tea fields; we ended up staying for over an hour. On our way out, we found these giant poisonous mushrooms and couldn’t help destroying them for the sake of mankind. We’ve never seen any natural thing spew fumes like that when poked! It looked and felt like a piece of foam. It was awesome. The slow-motion videos of our attempts are a must-see; ask Lyle about them.
On our way out, we found these giant poisonous mushrooms and couldn’t help destroying them for the sake of mankind. We’ve never seen any natural thing spew fumes like that when poked! It looked and felt like a piece of foam. It was awesome. The slow-motion videos of our attempts are a must-see; ask Lyle about them.
Mai Chau is lower in elevation so as we approached the valley, the rice patties here were already in their second stage, showing off their luminous green leaves waving so hypnotically in the wind. It was so beautiful we had to stop by the side of the road to capture the image with our cameras and our minds’ eyes.
The drive from Mai Chau to La Pan Tan was a long 11-hour tour, but because most of it was so scenic, we didn’t mind the long drive. Our driver was having major allergy irritations and sinus blockage, hacking and sneezing. At certain points, it seemed like he was snoring because he couldn’t breathe, or maybe he was really falling asleep behind the wheel. Either way, it added an extra element of suspense as we drove on one-lane roads winding through small villages where the homes were built right up against the road. There was about three to six feet of buffer between the road and the homes, space that was very active with gatherings of adults or groups of teenagers and little kids playing right beside the road. It seemed so precarious to me. Once, our drive almost drove into a kid on a bike. We all screamed, and he stopped inches away from the kid. Luckily we were on an uphill slope. When Anh Long took over the driving, we all felt a little better. That is, until he bumped the rump of a cow who was stubbornly standing in the middle of the road and not letting us pass. We were lucky the whole herd didn’t turn their attention and aggression towards us.
La Pan Tan
La Pan Tan village is home to some of the most beautiful rice terraces in all of Viet Nam. A complete circular hilltop, similar to a Tray of Sweet Rice hence the name Do Mam Xoi, was the perfect location for a sunrise time-lapse. As Lyle set up his camera, Tuan and I had time for some early morning shenanigans. Through squishy slippery mud, we our way down to the circle, ran around it, and posed for the time-lapse. On our way back up, two local women were heading towards us with large bamboo baskets on their backs. They had traditional Hmong costumes for us to wear. Without hesitation, Tuan and I quickly donned our colorful outfits and went to work among the wild mustard flowers. I loved the clinking sounds of dangling coins.
On our way back from the fields, we passed this little boy and his mother. They had just dug up that juicy round beet the boy is holding for their morning meal.
We walked through a couple of the villagers’ home. They invited us to stay and attend the New Year’s celebration. A giant hog was being skinned in preparation for the festivities. We respectfully declined.
From La Pan Tan, we continued north along the remote eastern side of the Hoang Lien Son Mountain Range where we found the same hospitality among just about everyone we encountered. Eventually our route would wrap around Fansipan (or Fancy-pants is how we like to call it), the highest point in Indochina.
From La Pan Tan, we continued north along the remote eastern side of the Hoang Lien Son Mountain Range where we found the same hospitality among just about everyone we encountered. Eventually our route would wrap around Fansipan (or Fancy-pants is how we like to call it), the highest point in Indochina. After a harrowingly dangerous drive, hugging the side of the mountain on a one-lane dirt road filled with giant potholes and death traps, we arrived at our destination, Topaz Ecolodge. This marked the end of our road trip and the beginning of the second leg.
