Mom and I found a phone to make international calls! I’ve been trying to track down a pre-paid international phone card for a few days, but I’ve had no success. We paid 5,000 dong/minute ($0.25/minute). I got to chat with Branny-boo and we both talked to dad for a hot second before departing for Mai Chau.
Two Chinese guys from Peace House were on the tour along with a young girl from Belgium and some Vietnamese people. It took about 4 hours to get to Mai Chau. There were two little kids (7mo, 2 years) on the trip and neither of them were in a car seat! The little boy sitting behind me enjoyed touching my blonde hair, haha. The air-conditioning broke on the way and even though they fixed it, it didn’t work when we went uphill. We were in quite the classy van, haha.
The drive was gorgeous – we saw blue skies, mountains, and no haze! We passed a few H’mong villages along the way. They’re known for growing green tea, sugar cane, and oranges. Going to Mai Chau was such a breath of fresh air. It was such a relief to escape the heat and congestion of the city.
Upon arrival in the village, we enjoyed a traditional White Thai lunch. Afterwards, we explore the streets and went to one of the stilt houses, our accommodation for the evening. The hill tribe people all live in stilt houses made of lumber and bamboo. Bamboo is important to village people throughout their lifespan. A bamboo knife is used to cut the umbilical cord at birth. Then, they all grow up to live in bamboo houses. Although the floor is made up of thin bamboo leave atop wooden panels, it can supposedly hold up to 20 people dancing! I was surprised that all of the houses were supplied with electricity. They had TVs; however, I didn’t see any computers. It’s standard for people to take their shoes off before entering the house. Stilt houses are practical because they offer good ventilation, protection from wild animals, and prevent flooding in the living quarters.
We spent a few hours in the stilt house to escape the afternoon heat. They laid out thin bamboo mats for us to rest on. At around 3:45, we headed out for our trek. The guide told us that we would go with a guide who spoke basic English and we’d be trekking for about an hour. To our surprise, we went on a 3.25 hour hike with a guide who didn’t speak a lick of English! Mom was not pleased, to say the least. The terrain got pretty rugged; however, it was a great hike and absolutely gorgeous! We walked through rice paddies, past village houses tucked up in the woods, and climbed to the top of a peak. Mom took frequent breaks. At one point, she was lying on the ground. She tried to refuse to go further, but I wasn’t trying to get stuck in the jungle as the sun was going down…My favorite part was when she sat down and suddenly 3 cattle (1 with big horns) came around the corner on the trail. She moved pretty darn fast after that! We walked right along with the animals! I thought it was interesting that the hill tribe peoples let their animals (dogs, chickens, cattle, etc.) just wander around. In the U.S., we keep ours confined to designated areas. Anyways, I was totally in my element. This trip was the perfect weekend retreat! It was physical, yet relaxing. I enjoyed discovering the culture of the hill tribe people!
We returned to the village for dinner. Our guide disappeared soon after – I have to admit that though the trip was great, the tour wasn’t very organized. I think it’s partially just the Vietnamese way…they don’t give you enough details and structure. We wandered down the street to listen to music and watch the dancers perform for another tour group. Later, we stumbled upon a performance on the top floor of a house. Though it was a private party, one of the drunk guys spotted us outside and invited us in. I got a kick out of watching these men (wasted, of course) attempt to dance. They weren’t very coordinated when it came to following a beat and hopping over bamboo sticks. It was definitely entertaining! At the end, they invited us up to dance. I decided to go for it – why not, huh?!
Afterwards, they motioned for us to join them in the middle of the room. They were all gathered around a pot with long sticks coming out of it. We had no idea what it was and whether you were supposed to smoke out of the sticks or drink from them. Turns out it was rice wine – a mix of fermented grain and water.
Most of the villages have a communal bathroom in the middle – women shower inside and men shower outside. They also use this area for washing clothes. We took our showers, then headed back to the house for bed. They rolled out a sleeping mat for each of us, complete with a malaria net hanging from above! Sleeping in the stilt house was much better than Peace House. It was about 87-89 degrees – ah, relief! However, the power cut out for about half an hour in the middle of the night and it was stifling hot and humid! Aside from that, we got a decent night’s sleep on the floor!
