Saturday 14 September – Sunday 15 September – Tam Coc – Mai Chau
Saturday 14 September
We beat the alarm jingle, up just before 6.30am.
Final pack up, which always takes longer than it should, and then up to fix up our bill, including the cost of our transport to Mai Chau, which is 350 000 Dong each.
A chat with our hostess, and while we haven’t seen a lot of her with what’s been going on, she’s seriously lovely and incredibly friendly.
Our van arrives, and it seems the Viet Ha is emptying out today, with the group of English backpackers also making a move.
There’s ten or twelve of them, both male and female, and there seems to be one guy who is pretty much organising and taking care of all the logistics.
I have admiration for him, as from the little bits I’ve seen with the interactions of the group, there’s one or two who appear to be rather difficult to keep happy.
But, he takes it all in his stride, mainly by using the technique of just generally ignoring their annoying little behaviours and mannerisms.
On our way by 7.30am, and there’s now less water on our road than last night, with it appearing that the worst may be over.
Into Tam Coc, and we pull up just around the corner from our lunch place.
Everybody off to do the usual van shuffle, but then we’re directed back on, when another couple who are also going to Mai Chau, arrive.
We sit and wait, at one point reversing around the corner to collect a traditional Vietnamese polystyrene ‘suitcase’, all taped up and full of some kind of food.
Back forwards to our initial stop, and we wait some more, while watching the moody English girl who seems to be the main problem of the backpacking group, isolate both herself and her boyfriend from the rest of them, while they wait outside for their van to arrive.
The joys of group travelling……
Eventually we move off, making our way out towards Trang An, picking up more passengers as we go.
Passenger accumulation complete, we’re on our way a bit before 8.30am.
Out to the more main roads, and then into the countryside, with us pretty much following the same route we travelled yesterday.
It kind of feels a bit wasted, but sitting in a van with others who look like us, is very different to what we did with Toan and Tuc.
And anyway, it’s nice to see some of the sights we missed yesterday, now that we are minus rain.
We pull up for the obligatory rest stop and toilet break, and as per usual, the food options are not great.
A rather sweet bánh mì roll (10 000 Dong), all wrapped in plastic, is shared, and then it’s standing out by the road watching local life, seeing as there’s very little of interest in a rest stop.
Time to move on, and noises are made to encourage us back to the van.
We do; well, all of us bar three do; as those three are of the opinion that finishing the last of their cigarettes and drink, is far more important than keeping to the schedule of getting to Mai Chau.
It really is hard to like some people……
Finally on our way, still on familiar roads, and all with the usual sights. Locals still out harvesting rice, with plenty of that rice, as well as corn, out drying on the now very hot side of the road.
Past yesterday’s lunch place, and with the early-ish start beginning to catch up, a little dozing is, reasonably successfully, attempted.
We begin making our way up the mountain, and then down the other side, prompting memories of both two years ago, as well as way back in 2014.
The driving, for the most part, has been good, and we make our way into Mai Chau around 11.30am.
Past the area where I know where we’re staying, and then onto Lac Village, where we’re rather unceremoniously dumped, with very little in the way of explanation, other than no, this is it.
It annoys me, but there’s no point fighting it.
Bags retrieved, and with Lisa also showing signs of annoyance, I placate her with the offer of a cà phê sữa đá, at a nearby homestay / restaurant.
It works, and after the almost four hour process to get here, as well as the short-ish walk from the van in what has become a very hot day, the coffee (30 000 Dong) is much appreciated.
And being of the phin variety, makes it even better.
Our options are considered, and while I know our accommodation is not that far away, lugging the backpacks, as well as Lisa, probably isn’t an option.
Grab is looked at, but Grab bikes appear to not be a thing here, and there’s no cars available.
Cà phê sữa đá had, I push the friendship and suggest we head up to the main road.
We get there, but it’s a struggle, and I take a chance on messaging our accommodation, Homestay An Huy, to let them know that we’d been dropped off elsewhere, and that we will be there soon.
They reply immediately, telling us that they will come and pick us up, which is exactly what I was hoping they were going to offer.
A few minutes later a car pulls up, and before we know it, we’re walking into the An Huy.
We’re shown to our room, which while basic, is nice enough, and we begin the unpack.
Lisa uses the bathroom, and as I walk in to put something away, I become aware that my feet are wet.
The cupboard below the sink is opened, and yep, for water to not spill on the floor, it requires pipes to remain joined the whole way along.
This is not the case, and by the look of it, it’s not been the case for quite some time.
I’m not prepared to put up with this for three nights, so I find our hosts, with the An Huy appearing to run by a young couple with a child, as well as the parents of one of them.
