Quảng Nguyên. Again I am the only guest at this homestay, but a sign in the town shows that there are 13 homestays within 1km.
I guess my man is the only one lucky enough to have a guest tonight. Unmade road, absence of street lights, this is not an easy place to make a living.
I get a nước mía at the market. And then, for the first time this trip, the skies opened and the rains came. My as yet unneeded poncho is in my bag back at the homestay. I settle down to wait for it to pass. After the rain it shines. I am reminded of Mark Bowyer's (of Rusty Compass) excellent poster promoting Vietnam from 1991.
Here he is talking about it. Well worth checking out his other videos too. I think I've caught what he's got.
Another feast with my host. 20km to Nà Chì tomorrow. I hope somebody's home. The road from Su Phì to here has been perfect. I send pictures to my son recommending it on his next motorbike trip. Once out of town, it's road construction all the way.
Maybe he should wait a year or two until it's done. On foot, it's fine. The homestay in Nà Chì is deserted. I phone the number and announce my arrival. I'm getting braver on the phone, but it's pretty much a one way conversation. I can speak. Understanding what's being said at speed over the phone isn't so easy. Somebody turns up and shows me a space.
Time to see if anybody is home up the road. I head up to the edge of town. The house has been extended over the years since the wooden shack I first visited. But the front is still open to the road. I wander in. Nobody about. Em ơi! time again. The younger son emerges, sleepy from a nap and recognizes me. He calls his mother. She emerges sleepy from a nap. We hug, so happy to see each other again. She breaks off. I'm not done hugging. What's going on? The cat has brought in a snake! The cat is having a good time and the injured snake has no chance of escape. The son dispatches it with a blow to the head. It's time for tea. My friend has to call up relatives to announce my arrival. I face time the elder son, now a student in Hanoi, and many people I don't know. Two can play at this, I think. I face time my son in Australia and get him to join the fun. He has a fine beard that I've not seen before.
My walking must be showing. I am invited to have a nap. When I awake, her husband is home. Son invites me down to the Secondary School where he has a football game to play. Boys turn up on their motorbikes ready for the game. The No Smoking signs on school grounds are much ignored. I am invited to join in. The smoking. "No, no, no, no, no", I say, wagging my finger. They find this hilarious and I have to repeat the performance for those that missed it. Later in town, they'll want an encore. I am invited to join in the match. Age and sandals and common sense leads me to turn the offer down. I can't compete with the exhuberance of youth.
Home for tea. There are small signs that times have been tough here.
During the meal, vợ shows me a google translate on her phone. "Please excuse the modest meal, family circumstances have been hard." I am invited to stay with them, but I explain that my stuff is already at the homestay. My son has stayed with them before, but I don't like to impose or cause any problems with the local police. After the meal, vợ and I head into town for the excitement that is the Tết Trung Thu - the children's festival.
I chat with a teacher from the school. He has good English. He teaches English. "You must come into the school and I'll show you round". We agree to meet in the morning.
At a quiet moment, I say to my friend, "You must let me give you something towards the meal." A complicated game of no, yes ensues as my 200k note is passed back and forth. She stuffs it in my pocket. I stuff it in hers. Finally it stays in her pocket. The imbalance in wealth is difficult to manage between friends. I head back to my deserted homestay and a well earned sleep. Next morning, I find a 200k note in my pocket. I only had one. In the pass the parcel game in the dark, what did she end up with? 10k? This is not good. What would she think of me.
Up to the school for 08:00 as planned. I call up my teacher friend and am taken in for tea. "You must meet some of my students". Two 13 year olds are brought into the staff room for English conversation with me. No such thing as a free lunch. One is a little nervous and shy, but the other is a fairly confident speaker. I agree to come in for longer next time.
My planned walk done, I negotiate with a xe ôm for a ride to Bắc Hà for the market tomorrw. He's not keen. "Quá xa". "Trời sắp mưa rồi". I have used this xe ôm in previous years and, for the business he's in, he's a bit of a home lovin' man. He grudgingly agrees to take me as far as Xín Mần. That will have to do. I stop off at my friends' house to sort things out. Nobody about. I have no pen on me. What to do. I leave a 500k note under a glass on the table. I will write when I get home and explain. I have no problems negotiating money in Vietnam, or, much to my children's horror, even in the UK. I have no problem giving to charity, but between friends when one side is suffering, it's just so awkward.
We arrive in Xín Mần and the the expected rain hasn't come. My xe ôm offers to carry on to Bắc Hà. The Xín Mần - Bắc Hà road is stunning. This was all but impassible when I first visited the region. It's now a great road surface all the way. My feet enjoy the rest, but I get off the bike stiff from the trip.
The market is a lot quieter than I remember. Harvest time is the explanation I'm given. There are very few foreign tourists about. I self debate settling down and walking round the local markets in the area, but the market days aren't right and my feet aren't keen. I debate getting down to Lao Cai for the train. There are berths available. Not quite ready for Hanoi, I check out of my hotel, walk 5 metres and negotiate a ride back to Su Phì and check back into my usual hotel.
Heading up to the market to get another nước mía, I see two French girls trying to negotiate with a xe ôm to take them somewhere. I don my shining armour and ask what they're looking for. They want to go to take some pictures and are pointing to Ruộng Bậc Thang Hoàng Su Phì on the map on their phone and trying to get a ride there. There seems to be some confusion - the xe ôm isn't great with maps, and I'm not even sure the map pin is a real place. It's just 'Rice Terraces'. I suggest they go to the Sky View homestay where there's plenty of photo opportunities and rice terraces around and sort out a clear deal for two xe ôm. "Is that a good price?" they ask. "It's a good price," I say. "You could get it cheaper, but everyone needs to eat." They've been in Vietnam 3 days and have been to Bắc Hà for the market then arrived in Su Phì by fairly expensive taxi. They had been all set to do the usual tourist trail when they'd switched to exploring the north. Finally somebody who is doing Vietnam right on their first trip. One more trek and then I'll be ready for Hanoi.
On to Part 6
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