THO HA VILLAGE.

In 2001, I got a phone call from my friend in Vietnam Television asking about Tho Ha Village. At that time, I had no idea about this place. Feeling ashamed, I decided to jump on my motorbike the next day and make my way to Tho Ha with my best friend to discover the village. At that time, there were no tourists going there. The only image and information I had about Tho Ha before this trip was the beautiful picture in the Fine Arts Museum in Hanoi. Tho Ha was so attractive in this picture. It was the typical image of a traditional village with a village Gate, Banyan Tree and Communal House.

Upon first coming to this village, I found that the name of Tho Ha was well suited for its location. “Tho” means land, and “Ha” means river. Tho Ha is on a narrow peninsula that is located in the middle of the Cau River, so the village is surrounded by water on three sides. The only way to get there is to take the local ferry to the center of the village. From there, you can see a very interesting local market that only opens in the morning, the authentic gate of the village, the still intact 500 year old pagoda, and the impressive communal house.

The ferry taking people to the village. This  is the only way to get to Tho Ha:

Boarding to the ferry:

The Local market:

The 500 years old Pagoda from outside:

More close up:

And from inside:

500 years old original doors:

And huge Buddha statue:

The lady drying rice cracker had just been made at ferry station:

Tho Ha is the only village in Vietnam with no gardens. The reason is there are too many people in the village and a very limited amount of land for each family, so there is no space for gardens. The rice field is inadequate for the needs of the village people, so they have had to produce handicrafts to earn their living. For such a long time, Tho Ha was very well known as one of the best villages in the North of Vietnam for manufacturing terracotta products such as big jars, vases and especially the terracotta coffins used for the scary custom of second burials of the people in the North of Vietnam. The quality of terracotta products here is the best because they fire their product in a kiln for 72 hours instead of 48 hours like in other places. The terracotta here is much harder and more durable than the regular product. I was totally shocked on my first trip to Tho Ha upon seeing many local houses there constructed of defective coffins. Instead of discarding the defects, they made use of this terracotta as the brick for building their houses. The defective and broken coffins, vases and other terracotta products have been used in their walls for several hundred years and make Tho Ha unique among all the other villages on the Red River Delta.

One of the houses had been built of terracotta coffins:

This fence in a small alley is also built of the coffins:

Close up of the wall with defective terracotta coffins:

Most of the families in Tho Ha live in very narrow alleys because they need to save the land for their houses. Since the decade of the 70s in the last century, they have stopped manufacturing the terracotta products, and now we can only see the relics in the walls of their houses. The main income of the village now comes from making rice paper for spring rolls. Visiting Tho Ha, you can see how rice paper is made in any house of the village and you can walk in the shade of rice paper being dried along the small alleys. Many of these alleys are connected to each other so that it seems you are walking in a maze with lots of surprises at every turn.

A lady drying rice paper along the alleys:

Lady in traditional costume at a corner of the alley:

Rice papper drying on the narrow alley:

To be continue…

BAI TU LONG BAY

Most of people when talking about Halong Bay, they will think of Cock Fighting Islet, Titop Beach, Incense Burner Islat, Thien Cung Cave …. as the popular routing for travelers to visit Halong. Now in Halong, they have more than 700 boats for cruising in the bay. Imagine that what happen if all of them sailing for the same route? Halong will be the big floating market. On the side of Halong Bay near Hon Gai, there is Bai Tu Long – the place where the baby dragon saying goodbye to their mother in the legend of Halong. In this route, you can get away from touristy part of Halong bay and indulge with beauty of nature on the bay. This pictures was taken on my inspection trip to Halong Bay in July 2011.

I do really love the layers of the mountain on the back ground:

Boat and reflection of the sun set:

Mountain and sunset. The layers still so amazing.

Junk and fishing boat:

Instead of seeing other tourist boats, you can meet lots of local fishing boat here.

A lonely rock:

Small islet and fishing boats

Rocks

Lonely boat.

PHU QUOC, THE PEARL OF EAST SEA.