Our issue is pointed out, partly with English, partly with pointing, and partly with Google Translate, with the result being Dad disappearing off to get a replacement part.
While he’s gone, and noticing the other rooms all vacant, I make the suggestion that we would be happy to move to another room.
Google comes back with the comment that that’s not possible, as the key has been lost.
While they do seem genuine, faith in and confidence with, is draining away, far more quickly and efficiently than the pipe in the bathroom is doing.
I’m now starting to have serious doubts about this place, and I’m annoyed and disappointed with myself, after all the time I spent looking for somewhere to stay here in Mai Chau.
Dad returns with a length of pipe, and while I know the Vietnamese are an ingenious race, I’m immediately of the belief that this length of pipe ain’t going to solve the problem.
Sure enough, he reappears, plumbing still broken. The younger guy then has Google tell me that this is a very safe area, and the lack of a key to lock a door, which was an issue a couple of minutes ago, probably isn’t going to be an issue at all.
I’m tempted to simply walk away, but I really can’t be bothered dealing with everything that that would entail. Especially in this heat.
The non-lockable room is reluctantly accepted, and we move next door, feeling considerably flatter than when we first arrived.
Quick unpack, anything and everything of value taken with us, and we head out to do something about lunch, and to take our minds off our chosen accommodation.
Up to the main road, and we find a small local place, with phở bò for me, and bún chả for Lisa, at 30 000 Dong each.
It’s good, and it’s nice to be back in rustic local places like this.
Back up the main street to look around, and seeing a local family enjoying some unusual looking drinks on the footpath, we decide that if it’s good enough for them, then it’s good enough for us.
Lisa uses Google Translate to find the drink’s name on the menu, and we soon have two milky looking drinks, that could be crudely described as snotty looking, filled with jellies and kidney beans.
It’s nice enough, but a little strange, with ‘strange’, incidentally, perhaps being the key word of our day so far.
Drink had, 30 000 Dong handed over, but as we go to head off, the young guy yells out.
He has a problem with the 20 000 Dong note I’ve handed him, as it’s been put back together with sticky tape at some point.
I hadn’t even noticed, and we’ve never had that issue in Vietnam before, but no problem, I give him another one.
He’s now happy.
Up to a Win mart convenience store, much needed bottle of water (10 000 Dong) purchased, and sticky taped 20 000 Dong note removed from my ownership, with no further issues.
Back down through the narrow streets of our area, lots of friendly acknowledgements, and then an English lesson with a lovely 9 year old girl, who was very keen to talk to us.
With a rest and recovery session required, we head back to the An Huy; fortunately the door is lockable from the inside; before leaving Lisa so I can head out to do my 4.00pm thing.
A bike is grabbed, which I knew they had, seeing as that was a question asked of them long ago, when I initially booked.
Unfortunately, I don’t have too much in the way of choice, when it comes to selecting a bike, as I can see only one.
And that bike is not only bright yellow in colour, but also of dubious quality.
The little things are starting to add up, which in turn are increasing my doubts.
Up to the main road, turn right, and down the hill. This worries me, as I will need to go back up the hill at some point, while doing it on this bike.
I find a bia hoi place on the right, but getting no love, I continue on, eventually finding one on the left, where I’m welcomed in by an older lady.
The beer is cold, the woman a little different, and the view from my seat only average, but, I’m prepared to put up with what I have.
A couple of young school kids turn up, and my lady begins pouring Coke into plastic cups filled with ice, and charging what appears to either be three or four thousand Dong.
The initial two customers are then followed by at least thirty more over the next 15 minutes, and it seems to be a daily ‘school’s out’ routine.
Just a few of the steady stream of customers.
I’d not seen this before, and it was fun to watch the excitement of the kids at their icy cold treat, with some of them keen to briefly interact with me.
With the sun lowering in the sky, I make a move out the front so I can see more. My lady is concerned, but accepts things when she realises what I’m trying to achieve.
Her husband returns home, and is horrified that I’m out in the open, gesturing for me to return to the ‘comfort’ of inside.
The wife’s screaming voice is immediately heard from the back, when she realises what he’s trying to do, and he gives up, as I nod to him that this is exactly what I want.
He then proceeds to go over the top when, looking after my beer requirements, which was nice, and much appreciated.
He’s a lovely guy, but I do wonder how he puts up with his wife.
The world is watched, including the incredibly hard working women helping with the construction of the house over the road, until the time comes to make a move.
Sights of the world, along with my mode of transport.
Beers at 5000 Dong are a pleasant surprise, and I give him a hẹn gặp lại, as I head off to tackle the hill on my crap bike.
