Wednesday, 11 December 2013
We arrived today in Mai Chau, 44km north of Quan Hoa. It was a flat ride apart from a couple of climbs at the start and we passed through a mix of pretty villages and industrial towns. We experienced our first downpour while riding. We've been pretty lucky to have come this far without having to ride in the rain so we didn't mind too much.
(Riding past rice paddies where a local was at work)
We continue to find the people to be friendly and welcoming. One man shouted "hello America" as we went by and we got a taste for the Vietnamese sense of humour when one man kindly said "raining boss" as Paul rode past. Given the rain was running off our noses at that point, we were pretty sure he was pointing out how silly he thought we were. We also heard our first Christmas carol - Jingle Bells - while riding through one small village.
(A colourful school with some colourful kids and their bikes)
The style of housing that we've seen so far here is quite different to that of Laos. Many people around these parts live in stilt houses where the sleeping area is raised up off the ground and the area below is treated like an outdoor living area or is used to store food and other household goods. There are also many Soviet style concrete houses. New houses are either made of wood that is finished with a glossy varnish, or they're made of concrete and painted in different colours.
(A stilt house where the ground floor area is left open)
(Another type of stilt house where the ground floor area is enclosed)
We stopped on the way for lunch and Paul managed to politely refuse an invite from a group of local men to drink and smoke with them.
The rain didn't last long but the cloud and mist hung around all day. We had booked a night at a home stay in a village outside of Mai Chau which we had read was a popular thing to do. However we realised soon that we had arrived in off-season as the village was almost empty and that the home stay concept was quite commercialised with thirty or more houses offering such accommodation.
(An elderly man in khakis and a Soviet style hat cycles along the road to the village)
(Just one of many many shops selling souvenirs)
(Rice paddies on the edge of the village)
The room is basic but clean. It feels at times like we are invading the family's privacy a bit but it's only for one night. We spent the afternoon walking around the village and the town and found a little market to stock up on some fresh fruit. We had a great dinner at another home stay in the village. Tomorrow we will stay at a hotel in the town and see if we can find a local guide for a walking tour.
(Inside the main area of the stilt house which is used as a dormitory. The walls were covered with family photos)
(Our room for the night)
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