Vietnam
Bản Bang

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    • Day 69–70

      Viet Nhat: Tour Day 1

      January 22 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 12 °C

      An early start to the day due to jet lag; A was up around 2am,and J roused by 5am. The time was used productively to get the bags packed for the day ahead. After a quick breakfast at the hotel and final checks we were off to the motorcycle office.

      It was a wet morning with light rain as we walked a few blocks over to the tour company for 830am. They have a TINY office in a side alley 😯 After the paper worked was signed and the bikes loaded with our one duffle strapped to the rear seat, we were off. The private 16-day tour on Honda XR150L will be an adventure! Glad to have our guide navigate us out of Hanoi, a sprawling city of 10 million. We followed the Red River in a Northwest direction. We immediately learned that the concept of lanes, passing and traffic lights do not exist, only a suggestion! Eyes on a swivel, toot the horn often to let others know you are there and just go for it!

      The rain continued, so we stopped mid-morning for a coffee before continuing on. Eventually we took our route off road, and followed the dykes, and zig-zagged along narrow paths through rice fields. The most slippery sections being mushy muddy puddles recently torn up from heavy equipment construction trucks. This route didn't have many other travellers, though we crossed over main streets here and there.

      We eventually came to the mountains, and rode along a narrow (single track) concrete road through mountain villages. The vegetative landscape with the rock spires seemed magical in the low clouds. Sections of this mountain area had sugarcane fields. Friendly locals, especially the kids, had big smiles and waves.

      Before long we came upon a busy highway, and continues to climb in to the clouds, and over a pass, stopping for a hot lunch on the other side. We were completing drenched; feet hands saturated in our "waterproof" gear. A found his shirt drenched from the zipper despite the waterproof liner. 🫤

      The simple lunch spread of sauted greens, Fried salted pork belly, pork ribs, and tomato egg soup was very appreciated.
      https://maps.app.goo.gl/QDD8kpC1DrVvzdiFA

      Our route took us further west, only stopping for fuel, before arriving at the homestay (like a hostel B&B). On the way the high mountain pass was thick with cloud and very low visibility. Thank goodness for windscreen wiper 🧤😉

      Homestay No 9 Pom Coong
      https://g.co/kgs/rBtavKC

      Today's ride route
      https://calimoto.com/calimotour/t-N0eyMgWWks

      The hot shower and change to dry clothes was very welcome. A short walk in the area before dark to stretch our legs. Though sheltered, the wind continued to blow and chill the valley.
      Our hosts provided a fabulous meal, including very strong rice wine. We all retired shortly after to huddle under double blankets in our private unheated wooden room to keep warm for a much needed sleep. The forget temperature over was 5C. Felt like camping wearing night-pants, socks, sweater and a toque in bed 🏕️🙃
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    • Day 7

      La tourista

      January 2 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

      Coucou les pingouins,

      J'espère que vous allez mieux que moi !
      Hier, on a bien rigolé avec Vic & Charlotte, mes colocs. À tel point qu'on a convaincu Vic de rester une nuit de plus avec nous ! On se dit : "ok on se réveille quand on veut, petit déj et rando toutes les 3"
      Bon déjà la nuit a été longue : les garçons se bourraient la tronche dehors, et je commençais à avoir un peu mal au ventre.
      Ce matin, 8h : le drame. Alors j'ai essayé de partir en rando hein, mais les filles ont dû me ramener au bout de 30 minutes. La moindre odeur me donnait la nausée, et je tenais à peine debout. Au final, elles non plus n'ont pas fini la rando à cause des chiens du village, assez agressifs.
      Est-ce les chiens que j'ai caressé ? L'eau ? La bouffe ? Une insolation ? Mystère, mais en tout cas j'en chie bien (jeu de mot eheh)
      Bref, je vous laisse avec 2-3 pauvres photos peu convaincantes (sauf Chacha dans la piscine of course)