Back towards the An Huy, stopping at a small local convenience store for beers at 12 500 Dong each, and then into the narrow streets of our little community, receiving lots of smiles and hellos.
Quick shower, and back out around 6.30pm, finding a small restaurant up on the main road.
Bún bò huế each (30 000 Dong), and cans of Saigon beer (15 000 Dong), retrieved from somewhere over the road by the owner, when requested.
The food was really good, and they were just such a lovely couple, who really went out of their way to make sure we were okay.
Dinner done, a beer place is looked for, however the best that can be found is a restaurant winding down.
But no problem, and because we can sit out on the street, that is what we do.
Toilet utilised, with Lisa discovering the owner’s incredibly small, and incredibly cute, puppies, before fixing up the 20 000 Dong beers, and heading back ‘home’, to our unlocked room.
Mai Chau at night.
The usual nightly thing on the bed, with plenty of contemplation on the day.
It was a bit of a rough start, firstly being dumped, and then dealing with the plumbing and key issue.
Huge doubts on what we should do, and right now, I’m still not totally convinced that staying here is the right thing to do.
Having said that, I really love the area, and I really don’t want to go to the trouble of moving.
No real plans tomorrow, but we do need to organise some laundry, as well as try and do something about a couple of half decent bicycles.
Because my yellow one, along with a second one since found, are nowhere near acceptable for what we would ultimately like to do in the next couple of days.
It’s frustrating, and while each of these small-ish issues aren’t major problems on their own, when you put them all together, it is having somewhat of an impact.
I feel a little misled, and that annoys me.
Sunday 15 September
Lazy start, and not up until almost 9.00am.
Outside with a bag of clothes that need to be cleaner than they are, and our hosts are nowhere to be seen.
Around our little streets, and a sign offering laundry is found. 35 000 Dong per kilogram, and with us having three kilograms, it’s 105 000 Dong, and ready tomorrow morning at 9.00am. All with the help of Google Translate.
Up to the main road, bánh mì cart spotted, and two are ordered at 15 000 Dong each.
They’re nice enough, but they’re toasted, so, you know….
Down the road, and the local market is found.
Grubs, the usual fruit and vegetables, fish, more grubs, chickens, ducks, knives, water buffalo, beef, and even the heads of the last two.
Lisa is a little taken aback, but that’s only because we don’t get to see what the ‘middle man’ does at home.
Me, it’s a market, and the fascination and authenticness of it, overrides any gruesomeness. And anyway, after what I saw in Bac Ha last year, this is probably a bit tame.
While there’s a couple of western tourists checking it all out, there’s so few, you’d be lucky to need two hands to count them.
We find a woman doing cà phê sữa đá’s (20 000 Dong), so the opportunity is taken, which also gives us a chance to cool down in the shade, as it’s already incredibly hot.
A bit of world watching, and then a walk further down the street, finding, without actually looking for, the beginning of the walk up to ‘Chieu Cave’.
With the something like a thousand steps up holding very little appeal, and with Lisa even less excited about that, it’s not going to happen. And anyway, it’s just a cave up there, and yeah, I ain’t doing another one of those.
Back the way we came, with the plan now to find usable bikes to hire. I have a feeling touristy Lac Village can help us, but I’d really, as in really, prefer not to do business over there.
Back up the main street, and with the finding of a bike shop, we ask the question using Google Translate.
The answer, not at all surprisingly, but very disappointingly, is Lac Village, so we head back towards the An Huy, stopping for a few minutes to be entertained by an incredibly friendly neighbour’s two cats and her cheeky dog, playing in the front yard.
It’s such a great little community.
Into An Huy for much needed sunscreen, and then the walk along the path through lush green rice fields, that to me, is quintessential Mai Chau.
They’re beautiful, but that heat, both beating down and radiating up off the path, is becoming a thing, and it doesn’t take long before peak sweating is reached.
Lac Village is that way.
Into Lac Village, and my mind races back ten years, when I first saw it.
Homestay after homestay, tourist souvenir display after tourist souvenir display, people that look like us.
It’s kind of interesting to see it again, but it’s all just so contrived, I really don’t like it.
Lisa, however, does, and that annoys me.
Despite that, I know I’m going to have to look after her, so spotting a woman doing nước mía đá, the question that didn’t need to be asked, is, and we’re soon sitting down in front of a fan with our sugary goodness (15 000 Dong each).
We chat with the woman, who tells us she’s White Thai, and while it’s just small talk, I already know how this is going to play out.
And sure enough, as we finish our drinks, the hard sell begins on the tourist tat she stocks.