Two Chinese guys from Peace House were on the tour along with a young girl from Belgium and some Vietnamese people. It took about 4 hours to get to Mai Chau. There were two little kids (7mo, 2 years) on the trip and neither of them were in a car seat! The little boy sitting behind me enjoyed touching my blonde hair, haha. The air-conditioning broke on the way and even though they fixed it, it didn’t work when we went uphill. We were in quite the classy van, haha.
The drive was gorgeous – we saw blue skies, mountains, and no haze! We passed a few H’mong villages along the way. They’re known for growing green tea, sugar cane, and oranges. Going to Mai Chau was such a breath of fresh air. It was such a relief to escape the heat and congestion of the city.
Upon arrival in the village, we enjoyed a traditional White Thai lunch. Afterwards, we explore the streets and went to one of the stilt houses, our accommodation for the evening. The hill tribe people all live in stilt houses made of lumber and bamboo. Bamboo is important to village people throughout their lifespan. A bamboo knife is used to cut the umbilical cord at birth. Then, they all grow up to live in bamboo houses. Although the floor is made up of thin bamboo leave atop wooden panels, it can supposedly hold up to 20 people dancing! I was surprised that all of the houses were supplied with electricity. They had TVs; however, I didn’t see any computers. It’s standard for people to take their shoes off before entering the house. Stilt houses are practical because they offer good ventilation, protection from wild animals, and prevent flooding in the living quarters.
We spent a few hours in the stilt house to escape the afternoon heat. They laid out thin bamboo mats for us to rest on. At around 3:45, we headed out for our trek. The guide told us that we would go with a guide who spoke basic English and we’d be trekking for about an hour. To our surprise, we went on a 3.25 hour hike with a guide who didn’t speak a lick of English! Mom was not pleased, to say the least. The terrain got pretty rugged; however, it was a great hike and absolutely gorgeous! We walked through rice paddies, past village houses tucked up in the woods, and climbed to the top of a peak. Mom took frequent breaks. At one point, she was lying on the ground. She tried to refuse to go further, but I wasn’t trying to get stuck in the jungle as the sun was going down…My favorite part was when she sat down and suddenly 3 cattle (1 with big horns) came around the corner on the trail. She moved pretty darn fast after that! We walked right along with the animals! I thought it was interesting that the hill tribe peoples let their animals (dogs, chickens, cattle, etc.) just wander around. In the U.S., we keep ours confined to designated areas. Anyways, I was totally in my element. This trip was the perfect weekend retreat! It was physical, yet relaxing. I enjoyed discovering the culture of the hill tribe people!
We returned to the village for dinner. Our guide disappeared soon after – I have to admit that though the trip was great, the tour wasn’t very organized. I think it’s partially just the Vietnamese way…they don’t give you enough details and structure. We wandered down the street to listen to music and watch the dancers perform for another tour group. Later, we stumbled upon a performance on the top floor of a house. Though it was a private party, one of the drunk guys spotted us outside and invited us in. I got a kick out of watching these men (wasted, of course) attempt to dance. They weren’t very coordinated when it came to following a beat and hopping over bamboo sticks. It was definitely entertaining! At the end, they invited us up to dance. I decided to go for it – why not, huh?!
Afterwards, they motioned for us to join them in the middle of the room. They were all gathered around a pot with long sticks coming out of it. We had no idea what it was and whether you were supposed to smoke out of the sticks or drink from them. Turns out it was rice wine – a mix of fermented grain and water.
Most of the villages have a communal bathroom in the middle – women shower inside and men shower outside. They also use this area for washing clothes. We took our showers, then headed back to the house for bed. They rolled out a sleeping mat for each of us, complete with a malaria net hanging from above! Sleeping in the stilt house was much better than Peace House. It was about 87-89 degrees – ah, relief! However, the power cut out for about half an hour in the middle of the night and it was stifling hot and humid! Aside from that, we got a decent night’s sleep on the floor!
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