      Des bisous
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    • Day 78–81

      In und um Mai Chau

      March 5 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 37 °C

      In den Dörfern hier leben noch einige ethnische Minderheiten in Bambushäusern und verkaufen ihre Webwaren. Auch mein Hostel ist in diesem traditionellen Baustil auf Stelzen gebaut. Die meisten Möbel sind auch aus diesem schnell wachsenden Rohstoff, der praktischerweise hier überall wächst.
      Am besten fährt man mit dem Fahrrad durch die Reisfelder und erkundet die Gegend. Zwischendurch wird gesalzener Kaffee getrunken, der wirklich gut schmeckt.
      Als ich bei einer traditionellen Tanzaufführung (natürlich auch mit Bambusstöcken) vorbeikomme, werde ich gleich zum Mitmachen eingeladen. Dutzende asiatische Touristen haben mich jetzt auf Video. 😅
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    • Day 5

      Mai Chau

      December 31, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

      I'm aliiiiive,

      Et bien arrivée à Mai Chau avec tous mes organes ! Ça a été une épreuve pour trouver mon chauffeur qui ne parlait que vietnamien, mais une gentille dame est venue à mon secours. D'ailleurs retenez bien ça :
      - les enfants sont aaaaaadorables ici, ils viennent intéragir avec vous tout le temps et vous regarde avec de grands yeux émerveillés ;
      - les gens de mon âge sont supers gentils, de vrais bonbons ;
      - les vieux (>40 ans) sont de vrais connards.

      Mai Chau, c'est un petit village reculé dans le nord ouest du Vietnam, et tout est si... paisible ici ! C'est rempli de rizières, dans les montagnes. Tu sens que les gens s'y sentent bien. Vraiment, les photos ne rendent pas honneur à la région. Il y a plein de chiens errants (non pas de papouilles ils ont peur et vu l'état de certains, mieux vaut ne pas y toucher).
      D'ailleurs, je dors en dortoir pour 2 nuits, je vous laissz une petite photo de ma chambre et des bathrooms (sans eau chaude). J'ai 2 colocs mais pas bien bavards.
      Je n'ai pas encore prévu les activités ou la suite du voyage mais je pense que la next step sera Pu Luong, à 1 heure d'ici.
      Ce soir, c'est le réveillon donc je vais pouvoir goûter aux spécialités d'ici. J'espère y rencontrer du monde, parce qu'après toutes les interactions d'hier, le retour à la solitude est... bizarre !

      Bref, la suite au prochain épisode !
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    • Day 24

      Mai Chau

      April 25, 2017 in Vietnam ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

      Having not had the time to do Sapa, we decided on a less expensive alternative, Mai Chau. It's slightly closer to Hanoi but still has the beautiful scenery and typical rice terrace look and generally more guaranteed good weather. Having not heard much about the area itself, I was excited to see what it had to offer.

      Arriving there we settled in our homestay and had lunch almost immediately. The food was honestly incredible and I'm pretty sure I ate enough food for at least 4 people. Having finished the meal, all I could think about was how good dinner would be.

      The afternoon activity was a bike ride, probably a good thing in order work off the mass of food I had just eaten. During the cycle ride we rode through the large stretches of rice paddies which were absolutely stunning. It was also a beautiful day so we were extremely lucky with our views. We made one stop at a local village that had just been open to the public a few months where they made a large range of woven cloth, all a lovely array of colours.

      Heading back to the hostel at sunset was a gorgeous backdrop to end our cycle ride. Soon after we got back it was time for dinner and yet again they delivered the goods. All different food to lunch yet as delicious.

      Later on we had a treat of Vietnamese dancers come put a show in for us. They were such sweet people and it was so nice to see how much they enjoyed performing for us. In the end all of us even joined in and I'm not sure who had more fun, them or us.