PHU QUOC

One of Vietnam ’s star attractions, mountainous and forested Phu Quoc is a splendid tropical getaway set with beautiful white-sand beaches and quaint fishing villages. Adventure comes in many forms here – from motorbiking the empty dirt roads circling the island to sea kayaking its quiet inlets, scuba diving the coral reefs or simply having a bang-up seafood meal followed by a cocktail on the beach. Once a sleepy, backpackers’ retreat, Phu Quoc has ramped up tourism significantly, and visitors can now choose between five-star resorts and rustic family-run bungalows. Plans are underway for developing the island even more heavily – a la Phuket style. If package tourism isn’t your bag, get there now before this happens.

Phu Quoc Island served as a base for the French missionary Pigneau de Behaine during the 1760s and 1780s. Prince Nguyen Anh, who later became Emperor Gia Long, was sheltered here by Behaine when he was being hunted by the Tay Son Rebels.

Phu Quoc is not really part of the Mekong Delta and doesn’t share the delta’s extraordinary ability to produce rice. The most valuable crop is black pepper, but the islanders here have traditionally earned their living from the sea. Phu Quoc is also famous in Vietnam for its production of high-quality fish sauce (nuoc mam).

The island has some unusual hunting dogs, which have ridgebacks, curly tails and blue tongues and are said to be able to pick up their masters’ scent from over 1km away (the nuoc mam their masters eat certainly helps). Unfortunately, the dogs have decimated much of the island’s wildlife.

Despite the impending development (of a new international airport, a golf course and a casino), much of this island is still protected since becoming a national park in 2001. Phu Quoc National Park covers close to 70% of the island, an area of 31, 422 hectares.

Phu Quoc’s rainy season is from July to November. The peak season for tourism is midwinter, when the sky is blue and the sea is calm; however, when it’s not raining it’s stinking hot. Bring sunglasses and plenty of sun block. Take plenty of water when setting out to explore the island.

PLACES TO VISIT IN PHU QUOC:

In this entry, I will show the picture taken from hidden charm of Phu Quoc we found out accidentally in 2007. Getting lost on the way finding Da Ban stream, we rode our motorbike to Duong Dong Reservoir – the biggest lake in Phu Quoc. Talking to the local, the man in charge of guarding the lake offer to take us to the other side of the lake on his little motor sampan. Little hesitating but we decided to take this adventure. Here is the sampan on the lake

Little scary to be on the sampan.

Blue lake and green tree.

On the other side of the lake, the beautiful stream that supply water for the lake hidden from our view. The boat man slow down the boat and here we can see the stream.

From here, the man leave us there for discovering the stream. This is the most beautiful one I ever seen in Vietnam.

The rock along the stream were so clean and nice shape

Some beautiful puddle right on the stream:

Looking back to the lake

Lots of tree like this grew along the stream

Lots of place promised for the beautiful bath.

Bath time!

More scene of the stream

Boat returned

Everyone happy when coming back. It is really the hidden gem of Phu Quoc.

MUI NE.

These pictures was taken when I was on motorbike on the way running from Mui Ne to Bau Trang. Impressed with the beautiful trees growing on very dry land, these image made me feel that I was somewhere else but not in Vietnam. The goats and the dust from their movement also are things that I like from picture.

When we were back, the tree was still there in the sunset. The goats had gone and the color of the sky was so different. It was really beautiful moment in the day.

And the wind still blowing!

DOI HONG (PINK SAND DULL)- MUI NE.

Located only 200 kms from Saigon, Mui Ne turning to be one of the most popular resort area in the South of Vietnam. Along the beach, there are so many resorts from 2 to 5 tourist which lost of them from Russia. The infra structure and restaurant there also much improve from 6 years ago, when I had a chance to come there first time. Beautiful ocean, authentic seafood, great scenery of sand dull and cozy and comfortable resort are highlight of this beautiful destination.

For the one who love photograph in Vietnam, they must know about the the pictures of sand dull in Mui Ne in the sunset and sunrise. Some of them got the prize in the international competition with popular image of some ladies in conical hat carried baskets by bamboo pole as for foreigner, it is totally different image. One of the most famous and beautiful sand dull is Doi Hong – the enormous Pink Sand Dull in Mui Ne.

Located not to far from the town, one of the best time to visit Doi Hong is in the late afternoon before the sunset. The pink sand are really shining and attractive. Walking on the bare foot up hill to feel the very fine warm sand under your feet, you can see lots of couple coming here, spending the sweet moment in the spectacular nature. If you were there by yourself, I am sure that you will understand the meaning of loneliness deeply. That can be the reason why I have no pictures of lonely people here on this entry.

