Hanoi - Mai Chau

Wednesday, March 11th

Up way too early again for an 8:00am pick-up for a 3 hour drive to Mai Chau. This would be the first of four visits in total to the well located Authentic (in name) Hotel.

On the streets outside it was total bedlam - we'd been told that children go to school very early, and that their parents cope by feeding them breakfast on the street (ie. from local street vendors). Our hotel was near a school, so the street was full of children eating, sometimes while still on the back of a bike.

It took us half about an hour to get out of Hanoi because basically it's a parking lot. The only reason it works at all is that the Vietnamese are such good natured - "I'm your brother, you're my brother".

Expect the unexpected, and stay calm.

Five minutes later and we were on a freeway to nowhere - well, you have to start somewhere.

Unfortunately, this trip was quite uncomfortable - firstly, because we thought there would be others in the minibus, and we'd stop more often; secondly because we were picked up earlier than expected and didn't make a final visit to the Happy Room; thirdly, the minibus had no suspension; and fourthly, because the driver seemed to be in a hurry - not a tearing hurry, just a careless hurry. We were passing trucks going up a steep pass in a fog with zero visibility - if were ever going to die in Vietnam, today was probably the day.

The scenery looked fantastic - too bad about the weather :-(

We arrived at our hotel ahead of schedule (of course), and it was great - it's not big, and it's not full, but it's very comfortable.

Our room overlooks the pool (not heated):

And the restaurant/bar (no disco, Bombay Saphire):

And there's a large "pond" with water lilies, two "kayaks" (they don't look seaworthy), and something worth catching at night if you're a fisherman.

The hotel staff gave us some maps - one a 5km walking track and the other a 10km jogging track - too bad I didn't bring my running gear because they were very well thought out. Indeed, we cycled the 10km route later (see below).

But first, lunch!

Finished with a dessert of chocolate cake, of all things.

After a short rest, we were off for another bike "ride" - our guide showed us how bikes work, not sure whether we'd be up to it, and then set off on a 10km ride planned to take two hours...right!

The path was better than a Canberra cycle path, and served virtually as a road for everything except cars.

It passed through small villages and beside houses dotted all around the rice fields.

This house is typical:

And everywhere something is being grown, not only rice.

We visited the house of a small family, the matriarch being an 80 year woman who served us tea. Of course, it's a "set up", but it was nice as well.

These people are not wealthy, but they have large, single room houses, built on stilts so the animals can live below in winter. They work hard, for very little income, but they have land, food, education and health care.

There's an open fire in the "kitchen" - in a house built entirely of wood and bamboo.

The "wealthier" families have their own little enclaves.

Back at the hotel we'd earned our Happy Hour cocktail - today's special a Ginger Attack (lots of ginger and lots or rum, that's all I remember).

We reserved a table for dinner thinking there would be a rush. Instead, we dined alone - the other guests seemed to find somewhere else to eat.