      Safe to say I'm excited to see what Mai Chau brings tomorrow.
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    • Day 4–5

      Fahrt v. HaNoi in die Berge Tam Mai Chau

      October 26, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

      - Fahrt von Hanoi über die "Goldene Lotusblütenkette" genannten Berge nach Mai Hinh
      - kennenlernen des ländlichen Vietnam mit Wasserbüffeln, Reisfelder, Reis trocknen
      - Stopp an der Straße mit tollem Blick
      - gegrillte Spieße vom Hängebauchschwein und schwarzem, in Bambusstäben gegrilltem Klebereis mit Erdnüssen, am Straßenrand zubereitet und gegessen
      - Ankunft im traditionellen Stelzenhaus (ursprünglich als Schutz vor wilden Tieren wie Bären, Schlangen, Tiger in den Bergen und Hochwasser am Meer oder Mekong-Delta gebaut)
      - Wanderung durchs Dorf, große Herzlichkeit der Bewohner
      - Hang, unsere Reiseleiterin, organisiert uns Ganzkörpermassagen (60 Minuten für umgerechnet 12 €) im Stelzenhaus
      - Abendessen
      - Besuch einer Vorführung mit traditionellen Folkloretänzen
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    • Mai Chau

      December 26, 2018 in Vietnam

      Aujourd'hui, nous partons à la campagne.

      Mai Chau se situe dans la province de Hoa Binh, à environ 150 kilomètres à l’ouest de Hanoi, à seulement 150m d'altitude. Le village se trouve entre de grandes falaises et est entourée de rizières.

      Nous profitons du beau temps pour nous balader en vélo à travers les rizières (qui sont malheureusement sèches à cette période) et les petits villages.

      Ici, nous dormons chez l'habitant dans une maison sur pilotis typique, avec un toit en feuilles de palmier, un plancher de bambou et de grandes fenêtres.
      La vue du balcon est reposante après l'agitation de la capitale.
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    • Day 6

      Mai chau

      October 20, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

      Leider wurde unsere Tour zur Halong Bucht mit Übernachtung auf dem Schiff gestrichen. Taifunwarnung.
      So fuhren wir ins Gebirge nach Mai chau. Dort erwartete uns ein wunderschönes Hotel mit Pool umgeben von Reisfeldern. Wir schlenderte durch das Dörfchen und fanden eine niedliche Gaststätte wo einheimische Frauen und Männer für uns tanzten.
      Nur mit der Handytaschenlampe ausgerüstet traten wir in den Rückweg zum Hotel an.
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    • Day 6

      Waking Up in Hanoi by Simi

      July 19, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ 🌧 25 °C

      Having checked into our hotel around 1.30am we indulged ourselves with a lie-in as wet weather had been forecast.
      As it happens the rain was pretty light so headed off for for an explore around Vietnam’s capital city.

      It hit us massively the difference between HCM city aka Saigon and Hanoi- HCM city was the US base during the Vietnam War ( or the American war as the Vietnamese understandably call it) and since the country’s unification has transformed into a modern thriving metropolis- Hanoi on the other hand , having been the capital city for over 1000 years still proudly retains its ancient history and charm. It’s a crazy and noisy place which is a feast for all senses and actually I loved it and 100% reminded me of what it’s like to go travelling - you don’t necessarily need to do anything - just going for a meal and booking a bus ticket can be the biggest adventure ever sometimes!

      We navigated our way to the Temple of Literature taking in a quick glance at Train St ( but more of that later).

      Crossing the road in Hanoi is definitely not like crossing the road at home but actually as long as you followed the advice we were given then we were ok!
      Almost every tourist who arrives here has faced the famous problem of crossing the road in Vietnam and it’s become something of a rite of passage for every visitor.

      At the beginning of our explore we spent a while standing at the side of the road watching dozens of cars and scooters honking and whizzing past. It became apparent that the drivers don’t follow the Highway Code.

      The most important rule on crossing the road is to keep going. Once you’ve stepped out, you must commit to the crossing. Do not stop. Do not turn back. Even though you probably want to freeze or run back, this is actually more dangerous than forging ahead to the other side. Somehow the vehicles go round the back of you and if you walk at an even pace you actually manage to cross unscathed. It just takes confidence and belief. I felt we were like old pros by the end of the day!