Heading to the sun.

Couple looked at other couple:

The sand really pink in the sunset:

Top of the hill:

Sandy wind:

WEEKLY MOUNTAIN MARKET: DONG VAN MARKET, PART 2.

The market have been divided to many different section for different products. But the most exiting one always is food section, where local hill tribe can have great time with food and socializing. One of other attractive part  of the market is cloth section, we you can experiences the authentic of the handicraft of local hill tribes ( Mong people was very well known about that).

Attractive shop keeper:

Red shoes:

Any corner of the market, you can see very interesting faces of people:

Look like twins.

Happy!

Another twin???

Father and son:

Father and daughter:

Busy time.

On the side of the market:

Clothes box:

Crowded:

Waiting for customers:

Wine O’clock:

In the local restaurant for steam pancake (it was so delicious)

You want rice wine?

Colorful:

WEEKLY MARKET IN MOUNTAIN. PART 1: DONG VAN MARKET.

I am lucky enough to have a chance to experience most of beautiful markets in the North of Vietnam from the time they have not change much. And I found that market is very interesting culture of Vietnam, it can reflect so well the identities of the place that you travel to. From the temporary market at every corner of the streets in Hanoi to th market in the country just opened in the certain day of Lunar month to the bustling impressive floating market in Mekong Delta. But the most impressive market to me still the weekly market in Northern Mountain Area of Vietnam. Different market just open weekly in the different day of the week, but the most popular day still in the Sunday like Bac Ha, Dong Van, Muong Khuong, Muong Hum…. or Satuday Like Can Cau. Some other can be on Tuesday like Coc Ly, Wednesday like Cao Son or Thursday like Lung Khau Nhin or Tam Duong. The best thing I like from this market is the reason for the Hill Tribes they go to market. Far different from people in the city going  to the market, local people here when they go to market at the weekend, it more like us to go to the Pub or Bar, mainly for socializing but not for shopping. They will have a good food to eat, alcohol to drink, friends to meet, lover to look for and they can have a good break from their peaceful but monotone life in the week. They not mind at all to walk for 20 to 30 kms to the market, some woman just have the baby about a month also ready to walk to market with her baby, and the scene of young mother having food when her little child also having the milk from mother is one of the most impressive image to me in the market. The other impression is Mong Man behavior when they drunk in the market. Corn alcohol is most popular drink for any Mong Man when they came to the market, having fun, drink allots but they never ever causing any trouble when they drunk. May be talking louder, sleep at the corner of the market or right on the road on the way home. And I was so adore to their wife, they are so tolerate ans patient, siting there next to their husband waiting till he can be well enough to be home. And many time, I saw their children doing the same thing without any complain, as it was a part of their life. The picture bellow was taken in 2009 when we was on the way going to Dong Van, and this man was so drunk and enjoy his sleep, with some money still holding in his hand. I just joined him for the picture and try to pretend that I was drunk as a scunk too.

For all of the market mentioned above, the one I like most still the Dong Van Market. This is one of very few market did not change at all in last 20 years ( that happened terribly in Bac Ha Market). Located like in the central of Dong Van Town, this market still base on the stone houses built from hundred years ago in quite traditional style.

This houses still in very good condition with tile roof, built in the U shape in large ground that can be enough for few thousands people in the Sunday Morning. In the regular day, the market still open as the regular one for local people in the town.

The Butcher enjoy his breakfast in the morning:

On the side of the market still remained two beautiful streets with the houses built from hundred years ago and really matching with the market.

The old street view from market:

In the market day, as too many people came, the market also took place on the street:

And the house and be the place for someone waiting:

The local people start going to the market very early. The closer one arrive sooner. This picture was taken at 6:30 AM and some of them arrived already.

The town boy woke up early too:

It is still dark inside:

After 8, the market in the most crowded time. Different products were sold in different area. I like this lady selling sticky rice:

Beautiful sticky rice:

Incense stick seller:

Men who can fix the shoes, just can see in Dong Van Market:

Grocery shop:

Fried sticky rice cake:

Vegetable area:

Very crowded:

Pumpkin flower, it tastes so good:

And bees lava, you should not miss it:

to be continued….