Ha Giang Loop - Day 03 | Vietnam

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Backpacking Vietnam: Day 08 (30 July 2019)

Vietnamese Life

Ha giang Loop - Day 03 (Dong Van -> Du Gia - 90km)

When I woke up in the morning at around 6AM, the place seemed haunted. Nobody was awake. From the first floor window, I could see the street below. There were several beer cans lying on the front yard. After some time, the hostel staff came to clean it. A sack full of beer cans were filled. There were several people staying at the hostel and everyone was asleep. The window on the other side opened to a small farm. A middle-aged couple were busy plucking pumpkin flowers. Women in this side of the country wear the traditional Hmong shirts and skirts which are popular for their bright colours and intricate designs. 

After breakfast, we were ready to leave. Tom and Marie came to our hostel and all five of us started together. The road to Du Gia via Meo Vac is the most scenic ride on this loop. We stopped at several places to take pictures. Locals were busy working on mountain slopes, cutting grass for their cattle or gathering firewood for their kitchen and washroom. Life seemed so simple and peaceful here. All along the route, you shall find villagers selling fruits from their farm. I stopped to buy some from a cute little family. The entire family posed for a picture upon my request. 

For lunch, I had noodles. It was tasty. Almost every cafe or restaurant we have stopped at served something vegetarian. If they do not have anything on the menu card, you can ask them to make something without meat and they would immediately do it for you as you shall always find a lot of vegetables in a Vietnamese kitchen. 

At Du Gia, Michael, William and I stayed in Backpacker Garden Homestay at village centre. Tom and Marie had picked a homestay away from the village centre. We left our bags and headed to the waterfall. We had to park our scooters and walk for about half a kilometre to reach a small waterfall. Walking between the paddy fields, overlooking spectacular views, was a beautiful experience. I enjoyed a good shower under the waterfall. There were a few village kids diving. They encouraged the travellers to follow them and some did. 

While returning, I gave a ride to one of the village boys. He did not speak English but we managed to communicate just fine. 

Back at the hostel, it was fun talking to all the inmates. There was a French man with whom I spoke a bit of philosophy. All of us discussed food and world cuisine. Michael and William told me that they liked Indian food. To that, the French guy commented that Indian food was overrated and we add all spices into a dish - "There isn’t a specific recipe", he added. I smiled at his ignorance. It is true that we can alter the ingredients per our individual taste but a recipe always exists. Such a concept that involves modifications to a recipe is perhaps unacceptable to the French who have standardised the recipe for every dish. I wonder what such strictness serves when taste is a subjective matter?

The owner of the place was a young man who was eager to improve his English speaking skills. I enjoyed speaking to him and learning more about the Hmong tribe. It rained heavily that night as we were preparing for the family dinner. There was power cut followed by a heavy thunder storm. We all had a very good meal. Rice wine was served as a welcome drink. All in all it was a very good way to end this beautiful day. 

CONTINUED HERE: Ha Giang Loop - Day 04