It’s not full on, but it is done in a way where you feel the pressure to buy.
It annoys me, as all I wanted was a drink, but really, I knew it was going to happen, as that’s what happens in places such as this.
It’s also the reason why I really wanted to find a bike hire option in town.
The offer is politely declined, the bill of 30 000 Dong fixed up, and we head off to find the thing that is the only reason why we are here.
Around a couple of corners, more of the contrived same, and we see a stack of neatly parked bikes.
50 000 Dong each, with the bikes looking a little better than the usual, and we’re off.
Out of Lac Village, thankfully, and we head towards the other Lac Village, which might be called Lac Village 2.
Not because we really want to see it, but just because we want to get a lay of the land.
It’s quickly discovered that those ‘better looking’ bikes are actually quite possibly the most uncomfortable and crappiest bikes we have ever ridden.
Awful handlebars, and a seat that slopes the wrong way, and while I’m prepared to put up with them, Lisa wants to take them back.
I’m so frustrated, because really, hiring bikes was never supposed to be a thing that we were going to have to do while here.
But, she’s adamant, so we head all the way back.
Wanting a simple adjustment, but with the hiring girl lacking the appropriate tools to make that adjustment, the ‘better’ bikes are swapped for the more standard type ones, which are the ones with girly baskets on the front.
We start again.
Out of Lac Village, but this time onto the road that will take us back to the main street of Mai Chau.
We need to do something about lunch, and I ain’t doing that in Lac Village.
Either one of them.
I’m frustrated and annoyed, and because I’m unable to hide it, Lisa is well aware.
A couple of days ago it was the other way around, when we were out on the motorbikes, but today, the shoe is on the other foot.
And she’s not really enjoying that.
Oh well…..
Up to the main street, a local place is found, and we have what I believe to be mi xao (fried noodles), accompanied with beef, along with a trà đá each.
It’s okay, but only just, but really, I’m not sure anything would taste that great right now.
Lunch ticked off (80 000 Dong), cool down achieved, we need a plan, with that plan being to follow the road that runs past where we’re staying.
Back to the An Huy, and on we go, until I reach the point where I can no longer put up with the clicking noise, that is emanating from my front wheel.
The mud guard is forcibly persuaded to sit in another position, and the ride is salvaged, the bike saved, and my sanity restored.
The road is reasonably flat and mostly shaded, and has a far more real and authentic feel than Lac Village.
But then the homestays start to pop up, and we’re back seeing what we’re trying to escape.
On we go, and as the road begins to rise, I make the decision that we’ve seen enough.
We stop, consult Google Maps, and an alternative plan is arrived at.
Turning around, we see a dog chase a young chicken up the road. Unfortunately for the chicken, the dog is quicker, and it now finds itself in the dog’s mouth.
But only for a second, as he drops it, and runs off into a nearby house.
The chicken writhes on the ground for a few seconds, blood from it splattered on the road, while we try and compute what just happened.
Once we do, it’s too late, and there is no more writhing.
Lisa feels the need to let someone know, and with a girl in the house next door the murdering dog’s house, she uses Google Translate to tell her.
The girl nods appreciatively, and says thank you, while pointing to the house next door. Lisa nods in the affirmative.
We head off, the girl having returned to her house, while I ponder the waste of leaving a potential, albeit small, meal to ‘cook’ unwanted, out on the road in the sun.
Off the road we came up, and down into the rice fields. It’s not only beautiful, but cooler and quieter as well.
Along narrow paths, lush green rice, minority houses, water buffalo; it’s stunning.
We come to a small village, check maps, get it wrong, adjust, and then as we approach a ‘house’, music starts, and a small group of minority villagers, all dressed in traditional clothing, begin a dance involving stepping over moving bamboo poles.
All timed perfectly to coincide with the approaching tourists, which in this case, is us.
Have I used the word ‘contrived’ today?
Back to the serenity of the fields, and then to a ‘roadblock’, of sorts. The European couple, who we’d come across a couple of times while down in amongst the rice, are standing with their bikes, while contemplating the ‘river crossing’ in front of them.
Three young kids are enjoying the cooling water, while Mum looks on, but our European couple appear extremely hesitant at the thought of getting even slightly wet.
After Tam Coc, this is nothing, so we push on, which inspires our friends to do the same.
Our map reading skills eventually pay off, and we reach the road that will take us back to Mai Chau.
Reaching the lake, we find a woman doing drinks on the side of the road, and right now, the type of drink is not important. It just needs to be wet and cold.
Choices, along with conversation possibilities, are limited, and we end up with two bottles of fruit tea, a couple of plastic cups with straws, and enough ice to deal with the blood temperature fruit tea.
