After spending a week in Hanoi, I decided to take a weekend trip to the far northwest of Vietnam, a region I had never been to before. I visited my good friend Theresa in Pho Rang, where she is teaching English at a high school. The day after I drove to a small village called Nghĩa Đô spending one night at a local family´s house. It was an unforgettable weekend and I feel more than grateful to be able to experience all this.
First steps
So, basically, this whole trip was quite spontaneous and only possible because my Visa processing time took longer than expected. I had already spent a week in Hanoi and got curious to go somewhere far off the beaten path this time. After talking to some of my friends that are currently volunteering all over Lao Cai province in northwestern Vietnam, I decided to take the Bus to a small town called Bao Ha, located in that province. I arrived there after about 4,5 hours and they told me the bus from here to Pho Rang will depart in 5 hours.
I was quite hungry, so I decided to walk through the town and find something to eat first. While walking, I saw people smiling and waving their hands toward me constantly. When I crossed the bridge, a few elderly women in traditional clothing walked by, smiling at me, and inviting me to eat at a small restaurant: a moment I won´t forget.
It seemed that they are from the Hmong tribe, guessing from their traditional clothing. It was pretty refreshing and quite a different experience compared to the hectic city of Hanoi.
Challenges
After having a solid bowl of Bun Cha, a rice noodle soup with pork, I waited alongside the road for the bus to pick me up. But the bus driver refused to stop for me which left me surprised and confused.
So...there I am in the middle of nowhere, without Wifi and a plan. Time to take some action! So far I always found a solution so why shouldn´t it be different now? The experience is what keeps me cool in these situations. Panicking won´t help me.
I crossed the bridge and tried to contact the first local I could see. Luckily a man helped me quite quickly and I got on the local bus to Pho Rang. I like to be spontaneous and this is maybe the downside of it but so far I always found solutions and to me, it has a lot more pros than cons.
During the ride, I got to see the beautiful mountain range of Lao Cai province.
I was sitting in the back of the bus when two young boys tried to talk to me. Although their English knowledge was limited, we were able to have some basic exchanges.
Moments like these make travel so worth it in my opinion and the likelihood of things like that to happen much higher if you move off the beaten track and not only wander on common routes.
"Travel is about the gorgeous feeling teetering into the unknown"
I arrived at around 5 pm in the city of Pho Rang, a small city where my good friend Theresa is teaching at the local high school. Once I got there, the 9th grade was preparing for a dance that they will present at the upcoming graduation. It was great to see Theresa again after meeting in Hanoi last month.
As I was first set to volunteer in Vietnam, it was interesting to see what my experience could have looked like. I spent one night in Pho Rang before traveling to the small village of Nghĩa Đô. First I planned to take the bus, but to my surprise, one of the teachers from Theresa´s school offered me to borrow her motorcycle for the trip; a pleasant surprise that allowed me to be more flexible on my journey. I was able to stop at viewpoints or buy some fruit at the local market.
After driving for about 10 minutes I realized that I just discovered a uniquely beautiful part of this world. The north of Vietnam is mostly pretty remote and therefore remains traditional as there is less of an influence from outside.
I realized that I arrived in Nghĩa Đô, once I saw those majestic rice fields.
While taking pictures, some kids approached me and wanted to communicate in English. Their parents watched us taking some pictures together and suddenly they drove away with their motorbikes. About 5 minutes later they came back with some sweets to share with me.
What friendly and generous people and an amazing way to arrive in Nghĩa Đô. The scenery was indeed breathtaking and in my head I was once again thanking myself for doing all this.
I spent the night in Nghĩa Đô in a homestay at a student's family house. My dear friend Jule, who is teaching near Pho Rang made the contact possible. Special thanks to her!
I was greeted warmly and welcomed by a huge dinner with the whole family.
The next day I just drove around the area. Once I got back to the homestay I saw a lot of motorbikes, I wondered what could be the reason. Once I got upstairs I saw at least 15 people sitting and enjoying a huge meal. They asked me to join. I didn´t hesitate of course. Opportunities like that are rare and you should never reject an invitation for food.
"Food may not be the answer to world peace, but it´s a start"
Even tho some of the dishes were kind of hard to chew down, it was a pleasant and unique experience. And the rice whiskey helped to digest some of those pig organs for sure. In moments like these, I try to remind myself that people are generally proud of their food, especially in rural areas. A willingness to eat and drink with people without fear and prejudice. They open up to you in ways that somebody visiting who is driven by a story may not get"
After taking a rest, I drove back to Pho Rang to return the motorcycle to the teacher. We got the chance to talk to her son and I was impressed by his English skills. He seems like an extraordinary student and I hope that he will have much success in his life.
Afterward, I had a light dinner before I entered the night bus back to Hanoi.
It was a short yet unique and memorable experience. Special thanks to Jule and Theresa for helping me to realize this!
The homestay in Nghĩa Đô: https://goo.gl/maps/X56f5p5onapfmHfN8?coh=178572&entry=tt
My playlist for traveling; https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4jjVBR8UEUkJcYHQ6u38Fn?si=16fb4bef1e484c20
More pictures:
That is it! The northwest of Vietnam: raw and unfiltered.
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