Wednesday, April 20
We have a car to bring us to Mai Chau valley. Everyone has packaged what it will take 3 days and 2 nights. Our large suitcases are in Hanoi. Khoa running car. We were out for road work by a new bridge, which meant that we were very delayed. Motorcyclists rode all the time in front of the car that crawled on and on cm cm, while we listened to hundreds of cyclists. Hanoi has 8 million. inhabitants and it seemed like they had besemt out to be the same way as us. There was a huge intense morning traffic. We also have HOA in the car and a lot of flowers from your birthday. First stop on the outskirts of Hanoi where we will see a silk factory. We saw the silk production from pubbe into finished goods. We tasted silk caterpillar schnapps, a little sweet but the taste was fine. We drove towards Hoa Binh, which is the city with the large power station that we first see on the way home from Mai Chau. In Mai Chau valley we live in the town of Ban Lac Hoa in which house no one right next to rice paddies. In Mai Chau Valley, home to most White Thai. They emigrated about. 300 years ago from Thailand and settled in this valley. Hoa and her husband are the best cooks in the village. Now we can rent bicycles in the village. Already on the first day we make a bike ride. We drive through many villages and see the green rice, which must first be harvested several months later. It is relaxing for body and soul. There is a calmness and peace here in the valley as there is in Hanoi. We had a small hike in the city before we took our first bike ride. When we had our first places where we were sleeping, had lunch ready. A very tasty lunch. Cl. 15.00 started our first tour. A very beautiful trip. As previously mentioned, there are incredibly beautiful. Eric came by with one of his bags with clothing for Vietnamese people here in Mai Chau! We ate dinner at. 20.00 and then rum and coke and we went to bed early. We slept with mosquito nets in Mai Chau and only there. Incidentally, one should have to build balm. Remember that.
Silk caterpillar schnapps
We stayed Mai Chau
Mai Chau Valley
Vegetable Highlight
Erik and Khoa
Thursday, April 21
We biked from Ban Lac pm. 8.00. Henning has invited 2 Vietnamese people from Hanoi on the trip. Those we may see in Hanoi. There were 3 girls from Saigon, but they drove on a motorbike. It's a tough ride addition at 9.7 km (Forerunner 205), while most go up. It is a school which we visit. It is 17 time that Henning visit this school. We are always well received. We started in the staff room. School counselor "dir" received us. We had tea, fruit, pears and fresh mango. After a little chat about school we visited the classrooms. Students sang for us. There are so many students who come from poor backgrounds. Henning always have many pictures from the last visit. The best we can do for children is to take pictures of them. Finally gave Henning $ 20 for 2 students who were appointed by the school. School is a small school with 48 pupils and 15 teachers. It is very primitive living Mai Chau. We are enjoying ourselves with walking around the village. We should be in one of the prettiest places in Vietnam. Some would make the trip completely with only a night in Mai Chau. Out 1 day and home the next day We had lunch together with 2 from Paris who was here for the first time. We ate at a place that helps physically disabled guests. The rest is here you get nowhere else. There are so many other positive things that fully replaces the lack of comfort. Cl. 15.00 we make again a bike ride motorcycles and bicycles. We drove to the other side of the valley. Everyone we met greeted us. We drove approx. 20 km. Looking out over the rice fields, there are people everywhere. It was nice to come home to the village and get a hot bath. Before dinner, we experienced rain for the first time on this trip. It stopped after one hour. After we had eaten dinner there were some dancers here.
Mai Chau school with Google Earth. possibly right-click
School children in Mau Chau
School
Henning along with 2 from Hanoi. They rode with on the long trip
School
Lunch
The hard bike ride
Dancers
Dancers
Dancer
Hoa
Henning bought scarves and celebrate with a dance