It’s far from my usual preference, but it’s actually really good! Although, to be fair, just about anything with ice in it would likely be good right now, as, according to Lisa’s weather check, the ‘feels like’ temperature is 39°C.
And it feels every one of those degrees!
Relatively cooled, the very difficult to work out bill of 35 000 Dong is paid; possibly 5000 Dong for the privilege of having ice / ‘drinking in’; and we make our way back to Lac Village.
Our hire place is eventually found, the excellent customer service continues – there’s no one there – so the bikes are dropped and we walk away.
Back through the village, past a guy carrying a dead cat; been a tough day for animals in Mai Chau; and out into the rice fields.
It’s so hot, I’m not sure it’s possible to sweat more, and I can feel myself burning.
Or maybe cooking.
The long walk back, almost complete.
Back to An Huy around 3.30pm, ignoring the one thing that could instantly deal with the overheating thing, which is the slightly slimy looking pool, and the air conditioner is turned on, and t-shirts peeled off.
The ride was, eventually, fun, but the walk back hurt.
Would have been nice to have been able to simply ride back here…..
Feeling slightly cooler, it’s onto my yellow bike and back down to yesterday’s beer place.
They’re closed, so once panic is brought under control, it’s back up the hill a little, finding the place that gave me no love yesterday.
Today is different, and the guy asks me the question, before I even get the chance.
Bike parked, seat taken on the footpath, and my guy holds up a one litre can of a beer I’ve not seen before.
It’s tempting, but with the heat, and its size, potentially too dangerous, so instead go with an everyday Saigon beer.
The first beer is much enjoyed, but a change is made for the next one, when another customer’s arrival alerts me to the fact that they also have bia hoi.
So bia hoi it is, along with some fun interaction with the new guy, when I give him a lesson in how to pour a good beer, after watching him pour mostly foam.
Happy place found.
Sitting, watching the world, a little WhatsApp, along with a bit of fun with the handful of other customers. It’s a reminder of what it’s all about, after not having too many opportunities to enjoy a relatively rustic environment, in the past week or so.
Time to make a move, the bill is paid, and while the bia hoi’s are twice the price of yesterday’s, they were probably twice the fun.
Wanting a memento of my time, and being intrigued by a one litre can, my man is more than happy to oblige, chuckling as he puts one in a bag.
I head off, 40 000 Dong souvenir held on to tightly, taking the scenic route by veering off down into the rice fields.
With the sun now just below the top of the mountains, the path we sweltered on as we walked it earlier, has a vastly different feel.
So much so, that I can’t help but pull over and take in the view in the now much cooler conditions.
It’s beautiful, and while everyone loves and desires the scenery of rice terraces, including me, I can never get tired of looking at vast fields of lush green rice.
As flat and unterraced as they may be.
Back to the An Huy, a shower never felt so good, and out to see about dinner.
My souvenir.
Up towards the main street, and an old guy is pushing a rather large cart.
It’s taking a fair amount of effort, and I quickly discover why, when I give him a hand.
The cart itself is heavy, it doesn’t roll as freely as it could, and we’re going up a slight incline.
We eventually reach the main road, and not before time, and we’re both huffing and puffing.
He was very appreciative of the help, and we had a bit of fun working together, and really, there is no way we could have just walked past him, without giving him a hand.
Down to the same place as last night, and Google Translate is used to tell us they only have a fried rice dish.
No problem, and a seat is taken while they race over the road to source our requested beers.
Dinner (45 000 Dong) and beers (15 000 Dong) had, we head off down the street, finding a hotpot place with a bia hoi (10 000 Dong) sign out the front.
The not at all difficult decision to partake is made, before heading ‘home’.
Back to the An Huy, and our hosts, who have been rarely seen since we arrived, are actually there.
We get an acknowledgement, but little else, and it just all feels a little unusual.
Inside and onto the bed to finish off our day, in the stock standard way.
Like yesterday, it was a bit of a rollercoaster ride today. Again, just little things, but when they add up, it plays a bigger part than it should.
But, once we’d achieved what should have been really simple, especially when you’re paying for the privilege, the day ended up alright.
It’s just frustrating when you have to deal with stuff to reach that point.
So, tomorrow, our last full day in Mai Chau.
Another bike ride, with this one to ‘recreate’ a ride that I often think back to. It was one of those ‘wow’ moments, from ten years ago, which, a little like today, also had its moments.
I’m looking forward to it, and it’s something that was brought up as soon as we decided to return to Mai Chau.
And the bikes that we will use?
Not sure, but I do know where they will not be coming from.
Cheers,
Scott
seriouslynot 