Today, I signed on to a small tour and headed out to the countryside. I was part of a congenial group composed mostly of Malaysians, along with a Danish couple and a couple from Chicago. The two-hour trip to our first destination, Hoa Lu, was a great opportunity to see Vietnam's single-family building craze. Families are building homes with a very small footprint, because land is expensive, but the houses go up three and four stories. They are built of bricks covered with plaster or cement, and the front facades are very brightly painted. Sometimes, these fancy new homes have a very simple, tin-roofed shop attached to the front of them. On the side of the road, we saw large rice paddies, beautiful produce gardens, coconut, banana and pineapple trees, fish ponds, and occasional cattle and water buffaloes. Each small farm village seemed to have a burial ground as well, some with elaborate monuments.
Hoa Lu, the first capital of Vietnam, is nestled in the mountains. All that is left is two small temples.
Tam Coc, the second destination on our tour, has much more to recommend it. This is an area of limestone mountains and caves, and tourists take a serene boat ride on a river amidst this beauty. Some of the rowers use their feet, and, when the riders are clearly not Vietnamese, all the rowers take advantage of their captive audience to peddle embroidered goods. More about that when I have a chance to tell you about this experience in person!
The rest of our group arrived today; tomorrow morning, we officially assemble as a delegation and head off for a day in Halong Bay, one of Vietnam's best known scenic spots.
2 comments:
Martha --
The houses appear perfect for our City lots. Maybe you should bring back the plans for our "City House Catalog"!
Your trip sounds wonderful and the photographs are fantastic. I like hearing about the culture as well as the scenery. Look forward to your Power Point upon your return (along with your China presentation).
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