      Our first stop was the tranquil Temple of Literature. Again this place did not take card but luckily the boys were free and Arushi was half price with her student ID!

      Tucked behind a walled compound with five separate courtyards, the Temple of Literature (Van Mieu) was built under Ly Thanh Tong’s dynasty in 1070 to honour Confucius. It became Vietnam’s Imperial Academy shortly after – a prestigious school for top academics. Today, the temple honours Vietnam’s finest scholars and signifies the beginning of a uniform educational system in Vietnam. We loved learning all about the super hard exams the students need to put themselves through. We had a go at writing some of the Chinese characters and this was hard enough for us! .. so much to learn! We spotted a silent monk skilfully brushing calligraphy style stokes to write aChinese aspirational characteristics- this clever entrepreneurial designer had a brochure showcasing a huge variety of traits you could choose! Arushi and Eashan both bought one!

      It was clear to see how this lovely oasis in the middle of the bustling city made us feel restorative and peaceful yet it was time to move on!

      Hanoi is notorious for its coffee so we had a pit stop where Matt and I had a coffee each and the children enjoyed some juices. Thumbs up all round!

      Our next stop was Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum but not for Arushi sadly.. she had short shorts on so wasn’t allowed to the area. Ho Chi Minh’s body is preserved in the cooled, central hall, with a military honour guard. The body lies in a glass case with dim lights…. Seems quite unusual being able to go and see him like this but it’s the same for other communist leaders such as Lenin, Stalin and Mao. Apparently HCM didn’t want anything like this though for him and wanted to just be cremated.

      The mausoleum is closed occasionally for restoration and preservation work on the body and this was one of those times however you can still wander into the square to look at the building as long as you didn’t cross the infamous yellow line ! There are strict rules regarding dress, such as covered legs, and behavior, such as silence and walking in two lines, when visiting the mausoleum. The rules are strictly enforced by the staff and guards and we felt quite terrified to hear the menacing whistle being blown constantly ! They were quick
      To instil fear in us all!
      After that we decided it was time for a little repose and headed to find some lunch!
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    • Day 6

      Mai Châu

      February 8, 2023 in Vietnam ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

      Après la ville, direction le monde rural avec la province de Mai Châu.

      Province au sud de Hanoï, relativement pauvre, son activité principale est l'agriculture, avec notamment la culture du riz.

      Contrairement aux exploitations du centre du pays qui sont très mécanisées, ici la plupart du travail se réalise à la sueur du front 😅
      Plusieurs raisons :
      * Économique : les machines ça coûtent chers, or la province est plutôt pauvre
      * Topographique : Les parcelles sont petites
      * Organisation : il n'y a pas de collectifs. Ici chaque famille a ses propres parcelles et les exploite pour elle-même, et pour le commerce local.

      Ce qui fait que pour les touristes que nous sommes, cela nous donne droit à de magnifiques paysages, avec des scènes d'une vraie authenticité.

      Quelques mots sur la culture du riz.
      Les étapes de cette culture peuvent se résumer de la sorte :
      - culture des jeunes pousses. En gros, sur une petite parcelle, on sème en masse des graines et on attend que les pousses fassent 5 à 10 centimètres
      - pendant ce temps, on prépare la rizière, c'est a dire que l'on retourne la terre, on aplanit, on contrôle le système d'irrigation et on fait en sorte que l'eau recouvre la parcelle sur une hauteur de 5 centimètres
      - une fois les pousses prêtes, on les récolte, puis on les replante une à une dans la rizière, de façon rectiligne et espacée de quelques centimètres. Une tâche qui demande un grande dextérité
      - on laisse pousser et on contrôle l'irrigation
      - arriver a une hauteur de 3 mètres, les plants de riz ont jaunis, et on peut récupérer le riz sur les branches au niveau des fleurs
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    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Bản Bang, Ban Bang

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