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Published: August 29th 2009
A disarming smile...
Whilst driving in the countryside, I stopped to photograph faces and landscapes that epitomised this part of the world...This morning I awoke to a large cockroach waving it's feelers at me, not the most engaging of bedfellows. I did try to save it by depositing it outside, however it was a frying pan/fire situaiton as the maid promptly swished it-cockroaches bleed white blood!
One of the students had invited Martin and me to visit her grandparents in the country for lunch and to explore the mountains of """""
The city seemed never ending, such a sprawling conurbation. Gradually after an hour, the buildings began to give way to bright green rice fields and blue distant limestone hills. It was a scene from a guidebook, and just how I imagined Vietnam to be. Many Vietnamese travel back to their hometown to visit their families at weekends, so roads are even more chaotic. We saw two accidents on the highway. One was particularly nasty, where a small body lay under a woven matt in the middle of the road, the motorbike laying discarded beside it.
The student's parents own a dog restaurant in the village of """" , they were very keen to meet us and feed us local foods. The restaurant was on the side of a main
road...a covered space outside for people's bikes. Inside are a few low tables and plastic chairs on one side with the main part raised decking of dark wooden slats. Taking off your shoes, you sit crossed legged around a tray full of different foods and the obligatory rice. It's a very sociable culture. Young people have the utmost respect for their parents and elders. They often help the family business at weekends even though they have just worked a long 5-6 day week. The best part of lunch was Nem...a mixed meat, veg, subtle herbs and spics roll, wrapped in rice paper and lightly fried-absolutely delicious.
After lunch, the father and a little girl from next door """" Martin and me drove to the mountains. We drove off the beaten track past villagers making the typical conical hats, elaborate coffins and other traditional crafts. After a while the villages faded and the mountains began. During the last few metres three young boys saw our western faces and ran behind the car...after calling out hello in Vietnamese then English, they excitedly repeated 'hello', and were estatic when I repeated it back to them. After parking near the entrance of some
karst system of caves...the three boys hurriedly called to their friends and pretty soon I was surrounded by tiny, scrawny, laughing tots who fought over holding my hand and led me through the caves. Inside they were lovely and cool, and a refreshing respite from the sun. There were a few Vietnamese tourists paying respects tp the shrine in the caves, but otherwise it was peaceful and quiet. I gave some money to a little old lady and the student translated that she was to buy treats for the children...pretty soon the children got wind of this and were even more excited. They were fascinated with my fair skin and camera...i.e. seeing themselves on the screen, it was only when we we returned to the car that """" told me we were the first foriegners they had seen!!!! They were all adorable, ragged, muddy, smiling happy things. They did not need any gadgets to have fun and play...just nature and each other.
After leaving '"" with her parents, we drove back to the city, which took 2 hours through even crazier traffic, navigating with a Vietnamese map is a little bit challenging, but did not make one wrong turn!
To stretch my legs, I walked upto and around the lake in the centre of the city...gazing at all the couples sitting on the edge-this is the only time they can be with each other, not their parents' houses or anywhere else! Even kissing in public is frowned upon, so in this sense it is very traditional. The trees and pagoda were all lit up, it was very romantic! One monk sat meditating in front of the obelisk, as this lake is the spirtiual centre of the whole country.
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